Lucas Arts developing theme park game

[TheGreatOne]

Got this from the E3 page on the internet:

 

Thrillville

 

Visit Thrillville for a nonstop party in a theme park you create. An all-access pass to adventure and fun, Thrillville lets you experience a fully interactive and customizable amusement park where you can play dozens of midway minigames, interact with your park guests, and even build and ride roller coasters and over 100 attractions. Thrillville combines elements of simulation, party games and social interaction like nothing before it - all in one of the most family-friendly console games ever!

 

For the first time ever, Thrillville allows gamers of all ages to easily build and customize the coaster of your dreams. Gone are the days of the complex PC techniques used in other coaster games. Rather, Thrillville's easy to use building mode has been designed specifically for the console platforms and makes building all 75-plus rides from wooden, corkscrew and inverted coasters to merry go rounds, trains and carnival rides, easy, and most importantly, fun.

 

Imagination is the only height limit with Thrillville, where the fun ranges from racing on go-kart tracks you put together and playing mini-golf on courses you designed to joining friends for dozens of four-player party games, from bumper cars to arcade shoot-'em-ups. You can also tour the park on foot - a first for theme-park titles - chatting and joking with all the guests to help them out and make sure they're enjoying themselves. Slated for a fall release, Thrillville is being developed by Frontier Development for PlayStation 2, Xbox and PSP.

 

Sounds interesting...I'd love to see some screenshots.

[CD]

Wow that sounds cool! Finally a good game for my PSP

[Billy]

probably gonna be awful like all games of this type that come out. RCT still pwns.

[SLUSHIE]

I just went to Frontier Developments website, and they are actualy the makers of RCT, so this sounds prommising.

[Billy]

hey now! well just have to play it. hopefully theyll get it right...

[SharkTums]

Very interesting, I can't wait to see Robb's comments on this one!

[CoasterCrazy]

This game sounds interesting!

 

I'm looking forward to getting a chance to try it.

[TheStig]

Woah wait a minute, didn't Frontier also do RCT3? So will this pretty much be something like RCT3 for console and handheld systems? Well the idea seems great, but I think it sounds more like a non-PC RCT3...

 

Colin C

[Homer]

Coaster games plus consoles... not so good...

 

1. Theme Park series- EA/Bullfrog - 1994 (PC, Genesis, PS2)

(see also Theme Park World (1999) and Roller Coaster (2000))

 

This game was so incredibly boring and just cut and pasted rides to make some sort of business simulator better. Horrid interface and then this little dude on the corner of your screen thats like the little black box on the bottom of the RCT screen.

 

2. Coaster Works (Dreamcast, 1999/2000)

 

Little known info on this game.

 

3. RCT1 Port (Xbox, 2002)

 

Nothing more but RCT1... but on your Xbox! Wow, like the consumers won't notice a then 3 year old PC game that has sold millions is the exact same on the Xbox!

 

In short, all coaster console games suck, this one will too.

[Angry_Gumball]

I actually have Coaster Works for my Dreamcast. Here's my mini-review on the game as I've beaten it.

 

Basically, you start off with a simple coaster you have to build, keeping G's in check (If I remember right). After getting your coaster scored, you advance to the next level, where you are given a new 'ability' such as being able to do loops and banks. The final level is like a "Sandbox" mode where you build whatever you want with no objectives to face. You can bend the track in any direction, yet your workspace is still limited...(So, no hyper coasters)

 

FPS is very smooth, yet something could have been done with background colors as the grass had a pukey green look. Personally, I thought it was a fun game and would keep you busy for a few hours to unlock the last level. It's not a No Limits level simulator but it did it's job on the Dreamcast.

[Angry_Gumball]

I actually have Coaster Works for my Dreamcast. Here's my mini-review on the game as I've beaten it.

 

Basically, you start off with a simple coaster you have to build, keeping G's in check (If I remember right). After getting your coaster scored, you advance to the next level, where you are given a new 'ability' such as being able to do loops and banks. The final level is like a "Sandbox" mode where you build whatever you want with no objectives to face. You can bend the track in any direction, yet your workspace is still limited...(So, no hyper coasters)

 

FPS is very smooth, yet something could have been done with background colors as the grass had a pukey green look. Personally, I thought it was a fun game and would keep you busy for a few hours to unlock the last level. It's not a No Limits level simulator but it did it's job on the Dreamcast.

[kenshinmac]

Can we get linktified? I would like to see the info for myself...

