High-Tech Reigns at Theme Park Trade Show : Entertainment: The booming field is drawing sophisticated new players from the aerospace, computer and movie industries.
The magic of Hollywood, the computing power of Silicon Valley and the wizardry of the aerospace industry collided at the Los Angeles Convention Center last week in a burst of virtual reality, motion simulation and digital enhancement.
At the 75th annual gathering of the International Assn. of Amusement Parks and Attractions, those high-tech offerings were displayed side by side with the products of cotton candy vendors and go-cart manufacturers.
Among the newcomers to the industry are a unit of Hughes Aircraft Co., computer makers such as Silicon Graphics Inc. and Hollywood filmmakers.
They are encouraged by a boom in the United States’ $6-billion-a-year “themed entertainment” industry, with everyone from Las Vegas hoteliers to mall operators now competing with amusement parks. Business is also flourishing in international markets, where many countries are only now starting to catch up to American-style theme parks.
“It’s a natural thing to get into,” said Oscar-winning visual effects director Richard Edlund (“Star Wars,” “Raiders of the Lost Ark”), whose Marina del Rey-based Boss Film Studios produced a film for a motion-simulation theater at Expo ’93 in South Korea. “(Themed attractions) have already become a major part of our business.”
No fewer than 34 of the 818 exhibitors had “virtual reality” products. Virtual reality is a computer-generated environment in which customers control the images they see. The technology comes from flight simulators and is starting to become cost-effective for entertainment venues.
One such offering is from Iwerks Entertainment Inc., a Burbank firm founded by two former Walt Disney Co. executives. Iwerks unveiled a virtual reality “ride” that takes 24 participants on a simulated underwater mission to rescue the Loch Ness monster. The technology was developed by Evans & Sutherland Computer Corp., a Salt Lake City designer of military flight simulators.
Iwerks Chief Executive Stan Kinsey hopes theme parks won’t balk at the $1.2-million price tag. He contends that the ride is the first virtual reality attraction that can funnel through large volumes of paying customers--unlike the single-player pods found mostly in arcades--and it can easily be upgraded as technology improves.
“We’re trying to convince the theme parks of the world to trade off a movie-based ride for a roller coaster,” he said.
Another attention-getting display was the product of a joint venture by Hughes Rediffusion Simulation, a unit of El Segundo-based Hughes Aircraft, and Japanese electronics giant Sony Corp. They showed what they said was the world’s first motion-simulation ride using high-definition video. A dozen people board a capsule that rocks as they watch images of a roller coaster ride or motorcycle race.
Hughes Rediffusion has been specializing in airline training simulators since 1950. But themed entertainment “got to be such a good business, we set up a separate entertainment division,” said Chris Chaddock, Hughes Rediffusion sales and marketing manager.
Those attending the show included representatives of theme parks, museums, expositions and entertainment centers.
