Nintendo partnering with Universal to make attractions.

[camman007]

The possibilities are endless on this, I feel like a schoolboy on the last day of school with this news!

Luigi's Mansion - Dark Ride
DK - Mine Train Coaster
Mario - Walk through of Peach's castle
Mario Kart - Dark ride on track complete with interactive 'items' that can affect the other riders and yourself
Metroid - Futuristic Dark ride, possible interactive lasers
Zelda - Many ways this could be used, outdoor horseride/Dark ride through a dungeon, etc etc

Don't let us down Universal!

 

[GLaDOS]

I'm aware that kidzone is there. and hurting. but it seems like it would be a better fit at IOA. I'm asking if there's some reason that everyone is already acting like they know that it's going in kidzone. Did someone leak "inside information" or something?

See @marni1971's posts in this thread.

 

[NMBC1993]

Disney has infinitely more popular franchises like Monsters, Inc and Incredibles and hasn't done a damned thing with them.

Excuse me?.....



I think Disney knows how to value their properties

 

[AgeEight-E]

The problems with Avatar are many:
(1) It's an IP that looks good on paper but isn't in the popular culture's radar right now.
(2) Even at it's very height of popularity, Avatar was a complete merchandising dud.
(3) It's a stretch to put it in AK and takes the place of an area that would have been a wet dream for fanbois.
(4) There are SO many Disney IPs that lack attractions that spending $500+ mil on an outside IP (that isn't nearly as popular as the Disney-created IPs) makes absolutely no sense. It isn't as much a complaint against Avatar as it is frustration over Disney not taking advantage of the IPs it already owns. I can imagine Nintendo would have divided the fan community almost as much.

So agree with this. The public response to Avatar has been a resounding "meh", even at the height of its popularity. Whatever James Cameron's aspirations for it as a franchise, it was never more than a flash in the pan fad due to its showcase of 3D tech, which itself has since waned in popularity. Even people who saw the movie multiple times mostly just did it for the 3D spectacle and not the story, and in the years since, it's all but vanished from the public consciousness.

Putting a whole area in a Disney Park dedicated to it baffles me. It reflects absolute tone deafness to the public apathy over the movie.

This deal with Nintendo, though, is something else. It's a huge win for both companies that enhances the profile of each. For Nintendo, it puts their characters into a prominent place alongside such franchises as Marvel, Harry Potter and the Simpsons. For Universal, it's yet more new rides and another major IP they can boast of while Disney continues to tread water.

 

[Ignohippo]

Excuse me?.....



I think Disney knows how to value their properties

Ha! The sarcasm was lost on me at first!!

 

[golden james]

Simple overlay of Marvel Super Hero Island is hat i'm betting on.

But I'm confused is it King Kong or Donkey Kong they announced yesterday?

Its like we have waited all these years for a Kong and we get two come along at once.

 

[NMBC1993]

Ha! The sarcasm was lost on me at first!!

What sarcasm...?

 

[danlb_2000]

Simple overlay of Marvel Super Hero Island is hat i'm betting on.

But I'm confused is it King Kong or Donkey Kong they announced yesterday?

Its like we have waited all these years for a Kong and we get two come along at once.

All indications are that Marvel is not going anywhere. Based on the condition Marvel was in when Uni singed the deal with them I would bet they are paying a bargain price for the Marvel license especially compared with how popular Marvel is now. It wouldn't surprise me if the Nintendo deal is costing Uni more then the Marvel deal.

 

[jensenrick]

I say, Give the Marvel Property back to Disney. take the Marvel Superhero Island and turn it into Nintendo.

Retheme Hulk to maybe Metroid, Storm Chasers to maybe Yoshi, Amazing Spider Man to a Super Mario Bros or Legend of Zelda experience, using the same track and technology. and either get rid of Doom altogether or retheme it to a tetris type of experience. lol. I mean the possibilites are endless and I was just using some quick Branding. leave the pad behind MIB for another brand. heck, Disney has Star Wars, let Universal create a Star Trek experience or stargate

How about NO. I swear, if Disney ever did screw with Universal having Marver Super Hero Island, I would be so enraged, I would never visit a Disney park again.

Anyway, moving on to the awesome news of what Universal can do with Nintendo. I wouldn't mind seeing Toon Lagoon scrapped for a new Nintendoland, but I understand why they might want to scrap Kidzone instead.

 

[AgeEight-E]

Simple overlay of Marvel Super Hero Island is hat i'm betting on.

Based in Satoru Iwata's past comments on the subject of a theme park, I highly doubt this. It seems unlikely Nintendo would enter into such a partnership unless the rides based on their properties were unique in some way.

 

[jensenrick]

Maybe this is Universal's response to Marvel issues at hand.

WHAT issues? The issues of how good they have it at Universal?

 

[jensenrick]

Based in Satoru Iwata's past comments on the subject of a theme park, I highly doubt this. It seems unlikely Nintendo would enter into such a partnership unless the rides based on their properties were unique in some way.

Exactly. This isn't a Disney project, they won't just paint over something and call it a day.

 

[AgeEight-E]

Here's a brief story featuring the comments I mentioned, from about five years ago:

http://kotaku.com/5578035/will-there-ever-be-a-nintendo-theme-park

 

[Mike S]

Based in Satoru Iwata's past comments on the subject of a theme park, I highly doubt this. It seems unlikely Nintendo would enter into such a partnership unless the rides based on their properties were unique in some way.

Which is what makes this pairing so perfect. After what Universal has done with Harry Potter and what they're doing with King Kong I'm hyped beyond belief to see what they do with Nintendo. Like you said, Nintendo wouldn't have made this deal if it wasn't going to be something good.

 

[jensenrick]

Which is what makes this pairing so perfect. After what Universal has done with Harry Potter and what they're doing with King Kong I'm hyped beyond belief to see what they do with Nintendo. Like you said, Nintendo wouldn't have made this deal if it wasn't going to be something good.

Awesome new avatar you have there BTW.

 

[LeRaposa]

Well Universal has once again outdone Disney. Congratulations Universal you're doing it right. First Harry Potter and now Nintendo. Universal is already on track for attendance to exceed EPCOT and DHS' in a few years. This is going to do wonders for them.

 

[GhostHost1000]

Yes. the DS & 3DS are still the most popular handheld consoles.

minus the iPad/iPhone/Android with apps/games

 

[GLaDOS]

minus the iPad/iPhone/Android with apps/games

Which, again, Nintendo will begin making games for iOS/Android in the coming years.

 

[GhostHost1000]

Well Universal has once again outdone Disney. Congratulations Universal you're doing it right. First Harry Potter and now Nintendo. Universal is already on track for attendance to exceed EPCOT and DHS' in a few years. This is going to do wonders for them.

I wouldn't go that far... if they put this in the Kidzone area, I doubt it will be anything like a Spiderman attraction or Hulk coaster.

 

[LeRaposa]

I wouldn't go that far... if they put this in the Kidzone area, I doubt it will be anything like a Spiderman attraction or Hulk coaster.

This is Nintendo. It isn't going to be in the Kidzone area. Mario is the best selling video game series in history. Nintendo's character holds a timeless appeal and there's no way they're not getting their own land. They wouldn't have made the deal otherwise. This is after all Nintendo we're talking about.