Universal Studios, Six Flags, and Disney. Who has been able to dominate the theme park business? In America, three names. Which brings me back to my original point. Could have been simulator, could have been builder. That's harsh, but let's be honest, they were the ones that chose 'tycoon' for their title. But if that was the case, why the use of the word 'Tycoon'? Because no one cares about what you do if what you do doesn't make money. You could just make coasters, and that was fine.
You were trying to make your guests happy. The original RCT games were about two things: roller coasters, and the park. Now, some might argue that it really comes down to sales and that comes down to which company do people back and what name is most recognized. What this head-to-head battle will come down to is the game itself. In fact, the last one that sold relatively well was made by Frontier Games. It's been a long time since we've seen a good, and successful, RCT game. The ultimate question will not boil down to name recognition. And it is this experience that Frontier as, so far, replicated with Planet Coaster. Everything is designed to be as immersive as possible. With each park, every ride, every land is an experience. The two best at offering this immersive experience are Disney and Universal Studios. One of the biggest complaint about parks in the real world that only offer thrill rides is they have no sense of style. But who doesn't want to go somewhere and feel like they've traveled to another world? Well, as it turns out, the people at Frontier Games want you to bring that sensation to the little digital people who will be attending your theme park. If you want to be on that roller coaster that causes an adrenaline rush over that first hill, that's fine. Sure, basics are fine, if you're going for just the thrill. Themed decor, themed food and drink, themed rides. If you are attending a theme park, odds are you want the whole thing to be an experience. This is something we see in the real world, and something they undoubtedly took note of. There were also enough issues that the release date for RCTWorld was pushed from 2015 to 2016. And that has been released of that Beta is beautiful. Nvizzio, who is developing for Atari, recently had a Beta for their game, Roller Coaster Tycoon World.
One by Atari, who holds the license for the RCT franchise, and one by Frontier Games. This year, two games are slated to hit the market. But the feeling of being a mogul was dissipating. RCT3 included a feature that allowed you to actually ride on the rides you designed. The first games were done in the vein of Sim City, an overhead omniscient builder in control of the fate of an amusement park. But as a player, the experience was different. Now, I can't say for a fact that was what Frontier had in mind.
And it's a hard transition going from something that plays on the heartstrings and reminds you of childhood, to becoming something designed exclusively for kids.
The first game in the series was developed by Chris Sawyer and MicroProse, and published by You could create themed lands, exactly like real theme parks. It gave players an opportunity to build their very own theme park, all the way from massive roller coasters right down to the placement of bushes and trees. The first Roller Coaster Tycoon hit shelves in 1999. Themed food, designed stores and buildings, everything. The best theme parks offer an immersive experience for attendees, in addition to great rides. In 2013, Disney theme parks generated $14B in revenue. Magic Kingdom in Florida hosted 19 million people that year. Disney is a master at the theme park game, seeing attendance of 134 million in 2014, to all of its parks around the world.
Six Flags may have the most roller coasters (Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, CA has 19 alone), but in terms of revenue and attendance they don't even crack the top 25. You may have your favorites, but numbers never lie. Six Flags, Universal Studios, Sea World, and the crown jewel, Disney.
I've been attending theme parks for years.