Time certainly flies, doesn't it? It's been eight years since the ride opened. Hard to believe that by the time Runaway Railway opens at DL, this ride will be a decade old! It felt like yesterday when I was among the first public people to ride this for its soft opening phase. I remember when they announced it in 2008 how it felt like it was taking foreeeeever to get this ride built. I blink and it's suddenly a somewhat outdated ride.
While I do like the ride, after watching the POV for the Bourne Stuntacular, I couldn't help but notice how crystal clear the screen was for the show. It was also cool to see how the practical effects blended seamlessly into the screen. Looking at that, it made me realize how outdated the projection tech for Transformers is. Bourne is crisp, crystal clear, and seamless while Transformers' is low rate, blurry with 3D, and not as realistic as even Kung Fu Panda's projections. Come to think of it, it's really shocking how little Uni Creative has tried to mix on-screen with practical effects; something I hoped this ride would do before it opened. Instead of giving this ride a simple projector upgrade, why not maximize its potential into something else?
Transformers, at the time, has served its purpose very well for USH. We were crying for years for USH to have its remedy for Spiderman in a park sorely lacking any descent dark rides. While it's still a good ride, it doesn't hold up quite as well as FJ or as well as MK will likely be. It was the last ride designed from the horrific GE era. Now that the park is under a company that is clearly willing to throw money into its theme parks, maybe it's time for a change?
The one big knock I have against the ride...okay, actually two...for one thing, the ride has virtually no practical/moving effects. Spider-man has quite a bit of mixing practical with on-screen, which clearly sets it apart from this ride. Second, the motion isn't quite as intense as Spider-man. On SM, you can really feel that thing jerk, spin, and swivel, and it is AWESOME. Over on this ride, it gets a little spinney in the subway tunnel scene, but other than that, the motion is pretty soft. With how much technology has advanced since Transformers' opening, imagine how much better it would be if they ditched the 3D and combined the practical effects (Imagine what they could do with the KUKA arms!) with the crispness of the screen just like with Bourne. It would look even better than the 3D on the ride and the resolution would sell it. Plus, without the glasses, they could make the ride more intense. Heck, maybe they could also change the elevators to zoom up and down really fast like a drop tower almost?
What do you guys think? I'm sure the only factors keeping Transformers alive are 1) There's yet a solid IP that would work to replace this and 2) Uni Creative already has a lot on their plate right now. But seeing how tech has advanced and thinking about the possibilities here, I think Transformers may be due soon for a re-skin. This could also apply for Orlando's Transformers, but it would be nice if they could keep it so it still exists somewhere else; besides, they already have Spider-man. Also, I feel a bit old just posting this thread.
While I do like the ride, after watching the POV for the Bourne Stuntacular, I couldn't help but notice how crystal clear the screen was for the show. It was also cool to see how the practical effects blended seamlessly into the screen. Looking at that, it made me realize how outdated the projection tech for Transformers is. Bourne is crisp, crystal clear, and seamless while Transformers' is low rate, blurry with 3D, and not as realistic as even Kung Fu Panda's projections. Come to think of it, it's really shocking how little Uni Creative has tried to mix on-screen with practical effects; something I hoped this ride would do before it opened. Instead of giving this ride a simple projector upgrade, why not maximize its potential into something else?
Transformers, at the time, has served its purpose very well for USH. We were crying for years for USH to have its remedy for Spiderman in a park sorely lacking any descent dark rides. While it's still a good ride, it doesn't hold up quite as well as FJ or as well as MK will likely be. It was the last ride designed from the horrific GE era. Now that the park is under a company that is clearly willing to throw money into its theme parks, maybe it's time for a change?
The one big knock I have against the ride...okay, actually two...for one thing, the ride has virtually no practical/moving effects. Spider-man has quite a bit of mixing practical with on-screen, which clearly sets it apart from this ride. Second, the motion isn't quite as intense as Spider-man. On SM, you can really feel that thing jerk, spin, and swivel, and it is AWESOME. Over on this ride, it gets a little spinney in the subway tunnel scene, but other than that, the motion is pretty soft. With how much technology has advanced since Transformers' opening, imagine how much better it would be if they ditched the 3D and combined the practical effects (Imagine what they could do with the KUKA arms!) with the crispness of the screen just like with Bourne. It would look even better than the 3D on the ride and the resolution would sell it. Plus, without the glasses, they could make the ride more intense. Heck, maybe they could also change the elevators to zoom up and down really fast like a drop tower almost?
What do you guys think? I'm sure the only factors keeping Transformers alive are 1) There's yet a solid IP that would work to replace this and 2) Uni Creative already has a lot on their plate right now. But seeing how tech has advanced and thinking about the possibilities here, I think Transformers may be due soon for a re-skin. This could also apply for Orlando's Transformers, but it would be nice if they could keep it so it still exists somewhere else; besides, they already have Spider-man. Also, I feel a bit old just posting this thread.