Alton Towers confirms plans for UK's first virtual reality rollercoaster
POSTED 12 Jan 2016 . BY Tom Anstey
The space-themed Galactica will be the UK's first virtual reality rollercoaster
Alton Towers has confirmed plans to launch the UK’s first ever virtual reality rollercoaster, rebranding its Air ride as Galactica for the all-new space-themed VR experience.
Alton Towers says that Galactica will be “the world’s first rollercoaster entirely customised for the full virtual reality experience”, putting riders into the position of astronauts and sending them into outer space. The headset itself has been developed by the UK's Figment Productions.
The £12m (US$17.7m, €16.2m) rollercoaster, designed by Bolliger & Mabillard (B&M), first opened in March 2002. The ride was the first flying rollercoaster and at the time of opening was one of the most expensive rollercoasters ever made and among the most technologically-advanced.
“Galactica uses groundbreaking technology to give riders a breathtaking and completely unique rollercoaster experience,” said Gill Riley, marketing director at Alton Towers, unveiling the attraction at London’s Science Museum.
“There is nowhere else in the world that people can experience the feeling of a flying rollercoaster combined with soaring through the universe. For two minutes, our guests will be transported into space and we believe Galactica showcases the future for theme parks around the world – it’s a complete game-changer!”
With Merlin bosses hoping to rekindle interest in Alton Towers after a poor summer, the
UK theme park has revealed a teaser for “Something Exciting!”, rumoured to be the
addition of virtual reality to its Air rollercoaster.
A rollercoaster crash which seriously injured a number people, including two people who
underwent leg amputations, was the result of human error when an operator manually overrode
the ride safety system, it was revealed today (24 November).
After suggesting that the rollercoaster crash that seriously injured four people in June
could affect profits by up to £50m (US$77.6m, €70m), Alton Towers operator Merlin
Entertainment has confirmed a notable slump after weak trade through the UK’s summer
months.
Off the back of the success of the first round of Everyday Heritage Grants in 2022, Historic
England is funding 56 creative projects that honour the heritage of working-class England.
Universal has revealed it will be adding new Harry Potter attractions, alongside Super Nintendo
and How to Train Your Dragon worlds to its Florida resort.
Alton Towers confirms plans for UK's first virtual reality rollercoaster
POSTED 12 Jan 2016 . BY Tom Anstey
The space-themed Galactica will be the UK's first virtual reality rollercoaster
Alton Towers has confirmed plans to launch the UK’s first ever virtual reality rollercoaster, rebranding its Air ride as Galactica for the all-new space-themed VR experience.
Alton Towers says that Galactica will be “the world’s first rollercoaster entirely customised for the full virtual reality experience”, putting riders into the position of astronauts and sending them into outer space. The headset itself has been developed by the UK's Figment Productions.
The £12m (US$17.7m, €16.2m) rollercoaster, designed by Bolliger & Mabillard (B&M), first opened in March 2002. The ride was the first flying rollercoaster and at the time of opening was one of the most expensive rollercoasters ever made and among the most technologically-advanced.
“Galactica uses groundbreaking technology to give riders a breathtaking and completely unique rollercoaster experience,” said Gill Riley, marketing director at Alton Towers, unveiling the attraction at London’s Science Museum.
“There is nowhere else in the world that people can experience the feeling of a flying rollercoaster combined with soaring through the universe. For two minutes, our guests will be transported into space and we believe Galactica showcases the future for theme parks around the world – it’s a complete game-changer!”
With Merlin bosses hoping to rekindle interest in Alton Towers after a poor summer, the
UK theme park has revealed a teaser for “Something Exciting!”, rumoured to be the
addition of virtual reality to its Air rollercoaster.
A rollercoaster crash which seriously injured a number people, including two people who
underwent leg amputations, was the result of human error when an operator manually overrode
the ride safety system, it was revealed today (24 November).
After suggesting that the rollercoaster crash that seriously injured four people in June
could affect profits by up to £50m (US$77.6m, €70m), Alton Towers operator Merlin
Entertainment has confirmed a notable slump after weak trade through the UK’s summer
months.
Off the back of the success of the first round of Everyday Heritage Grants in 2022, Historic
England is funding 56 creative projects that honour the heritage of working-class England.
Universal has revealed it will be adding new Harry Potter attractions, alongside Super Nintendo
and How to Train Your Dragon worlds to its Florida resort.
Populous have unveiled their plans for a state-of-the-art e-sports arena, designed to stand as a
central landmark in Qiddaya City’s gaming and e-sports district, Saudi Arabia.