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3. The experience

Time Card

Time cards in hand, we gathered at the designated location about 10 minutes early. Looking around, we were surprised to find that our group consisted of only 12 people. The experience ran several times throughout each of three nights, but each group was intentionally kept small and intimate. We were escorted through an unassuming door, and found ourselves inside a fully-realized Field Research Center. Props from past years, maps, and all sorts of scientific drawings filled the space, and we were instructed to sit in folding chairs and watch a short welcome video.

The premise was that Senior Staff had made some major breakthroughs in research technology, and we were to act as a test group. The actors, all members of the Art & Design team, stayed in character throughout the experience, except for a brief break after the video to explain that we were part of a technical rehearsal and our feedback would be highly valued.

We were then sent through the house in even smaller groups of 4. Before entering, our phones were confiscated, under the storyline reasoning of examining our devices for possible collected research data. Of course, it was actually a smart way of ensuring that we didn’t photograph or otherwise document our experiences.

4. The storyline

Dad and Me Completion Photo

The house experience was definitely designed for those who were already familiar with the ongoing storylines of Legendary Truth. At one point, we were able to interrogate a spectral figure who, surprisingly, answered impromptu and highly detailed questions about the story. However, I believe that even those with no previous game familiarity would thoroughly enjoy the experience.

We were asked not to discuss the specifics of the technology, but the essence was the ability to use provided tablets in remarkable new ways. We scanned slimy body parts to determine which legion they were from, participated in a séance that required us to use a tablet like a Ouija board planchette, scanned walls and floors for hidden text, and interrogated the aforementioned specter. In every room, a “scientist” (played by a member of the A&D team) was on hand to discuss the mystery, keep us on track, and answer our questions. The level of personalization and interactivity was truly mind-blowing.

5. Possible implications for the future

Passive Bluetooth Alert Screen

Technology is rarely developed solely for a single purpose, and it seems absolutely ludicrous to imagine that the level of detail that we saw was built solely for a three-night thank you to the fans. The fact that the experience was billed as a technical rehearsal seems to back up that opinion. Yet there is no possible way that a house that interactive, sending guests through 4 at a time and letting them play with expensive technology, could ever work as a mainstream Halloween Horror Nights house. The event is simply too popular, and throughput, or the number of guests pushed through per hour, is critical.

The A&D team has talked for years about creating an extreme house—maybe even for an upcharge, which Busch Gardens’ Howl-O-Scream has proven can be successful at a mainstream theme park event. Could next year bring such an experience, using the technology that we tested in 2014? Is it possible that this isn’t intended for the general public at all, but will form the basis of 2015’s game? If so, will it be more heavily promoted than it was this year?

What about implications outside of the event? While Halloween Horror Nights remains an annual favorite, Universal Orlando now packs its calendar with special events. Could the technology transform into special Christmas and Mardi Gras experiences? Or perhaps it will be used throughout the year. Experiments with interactive wands have been hugely successful in Diagon Alley. Maybe the latest technology will usher in a new layer of interactivity in the Harry Potter lands and other areas of the Universal Orlando parks.

While it is too early to know what the future will hold, it is safe to say that once again, A&D outdid themselves for their most loyal fans. A super-secret 9th house, accessible only by beating a series of in-park challenges, was a reward that none of us could have imagined. We are excited to see what next year will bring!

 
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