 

This sounds really cool I just hope that Frontier can pull off a little better framerate than RCT3 had...

[Reon]

So basically Mario Party+RCT? Interesting concept if it works, but if it doesnt, Thrillville is boned already...

[Angry_Gumball]

^^You can find reviews, links to screenshots, and links to gameplay videos (even how the interface works) on Dreamcast's CoasterWorks at Gamefaqs.com.

 

Game Info

 

GameFAQs reviews

[pvcoasterguy]

Frontier is the group that totally screwed up the RCT series. They didn't have any involvement with RCT2 (which was great) until the expansion packs. They did the incredibly crappy expansion packs for it. Then they did RCT3, which, while fun, has major flaws. This game is going to suck, for sure.

[robbalvey]

HAHAHA!! Let's just say, I've played some of this game already.

 

Very interesting, I can't wait to see Robb's comments on this one!

Unfortunately, I'm really not allowed to comment on it other than I would really wait until it comes out to pass any kind of judgement on it. It might surprise you.

 

--Robb

[kenshinmac]

Damn... NDAs blow...

 

Why can't media be released more quickly... Someone better have some pics up soon... Hopefully it will be good... I need me a new coaster game.

[gunslinger]

Gone are the days of the complex PC techniques used in other coaster games.

 

What? I really think RCT1/2 were as easy as you could get. And then Frontier decided to try to dumb the process down even more, and, IMHO, ruined the game entirely.

 

I give this idea a big preemptive "LAAAAME."

 

 

"I wish I had more hands... So I could give noun four thumbs down!"

[robbalvey]

I give this idea a big preemptive "LAAAAME."

 

"I wish I had more hands... So I could give noun four thumbs down!"

I don't understand the point of giving a game you've never played such a harsh bashing. That's like saying you thought a book sucks that you've never read.

 

I don't get it. How can you know so much about something you have no experience with?

 

--Robb

[Manic Monte]

Most people are basing their opinions on the last coaster game frontier was involved with. I myself will take a wait and see approach. It may be the same company behind the game, but an entirely different group of creators.

 

Besides, any game that I don't have to waste computer space on, or upgrade my system, is fine with me.

[kenshinmac]

Seriously if I took that kind of attitude about games I would have missed some of my favorite games ever... I've played plenty of crap games in my life but honestly dismissing something before you have even seen it is absolutely pathetic. I mean at least have something to base it on. You don't even know that it is the same style of game.

 

Lets at least wait until we can get impressions and media from people who aren't NDAed... Sigh... NDAs are the devil... They stop me from getting info I want...

[gunslinger]

I give this idea a big preemptive "LAAAAME."

 

"I wish I had more hands... So I could give noun four thumbs down!"

I don't understand the point of giving a game you've never played such a harsh bashing. That's like saying you thought a book sucks that you've never read.

 

I don't get it. How can you know so much about something you have no experience with?

 

--Robb

 

Frankly, PC is a great medium for the genre. If it ain't broke, don't try to make the move to console with a formula that ended up being terrible for it's predecessors. If the past is any indication of future Theme Park console games, this one will fail just as hard. If the game turns out to be completely awesome and revolutionizes the Theme Park construction gaming experience, I'll gladly put on my lobster bib and eat my words. I just don't expect that to be the case.

 

I do expect amazing graphics, though.

 

 

[/shrug]

[robbalvey]

^ I can tell you why many companies are making the move to console. Lately, if you aren't publishing World of Warcraft, The Sims, or random online "PopCap Games" you might as well not bother.

 

For the past 5 years the sales for PC games have taken a sharp decline. If your game isn't in the top 5, you probably didn't even break even on it.

 

Consoles are a different story.

 

--Robb "Just giving you a little insight from my job" Alvey

[gunslinger]

Hm. That's a good point. I suppose if there's money to be made. Cheers to them.

 

 

 

And here's hoping they don't completely eff it up.

[mcjaco]

I'm trying to figure out how Frontier "dumbed down the process." RCT3 is just as easy to use as RCT2, it's just in a 3D environment. The problem is the game is buggy, not dumbed down. The original RCT will probably be the "end all" of theme park games because it was ground breaking and, everyone compares all other games to it.

 

Personally, I love RCT3. It gives a lot of flexiblity in design. You just have to comes to terms with what you can accomplish with it. I also loved Theme Park on the PSX....so I must be a cotton headed ninny monger.