JoshC. Posted January 13, 2015 Report Share Posted January 13, 2015 Merlin the bloody cheapskates! It costs nothing to name a ride something original! How are they cheapskates if a new ride name would cost the same as an old one? In fairness, that name is pretty decent for a dive machine and I doubt many people in Gardaland's target market will be aware of the X-Sector similarities. Still a shame something a bit more original couldn't have come from it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldFarmerDean Posted January 13, 2015 Report Share Posted January 13, 2015 we're all looking at this the wrong way... we should feel privileged that such great ride names are being reused Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stretchy Posted January 13, 2015 Report Share Posted January 13, 2015 Oh dear. Why do I get the dread filled feeling that Thorpe 2016 will be called either "Nemesis Sub Terra Inferno" or "Hex, Charlie and the chocolate Dual" Kerfuffle, Matt 236 and JamminGamer 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EC! Posted January 13, 2015 Report Share Posted January 13, 2015 I can see Gardalands new coaster being called, The Smiler-Submission XD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coaster Posted January 13, 2015 Report Share Posted January 13, 2015 This is an absolute joke! Are they seriously doing this with a straight face, or are they trying to take the biscuit? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mitchada04 Posted January 13, 2015 Report Share Posted January 13, 2015 Surely it's okay for Merlin to reuse successful individual unique IP's for rides in other countries? Yes you could say it shows a lack of creativity from Merlin and their creative team, but surely the same could have been said for Disney and Universal when they plonk duplicates of their rides at each of their parks? And they have much larger creative teams capable of much more! If the marketing of it was a huge success then why not reuse it, it's in Italy. Yes WE know it and for some reason it aggravates some of us (is it because Oblivion is iconic? But surely Tower Of Terror is as well and that's everywhere and no one minds) but the public which we always have to look at won't notice it and if they do it'll draw attention to Merlin in general which is a plus in their eyes. Could be worse though, we could have had two spinning coasters built in the same country in the same year. Or two water rides becoming Imperial Leather inspired. Plus, the layout is different so it's not all the same. Yes I'd love to see some more creative ideas come from Merlin (but when we do we end up moaning anyway because they are usually heavily cut back or something). Can we complain about every Legoland that Merlin own/build having a Project X and Wave Surfer next to each other (apart from Windsor) as that really is just plonking rides down for money. The story is different as well. It's much less psychological and more sci-fi/secret mission! Oh, and I really like the black hole/arrow orange logo thing! holtjammy16 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J.S217 Posted January 13, 2015 Report Share Posted January 13, 2015 Yay best coaster in the Uk is getting a sequel XD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Project LC Posted January 13, 2015 Report Share Posted January 13, 2015 Ha ha ha ha ha. Disney beating name right there. 2 old ones put together with a new theme. Great original naming from the magic makers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark9 Posted January 13, 2015 Report Share Posted January 13, 2015 The only people who will ever put the two together and come up with Alton Towers are Uk park enthusiasts who like to niggle and criticise every thing Merlin do. To everyone else, its just a cool ride name with a slogan. The bland looking ride experience is far more troubling to me then the Merlin bigwigs in Italy recycling a brilliant name for a roller coaster. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Project LC Posted January 13, 2015 Report Share Posted January 13, 2015 I'm already against the layout. It looks so dull and I don't imagine it will be too forceful either. The name just rubs salt into the wound. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ricky Posted January 13, 2015 Report Share Posted January 13, 2015 Oblivion + Krake = Oblivion The Black Hole. I agree with Mark, the word "Oblivion" is very enticing to anybody. However the ride layout is basically Krake, except you swing to the left instead of the right and do a circle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deleted Users Posted January 13, 2015 Report Share Posted January 13, 2015 It's called Black Hole because it's going to disappear from everyone's mind about it in a year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoshC. Posted January 13, 2015 Report Share Posted January 13, 2015 Also, that logo is pretty darn awesome! