Nintendo is partnering with Universal Parks for theme park attractions based on Nintendo franchises

[Solly]

I don't think anyone will copy Nintendo, since Nintendo is 20 years late on this...Pac Man and Sonic have already been present at amusement facilities from Namco and Sega since their inception

[Johnny Boy]

You gotta wonder what Disney is gonna do in response to all of this. Especially considering Universal still has the theme park rights to the Marvel characters.

[Tails spin]

You gotta wonder what Disney is gonna do in response to all of this. Especially considering Universal still has the theme park rights to the Marvel characters.

[azoo]

If anybody couldn't tell that my post about Disney being boned was a hyperbole... :vvvvvvv

 

Of course they'll be fine. But IMO Disney's losing the battle in what gets my attention if Universal takes up Nintendo stuff at their parks.

[Sami]

Hmm, I wonder how a Punch-Out attraction would work out.

[Nepenthe]

Disney has the advantage of the industry headstart, more top-tier IPs than basically anyone else, and the use of them to market their rides which in turn markets their IPs. It's a self-feeding cycle of brand recognition and nostalgia that will keep the literal billions flowing in every year until the Earth blows up or something. Even if Universal turns the attention of gamers for a short while, Disney won't give enough of a shit to snatch up any gaming IPs, unless of course this- somehow- kickstarts some ridiculous new market for money and Universal closes the gap. And at that point they'll probably just use Wreck-It Ralph and call it a day. All the fun of video games without the price of using someone else's property.

[JonoD]

At this time, I won't say I'm 100% stoked, simply because I know that IP based attractions can be very hit or miss depending on who it is doing stuff with that IP. However, the fact that Universal has this makes me at the very least intrigued about what they'll do with it.

 

Actually... Hell. If anyone can make an awesome Nintendo themed amusement attraction, it's Universal Studios. I mean... Just look at this.

 

 

When I initially watched stuff about the new Diagon Alley area of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, I was stunned. It wasn't a case of "Oh! It looks just like Diagon Alley!", it quite simply was "That IS Diagon Alley."

 

I'll be watching the development of this with great interest.

[Tails spin]

At this time, I won't say I'm 100% stoked, simply because I know that IP based attractions can be very hit or miss depending on who it is doing stuff with that IP. However, the fact that Universal has this makes me at the very least intrigued about what they'll do with it.

 

Actually... Hell. If anyone can make an awesome Nintendo themed amusement attraction, it's Universal Studios. I mean... Just look at this.

 

 

When I initially watched stuff about the new Diagon Alley area of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, I was stunned. It wasn't a case of "Oh! It looks just like Diagon Alley!", it quite simply was "That IS Diagon Alley."

 

I'll be watching the development o

f this with great interest.

The press release said nintendo and universal will work on the design. I can forsee Miyamoto up-endind some tea tables if they get it wrong

[Kaze no Klonoa]

At this time, I won't say I'm 100% stoked, simply because I know that IP based attractions can be very hit or miss depending on who it is doing stuff with that IP. However, the fact that Universal has this makes me at the very least intrigued about what they'll do with it.

 

Actually... Hell. If anyone can make an awesome Nintendo themed amusement attraction, it's Universal Studios. I mean... Just look at this.

 

 

When I initially watched stuff about the new Diagon Alley area of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, I was stunned. It wasn't a case of "Oh! It looks just like Diagon Alley!", it quite simply was "That IS Diagon Alley."

 

I'll be watching the development of this with great interest.

[KHCast]

Disney has the advantage of the industry headstart, more top-tier IPs than basically anyone else, and the use of them to market their rides which in turn markets their IPs. It's a self-feeding cycle of brand recognition and nostalgia that will keep the literal billions flowing in every year until the Earth blows up or something. Even if Universal turns the attention of gamers for a short while, Disney won't give enough of a shit to snatch up any gaming IPs, unless of course this- somehow- kickstarts some ridiculous new market for money and Universal closes the gap. And at that point they'll probably just use Wreck-It Ralph and Kingdom Hearts and call it a day. All the fun of video games without the price of using someone else's property.

Fix'd that for you.

