Attack of the clones: New rides are similar to previous models

I just don't understand why that article was written. It was a waste of time.

But Den, if you want to talk about "regular" people, "T" doesnt see Great Bear as any different than Talon. Or when I was in line for Medusa at GAdv I overheard a lady say "They have this same ride in Ohio. It's just a different color". I dont think that, when it comes to coasters, the "regular" people really notice the nuance between a "clone" and a "similar" ride.

Hell even in my family of cross country roller coaster riders, even my mom and dad see no difference in certain rides, like for example American Eagle and Colossus (SFMM).

Honestly, ask your b-i-l to ride Magnum then show him Steel Force and ask him if he thinks it's the same ride. Their not clones, but I think enthusiasts give to my credit to variation on the same theme/

What's new? Hey, as long as I get to ride more rides...whatever. I'm not too picky.

2Hostyl,I think you nailed it, to an extent. I would say, though, that if the non-enthusiast who recognized Batman at SFNO as something he'd ridden wouldn't have made the same connection if he'd ridden in Japan without the Batman theme. Once you slap "B:TR" on the entrance it's not a stretch for an educated person to figure out that they've ridden this thing before. And I think that same person would come off of Raptor realizing that it's a different beast than the various Batman clones they've experienced.

Back to the original article, I kind of take issue with this reporter acting like he's uncovered some kind of new conspiracy unique to the aughts. Theme parks driven by dwindling tourism to do what was unthinkable even 5 years ago and - *gasp* - build a popular ride somewhere else.

Come on. Disney's been building clones since the 70's. Heck, Marriot even cloned a whole friggin park. This is not a new phenomenon, and it has nothing to do with current economic hardship. It's not a friggin 'trend', as he calls it. It's a standard business practice for the industry. It has been true, is true, will be true.

Poor reporting.

And as for Batman, I'm with Homey. Why mess with perfection.

Isn't it great
Batman the ride

perfect right down to the queue
i think Ill cry
Where are the clones?
Send in the clones.

Don't bother.... they're here
*** This post was edited by ThemeDesigner 4/30/2004 3:07:49 PM ***

I'd agree with you ALMOST everywhere....but I don't believe the average non-enthusiast would think of Raptor as different from B:TR...

"It's one of them feet-dangling rides that goes upside-down"...;)
*** This post was edited by rollergator 4/30/2004 4:03:10 PM ***

There is a mall in my area that has TWO Bath and Body Works stores. That in addition to several other malls withing driving distance that also have Bath and Body Works stores. The NERVE!!!

And, don't even get my started on the completely unoriginal number of McDonald's, Burger Kings, Wendy's, etc in South Florida.

... and then people wonder why "creative" jobs are non-existant these days. Eh, whatever for a quick buck ... my RCT parks will continue to feature unique and realistic rides and screw real parks ;)

I will return to my clone-annoyed obscurity ... ;)

I think the GP assumes two rides are clones if they both have the same name. For example, someone who visits SFGAdv and SFMW might think both Medusas are the same. Just like the writer of the article thought both of the Revenge of the Mummies, JTA's, and ToT's were clones, even though they are not the exact same. I don't think the GP would notice that TGE's Steamin' Demon and WW-EV's Wild Thing are clones.
*** This post was edited by person 4/30/2004 5:36:09 PM ***

And you guys have to remember, there is a thing called Product Recognizability(okay, so I cant think of the correct way to spell it, but you get the idea).

If I were running SFI, I would want to put a B:TR clone in every major SF park that dosen't yet have an inverter(full circuit). And I too would put a Vekoma SLC in all the smaller parks.

People are going to hear about and see the coasters and feel comfortable knowing what they're getting into. I'd say that if the flying thing goes well, we'll see many more S:UF clones at the larger parks.

Gotta give the people what they know they already like, with a bit of something new to spice things up...

Exactly, person. Some GP remember names, and some GP remember types of rides. My fiancee had been reluctant to ride any of the Batman inverts, simply because she remembers riding a Batman-themed ride that she hated. Turned out it was Joker's Revenge, now Jester at SFNO. Completely different rides, but similar enough themes. And other GP wouldn't draw distinctions between GIBs, Impulses, SLCs and the Batmen clones. You hang beneath the track for all of those rides, and that's what they remember.

