
Universal Studios, a unit of General Electic (NYSE: GE) owned NBC, in collaboration with The Simpsons creator Matt Groening, has announced the creation of a virtual amusement ride experience based on The Simpsons, the popular television show.
Using an amusement park ride concept envisioned by The Simpsons, Krusty the Clown, theme park enthusiasts shall be dazzled with a full field of view, visual presentation which simulates the stimulation of a true motion experience. As riders view the surrounding scene in real time, their seats shall provide the appropriate shake rattle and roll affects and give the impression that riders are actually in the company of television's most beloved modern cartoon family while on an amusement ride. In reaction to the announcement, Bart Simpson was heard to say simply, "Kawabunga dude!"
Simpsons' creator Matt Greoning stated, "The ride is designed to duplicate the Simpsons home viewing experience, only at high speed and with lots of screaming." There is no doubt that Mr. Greoning is up to the challenge of taking this new leap into visual entertainment. After such a long and successful run with entertaining home viewers at rest in their living rooms, it should be an interesting project to play with the concepts of exploiting the intricacies of where the viewer's minds can take them. 20th Century Fox Presidents Dana Walden and Gary Newman were jointly quoted as stating, "Creating an attraction based on this landmark series is a fantastic opportunity for our viewers to experience 'The Simpsons' in a whole new way, as well as potentially expose it to an even wider audience."
I myself like the whole idea and find it fascinating in the way it works with visual stimulation to provide an in motion entertainment experience. The concept engages participants with a different level of involvement than simply taking them for a ride. We shall see many more developments based on this type of entertainment as amusement operators continually seek to refresh and redefine what they offer us as fun seekers. It is rumored that Homer Simpson has a couple ideas of his own in the works, one of them being a virtual trip to Moe's after the amusement park, to quaff a few beers and another being a virtual tour of a donut bakery based on the Tunnel of Love ride.










