As video games continue to gain mainstream acceptance, many should expect to see a lot more concepts and intellectual properties from the gaming world influence other realms of entertainment. For starters, the literary field has its fair share of books related to the past time, with a recent example being Ernest Cline's MMORPG-inspired novel Ready Player One, which has a film adaptation directed by Steven Spielberg currently in production. Of course, cinema is rife with stories focused on video games, with movies like Tron, The Last Starfighter, and the Disney-animated Wreck-It Ralph also taking up valuable real estate in people's imaginations.
Taking the above statements into consideration, the next avenue for the gaming industry to impact doesn't necessarily seem like the most obvious one, as game developers have started to foray into the theme park business. Lately, there have been many game companies looking to try their hand at partnering with amusement parks – Nintendo's deal with Universal Studios to make rides being most notable – and now Electronic Arts and BioWare want Mass Effect to have its own attraction. In fact, the publisher and developer have already got an interactive ride in the works that's set in the Mass Effect universe.
According to a post on their blog, BioWare is collaborating with Cedar Fair Entertainment Company to bring fans an interactive ride aboard Commander Shepard's SSV Normandy. The attraction will allow visitors to experience a blending of 3D technology, 4D effects, and live-action performance where they will "face off against larger-than-life foes and fight to save the day." Bearing all of that in mind, fans should expect to encounter vibrating theater chairs that move with Tremor FX, binaural sound recordings, and possibly the use of scent technology reminiscent of the Stitch's Great Escape! ride at Disney World's Tomorrowland.
Once the Mass Effect attraction is completed, BioWare will not only join the ranks of Nintendo in creating rides, but also Ubisoft, as the France-based developer announced plans to build a theme park in Malaysia. While the company known for games such as Assassin's Creed and Rainbow Six have yet to officially announce what kind of rides and features their park will contain, fans ought to presume the venue will focus on more family-friendly titles like Rayman.
Theme park attractions aside, BioWare is also hard at work developing the forthcoming entry in the Mass Effect series known as Mass Effect Andromeda. Based on a preliminary review of progress on the release a couple of weeks back, the studio's senior director of creative development, Alistair McNally, has claimed that Andromeda's game size is easily the largest Mass Effect title in existence. With a new ride inspired by the franchise and a fresh installment to the series coming out next year, 2016 may be the best year yet for Mass Effect fans.
The Mass Effect ride is expected to open some time in 2016 at the California Great America theme park in Santa Clara, California.
Source: BioWare Blog