The enthusiast in me wishes Six Flags could've asked for some slight design differences in the Batmen and S:UF installations, just for the sake of uniqueness, but the normal person in me understands that the GP wouldn't likely appreciate those slight differences anyway, so why not just save the small amount of cash. Sucks for enthusiasts, but what can you do?

Dexter, don't forget; you can ride B:TR at Sea World in Texas also, only they call it Great White. I say clone all you want. Look at it this way; if you're on a tight schedule, you can skip the clone(s) and fit in all your riding, or re-riding. We did this with Face-Off at PKI, and I have no regrets considering that I've ridden Two-Face the Flip Side probably around 50 times (or more). All I would've gotten is a ride credit, and who does it matter to other than me? Exactly.
*** This post was edited by Intamin Fan 4/30/2004 7:36:35 PM ***

Tekno brushed up against this topic, and I think it's very very valid in this case. How about brand strengthening? Every person in California that has ridden MGM's TOT and enjoyed it (i.e. everyone who has ridden it), will now be very tempted to visit DCA to ride their version. Do you think if DCA had built some other major thrill ride (equally as stunning/thrilling, but unique), these people would be as tempted to visit? I think not.

Everyone McDonalds has the Big Mac on the menu, because that's what attracts the people.

I think it's very different with Six Flags. They're regional theme parks, which aren't counting on the out-of-towners, let alone interstate or international guests. How many non-enthusiasts would visit many Six Flags parks in their life anyway? I'm guessing at most, maybe 5% of Six Flags' total USA attendance. Then from that, I wonder how many actually visit because they rode B:TR at another park and liked it so much that they wanted to go again. No two Six Flags parks are the same - there's something at every park that's not at another.

Like a few of you pointed out... I don't mind the cloning. Without cloning, I would not have rode a Intamin Hyper, a Vekoma SLC, Premier LIM, Vekoma Flyer. Great rides at my home park. I even wish they would clone more wooden coasters. How many of you wish there were clones of the Beast at your local park or even Thunderhead? Thanks to cloning most of us are able to enjoy our favorite coasters on a more frequent basis.

I may not like the idea od a cloned ride, but for a company like Disney, having a Tower of Terror in FL and CA does make sense given the fact they are both on opposite parts of the country.

Those of you who think that the article was a "waste of time" illustrate the point that there's a knowledge gap between enthusiasts and the general public.

If you want to talk about trends, how about the one where enthusiasts always think they know best?

Here's another thing I have no clue about when it comes to "enthusiasts" complaining about the "cloning" of rides. We're ENTHUSIASTS, and the general mission of one is not to soley ride for the count, but because you love them. What's another Batman The Ride when you know it's a great ride? Just because you clone it doesn't make it a bad ride - which is a mindset quite a few enthusiasts have. "Ew, Scream! will suck it's a clone." I beg to differ and so has every trainload of visitors with me everytime I ride it. Just an example of how enthusiasses really lose track of what their passion is really about.

Reading through a bunch of these comments their are a lot of valid points. Last year I ended up at SF Great America and SF Georgia. So obviously I took in a couple clones. I used to find clones annoying, but after that trip since the time between parks was less than a month you realize that even a clone has a different feel. The superman at georgia seemed much better where the batman didn't seem as fun. I also like the fact that if you are pressed for time you can skip clones. Its the total park experience that can make the trip great.

On a related note there are so many small parks with one or two roller coasters that are unique that we should all get out and visit those. Those parks need "our" busines. If entusiasts only make up 5% of six flags population that is not a big deal. But can you imagine the boom in business if that 5% decided this summer to visit Lakemont Park in Penn. That would be huge for those parks. This summer I'm visiting at least 8 privately owned small parks.

Not only does cloning a ride make it cheaper, but they can be built faster as well. When a brand new roller coaster is designed, it takes months and months of blueprinting and all that, and when the blue printing is already all done, and pieces are just going to be copied not remade, it makes the whole process simpler. Which is why these Batmans popped up in such short time. I don't mind clones. But do they all have to be called Batman?

Calling them all Batman saves on merchandising, and other costs such as licencing new names.

What incentive do I have to go to SF(whatever) while I am visiting Aunt Erma if I can get the same rides at SF(closer to my house)?

I live in Northern Ohio. I don't think Cedar Point would have become as huge as it has by copying rides of other parks.

I didn't see Six Flags Ohio scurrying to rip down the Big Dipper. Why?? It's very unique in its own right. It's also very old BUT IT HAS STAYING POWER.