 

Seriously, Disney is pretty set. They don't need to go out and get video game IP's when they already have very well known ones.

 

Anyway, wonder if they'll advertise the Nintendo attractions on TV much like they did with Despicable Me and Harry Potter when those got added to the park.

[The Chairman Of The Board]

Is this going to be at all the Universal Parks including the one in California

[Gabz Girl]

It hasn't been confirmed yet which parks will have Nintendo attractions, but I'm pretty sure Florida and Osaka are at the top of the list.

[Johnny Boy]

I won't be surprised if they refurbish the marvel rides at the Orlando park into Nintendo rides.

[Badnik Mechanic]

When I initially watched stuff about the new Diagon Alley area of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, I was stunned. It wasn't a case of "Oh! It looks just like Diagon Alley!", it quite simply was "That IS Diagon Alley."

 

I'll be watching the development of this with great interest.

 

I have been to it. 

 

It really is absolutely incredible, it's a world beyond any other theme park I've been to.

 

However, given the nature of Harry Potter, it has to be. If I were a betting man, I would put the farm on them giving it a treatment similar to how they gave the Simpsons land.

[Falco]

It hasn't been confirmed yet which parks will have Nintendo attractions, but I'm pretty sure Florida and Osaka are at the top of the list.

 

Those and maybe the Singapore park.

 

I won't be surprised if they refurbish the marvel rides at the Orlando park into Nintendo rides.

They aren't getting rid of the marvel area. The have a contract that gives them the Marvel License until they let it go.

If anything they'll either replace Toon Lagoon, or Discovery Island.

[JaidynReiman]

 

Those and maybe the Singapore park.

 

They aren't getting rid of the marvel area. The have a contract that gives them the Marvel License until they let it go.

If anything they'll either replace Toon Lagoon, or Discovery Island.

Of course they have a contract. The problem is, they can't expand on it anymore. If they can't expand on it, then what's the point? Frankly, I think they probably WOULD get rid of it for this reason exactly.

[Johnny Boy]

Of course they have a contract. The problem is, they can't expand on it anymore. If they can't expand on it, then what's the point? Frankly, I think they probably WOULD get rid of it for this reason exactly.

Precisely, and maybe then Disney can finally build that Marvel theme park. A guy can dream can't he?

[Tani Coyote]

Of course they have a contract. The problem is, they can't expand on it anymore. If they can't expand on it, then what's the point? Frankly, I think they probably WOULD get rid of it for this reason exactly.

That depends on whether or not they feel they could make more profit with the Nintendo park than the Marvel to compensate for the costs of demolition and reconstruction, and if the proceeds would be recouped in a timely manner.

Marvel is one of the few brands that can actually outdo Nintendo in its cultural presence, I'd think. It'd be a tough selling point to get rid of it.

Now, if Disney paid them to remove the Marvel park so it could monopolize it, on the other hand...

[Kaze no Klonoa]

Orlando Universal Studios has filed permits for a new Warehouse Building 79B. Rumor has it is this could be possibly linked to Nintendo's deal and that this new building (And the KidZone nearby it) will be where they'll place Nintendo-themed stuff at.

 

Take it with a grain of salt, but it could be possible.

[JaidynReiman]

That depends on whether or not they feel they could make more profit with the Nintendo park than the Marvel to compensate for the costs of demolition and reconstruction, and if the proceeds would be recouped in a timely manner.

Marvel is one of the few brands that can actually outdo Nintendo in its cultural presence, I'd think. It'd be a tough selling point to get rid of it.

Now, if Disney paid them to remove the Marvel park so it could monopolize it, on the other hand...

Well, Disney might possibly pay for the rights to the Marvel park.

[Stritix]

I really like this idea.

[SonicHOG]

Orlando Universal Studios has filed permits for a new Warehouse Building 79B. Rumor has it is this could be possibly linked to Nintendo's deal and that this new building (And the KidZone nearby it) will be where they'll place Nintendo-themed stuff at.

Take it with a grain of salt, but it could be possible.

I'm mixed on the idea. While KidZone is a good chunk of space, most of the attractions aren't THAT outdated (save for Fievel, kids likely still know the characters (particularly Curious George and Barney) and E.T. is a Universal classic). One attraction's closure is going to hit me the hardest though.