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deleted Users Posted January 13, 2015 Report Share Posted January 13, 2015 Surely it's okay for Merlin to reuse successful individual unique IP's for rides in other countries? Yes you could say it shows a lack of creativity from Merlin and their creative team, but surely the same could have been said for Disney and Universal when they plonk duplicates of their rides at each of their parks? And they have much larger creative teams capable of much more! If the marketing of it was a huge success then why not reuse it, it's in Italy. Yes WE know it and for some reason it aggravates some of us (is it because Oblivion is iconic? But surely Tower Of Terror is as well and that's everywhere and no one minds) but the public which we always have to look at won't notice it and if they do it'll draw attention to Merlin in general which is a plus in their eyes. In response to the clones stuff: I would prefer to see unique stuff at every park in a chain, Disney included. Their recent installations in Asia and Rat in Paris hopefully indicate that this is the case. Shanghai will have Tron instead of Space Mountain and Hong Kong has Grizzly rather than Thunder Mountain. I can understand why screen based stuff is cloned. Costs are significantly lower when you can just load up the footage. Disney also have the problem that the average person immediately thinks of the 'main park' and the rides at those parks when you say you went. When you say you went to a Merlin park, people would probably say "what" rather than "oh did you go the vertical drop coaster?" The other issue is that this is going to be marketed as the a 'cutting edge' thrill ride when it's predecessor opened 17 years ago. It's one of the reasons I roll my eyes when people clamber for Splash to be cloned in Paris. Technically only one of the Towers is cloned. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt 236 Posted January 13, 2015 Report Share Posted January 13, 2015 The thing with Disney though is, they don't go all shouty like Merlinabout their new rides, like it's going the most technological ride in modern times is coming, even with new stuff and just aim at making it look like a generally good ride. That being said though, disney is generally different as people dont really go there for the rides but more for the Disney experience, characters, shows, meets & greets etc. On another note, I can't wait for Chessington's new coaster Air Corkscrew coming in 2027 (swarm's already had its turn a Heide). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deleted Users Posted January 13, 2015 Report Share Posted January 13, 2015 ^Well they could have marketed Ratatouille as the world's first X but instead went with the sensible option of saying it's based on Ratatouille. By this you mean non-shouty? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benin Posted January 14, 2015 Report Share Posted January 14, 2015 Thing is, you go to a Disney park to experience the "Disney Experience", which includes the Magic Kingdom ride staples like Space Mountain, Big Thunder, Haunted Mansion, Pirates, etc. It is expected of Disney parks to have these rides/attractions, and even then they're not always exact clones of each other (Paris of course, getting different storylines/layouts which are arguably superior to the originals)... You don't go to a Merlin park for the "Merlin Experience", because such a thing doesn't exist, as all of the Merlin parks (bar Legoland of course, which follows the "Disney Experience" method) are unique... Gardaland and Heide are pretty much the lame ducks of the Merlin portfolio anyway... I'm not entirely sure why they still own them in a way because Garda especially is one of the worst performers in the park side of things... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benin Posted January 22, 2015 Report Share Posted January 22, 2015 Dodgy testing video ahoy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
holtjammy16 Posted January 22, 2015 Report Share Posted January 22, 2015 That vid makes me think Oblivion would be extra petrifying if it didn't have the holding break Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coaster Posted January 22, 2015 Report Share Posted January 22, 2015 Wait, so it doesn't hold you at the top? Or is that normal during testing? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pluk Posted January 23, 2015 Report Share Posted January 23, 2015 That vid makes me think Oblivion would be extra petrifying if it didn't have the holding break A thousand times no. It's all about the suspense. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TraX Posted January 23, 2015 Report Share Posted January 23, 2015 It's likely to be a testing thing. All the dive coasters work well with the holding brake (except if you're Sheikra's second dive). Merlin have copied everything else with this, so I doubt they'd go original on a holding brake! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benin Posted January 27, 2015 Report Share Posted January 27, 2015 Another test, with the holding brake included (not that anyone cares)... JoshC. and EC! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EC! Posted February 7, 2015 Report Share Posted February 7, 2015 Testing Pics... And now recently put up is some weird themeing which now makes it look like an airport runway... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EC! Posted February 25, 2015 Report Share Posted February 25, 2015 Press release: "Oblivion - The Black Hole”the new vertical plunge rollercoasterthe first Dive Coaster in Italy and the longest one in EuropeGardaland unveils the theming, the interactive pathand the mysterious space-time tunnelEverything is almost ready at Gardaland. Oblivion - The Black Hole, the first Dive Coaster in Italy and the longest one in Europe is standing tall, with its magnitude, its vertical plunge and the dazzling white of its tracks, on all the Park’s attractions.But if the track has already been completed, it’s the details of the theming that are now attracting attention, while waiting to find out what this attraction will offer in terms of emotions. Along with the vertical plunge fall inside a mysterious black hole and the incredible inversions, the added value of this sensational attraction is the theming of the area and the richness of the special effects: from the interactive path leading up to the entrance of the attraction, to the boarding stage and to the out and out rollercoaster experience. It is going to be an extraordinary, incredible journey that will ideally cross a mysterious space-time conduct, a link between planet Earth and another space and time.The white colour of the track- a very original choice for a rollercoaster – was chosen to harmonise the attraction with the vast themed area – which also includes Space Vertigo and Flying Island – and to offer an atmosphere NASA style. The fearless ones who will dart aboard lightning-fast trains, devised and made to resemble space vehicles, experiencing a journey like the ones we dream of as children. And who has never dreamt, even if for just a second, of being an astronaut? Who knows, maybe a future Samantha Cristoforetti, the young Italian astronaut, will also climb aboard Oblivion - The Black Hole, ready for the fantastic emotion of a “launch” into space…But on top of the space inspiration, Guests will be attracted by the crux of the Oblivion experience - The Black Hole: a hole with enough gravitational field to attract and suck in everything. Besides the mouth of the tunnel there will indeed be unusual elements, completely distorted and sucked in; it will feel like being “dragged” inside the conduct, almost like being “swallowed”: part of the roof of a saloon, a windmill, a little cart, a water tank, 3 TV aerials and the van of a TV crew which had arrived to document the strange phenomenon…Everything will appear deformed by the powerful gravitational forced generated by the “black hole”.But this is not all, because another captivating characteristic of Oblivion - The Black Hole is the interactive path preceding the boarding of the new rollercoaster. The waiting line will be, in itself, an unforgettable experience! The path will indeed start inside a technological training centre where, through advanced software that enrich sensorial perception – you will be able to immerse yourself in the adrenaline-filled experience that leads to the train. Special effects, sounds, light games and innumerable new gen LED screens will open the way to the overwhelming and sensational journey. But will everybody be capable to climb aboard? To erase any doubt, the fearless visitors, during the wait, will face tests and pass trials; a voice will guide them through each required action. A mission in perfect NASA style: from the feeling of being launched inside a tunnel, to the balance test, to the mind-blowing 3D optical effects and the out and out boarding, inside the station. The Oblivion - The Black Hole shuttle is ready to welcome all passengers! Then, between sky and earth, among twists, turns and unexpected obstacles the extraordinary and exciting rollercoaster will bring the most fearless passengers to fall from vertiginous height, at mad speed, in a vertical plunge into oblivion, through the mysterious space-time conduct on the way to a new dimension. And contact with reality will inexplicably vanish…“We began from the concept one year ago, moving from a planning-creative phase to the realisation of important sculptures that we are currently positioning in the area. Specific professional positions where needed for this project: architects, planners, sculptors audio/video technicians, carpenters, painters, experts in iron manufacturing… a coral organisation of many companies for the development of this great new area” - says Gianluca Ghedini, Gardaland Division Creative Manager.42.5 metres high, 87 degrees of inclination and a speed of 100km/h: those are the numbers of Oblivion - The Black Hole, the first Dive Coaster in Italy and the longest one in Europe.Only for true daredevils, from 140 cm in height to 99 years of age! Plus more pictures of themeing which I think looks quite promising This coaster has gone from, secret government based, to space theme to weird distorted wild west stuff, bit confused but looks quite good JoshC. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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