"A Day in the Park with Barney" has remained my favorite attraction at Universal (unsurprising, being the SSMB's resident Barney fan and all). As such, in my opinion, it's going to suck when that closes down. Not just for grown fans like myself, but for preschoolers who are Barney's target audience (he's still beloved by young children, despite his popularity being no where near what it was 20 years ago when "A Day in the Park" opened), who won't have an attraction made with them in mind (and an oasis from the hustle bustle of the rest of the park). In addition, it's also one of the only things keeping the Barney franchise (which is getting the Mega Man treatment in America ever since HiT Entertainment was bought out by Mattel) alive in the US.

Forgive me for my little fanboy rant, but I wanted to share my point of view of KidZone (particularly the Barney show) being torn down. I really do love Nintendo (and look forward to seeing what attractions they do), but the purple dinosaur means even more to me.

[SupahBerry]

Well, after five long years since they'd announced it, Universal and Nintendo are finally breaking the silence. We're looking to take our first visit to the real life Mushroom Kingdom in Osaka, this Summer:

You've played all their games, but what if you could step straight into the world inside the game? 

 

Through the use of the Super Nintendo World smartphone app and special Power-Up Bands, the park intends to energize tourists and make them feel part of the game world. Guests can use the wristbands and app to interact with park area via collecting digital coins, clearing challenges and competing with other park goers.

Debuting rides include Yoshi Adventure and Mario Kart, also including a dining area, Toadstool Cafe. No sign of the supposed Donkey Kong area, so that expansion might come later. Information on any potential connectivity with the Switch will be discussed at a later date.

Yeah, it's all basically Mario stuff at the start of it all, but it's been said that they are considering bringing in more IPs as the park grows after launch.

 

 

I figured now would be a good time to share some of these rumored images and concept art that were supposedly leaked over the years. You might be familiar with this model overview of the park-

Spoiler

 

Here's the DK area, placed next door seperately from the Mario section.

I'm holding my breath on the chance of us ever getting a Meet N' Greet with King K Rool considering the Retro Studios focus, but as it is, it looks out of this world. Funky's Fly 'n' Buy is an incredibly nice touch.

Some original early concepts that may not reflect the current direction:

Spoiler

And rumored details on the ride layouts-

Spoiler

https://orlandoparkstop.com/news/rumors/yoshi-omnimover-ride-details-for-super-nintendo-world-yoshis-adventure/

https://orlandoparkstop.com/news/rumors/mario-kart-ride-details-for-super-nintendo-world-track-layout-scene-descriptions/

So it's great to know that this park will make it right on schedule before the 2020 Olympics. But for those who may be yearning for any info on the state of the US Nintendo Worlds, dismay not! 

It's apparently possilble that the Nintendo World in Orlando might not be taking up an old zone's spot in the original park after all. It seems to have been moved to a brand new home all to itself in the long awaited third new Orlando park: Universal's Epic Universe. expected to open in 2023.

[Blue Blood]

That trailer was absolutely awful, but the park itself is looking fantastic. I'd love to visit it... maybe sometime off-season, several years into the future when all the initial hype has died right down. It's a little bit of a shame to see that it's pretty much all just Mario, at least for now. Mario is the most recognisable and should probably make up the bulk of the area, but there's plenty of potential to work in some Zelda, Metroid or Splatoon elements for variety. Donkey Kong is cool though. Hopefully that area is still in the pipeline. I'm never quite sure how Pokémon factors in because it's not solely owned by Nintendo and it has several ventures of its own going on all the time. I can just imagine Pokémon taking over, and with the abundance of Pokémon themed places and event going on the world over at any given time, I'm glad not to see much of it here. 

[Ryannumber1gamer]

Honestly, I’m surprised they didn’t at least include Splatoon, because that would arguably be the most cost effective idea for a ride. You could make a basic recreation of a map, and make like a paintball arena or something.

I don’t mind the park being mostly Mario, if only to try turn the wheels and open it for expansion later, but that trailer was utter crap. Showed off nothing of the park, and left a very inaccurate idea of what to expect.