Visitors to OCT Group’s Fabland Valley Resort in Xiangyang, China, can now enjoy a unique new double walkthrough attraction, called Hive Break. Themed around an epic battle between space pirates and bounty hunters, the attraction was custom-designed by Triotech, an award-winning creator of media-based attractions, and covers a 1,000-square-meter plot in the popular park’s Alien Port-themed area.
The twelve-minute attraction features two parallel tracks with intertwining narratives, meaning that visitors can choose whether to be pirates or bounty hunters in an immersive battle for ancient alien technology.
Each parallel path consists of three zones: a Motion Simulator, a Training Facility which uses Interactive Projection Mapping, and an Interactive Theatre. Hive Break has been designed to deliver high throughput and encourage repeat visits, as guests can enjoy different storylines based on the path they select in the queue line.
To find out more, blooloop spoke to Triotech’s Ernest Yale, CEO and founder, and Nol Van Genuchten, head of creative, alongside spokespeople from OCT Group.
Attractions evolve
Speaking about the development of this innovative new attraction, Yale says:
“At Triotech, we always challenge ourselves and we always try to evolve, to make sure that guests have a new type of experience. People want to see new things and they want to be active; they don’t want to sit in one place. They also like interactive attractions. Hive Break is a multi-stage attraction, and it’s different to anything that we’ve done before. We’ve done walkthrough attractions, but this is the next generation.”
“The ‘Hive Break’ walkthrough attraction demonstrates the evolution of OCT and Triotech’s collaboration,” says Mr Yuegan Hu of OCT’s equipment management department. “Over the years Triotech have supplied OCT parks with many immersive and interactive theatres. This double walkthrough is the first custom-designed media-based attraction created exclusively for OCT Xianyang, and its successful launch starts a new phase of collaboration for co-creating new types of rides and attractions.
“This is a very new concept, and it fits our vision to welcome families and have adults and children participating and experiencing it together.”
Walkthrough attractions
A walkthrough attraction is an attraction where guests don’t stay in one place. For instance, in the case of Hive Break, there are three different stages that guests progress through.
“The concept is a three-in-one interactive adventure, where we take the guests through three unique experiences, each of which is based on Triotech’s proprietary technology,” explains Van Genuchten. “Essentially, you get three attractions wrapped together into one central storyline around an IP or a story.
“The purpose is to make the guest the central character of the adventure. So, whereas a typical attraction is often a passive adventure, where people are asked to sit back either in a theatre or in a ride vehicle, here they become the central character and they move on their own accord from attraction to attraction. These three attractions play together to a complete storyline; every experience has its own miniature storyline, and it has its own moments of surprise.
“The advantage, from an operator point of view, is that they don’t need to deal with a large ride system, which brings operational challenges or maintenance challenges. And for the visitor, it’s a shared experience that they feel like they are playing a key role in.”
“It’s also very customizable and scalable,” says Yale. “It doesn’t have to be a square box – we can adapt the design of our attraction based on the location. Hive Break is about 1000 square metres, but we can create walkthroughs that are smaller or bigger.”
This flexibility means that Triotech’s walkthrough attractions are ideal for a range of locations and a variety of different-sized venues, from FECs to amusement parks.
Bringing popular IP to life
Hive Break, while a cutting-edge iteration of the concept, isn’t the first walkthrough attraction that Triotech has worked on.
The company was also responsible for creating an immersive Fear the Walking Dead walkthrough attraction. Having initially run as a popular temporary attraction in Las Vegas, called Fear the Walking Dead Survival, the team then took the lessons it has learned from this installation and opened a permanent attraction of the same name at Trans Studio Bali.
This media-based walkthrough experience, based on the popular AMC series, is part thrill ride, part interactive motion ride, and part “haunted house”, which takes guests on a chilling adventure into the world of a zombie apocalypse.
“Developing this format has been a very interesting journey,” says Van Genuchten. “It began with the pop-up project that we did in Vegas, that we then adapted. With every iteration, I think we get better at it, and we’re now at that point where we’re going, ‘Okay, we figured out how to do these three experiences really well.’
“We can add other components to it to make it a longer experience if a client desires, or we can compose experiences for clients with different building blocks. We see a future going forward with this format. It’s a framework to which we can apply unique storylines and unique IPs.”
Introducing Hive Break
Speaking about how this project with OCT came about, Van Genuchten says that the client had seen the Fear the Walking Dead attraction in Bali and thought the format would be a good fit for a unique IP that the company was developing.
“They shared with us the space and the master planning concept that they had done for the entire park, and they asked us to propose a walkthrough attraction within that universe.
“Hive Break takes you on a specific journey. The first attraction, which is the motion simulator, takes you on a journey to a distant planet. However, that journey gets interrupted by a surprise, when you crash land on an unknown planet. This is the second attraction, which is the training facility, where learn what predicament you’re in and how you can get out of there.”
“That reaches another climax where you are then being moved into the third attraction, which is a fully themed interactive motion theatre. Here, you go on an interactive ride, which people know from Triotech, with our typical pointing devices and motion scenes, but in a fully themed environment with 3D media. Eventually, that brings you back to safety.”
“This walkthrough is very unique and special, the three attractions of each zone are perfectly connected with the storyline, bringing an immersive experience to visitors of all ages,” says Mr Wang of OCT’s equipment management department.
“By using the advanced Illusio technology and the interactive device, Hive Break offers visitors an epic battle with the threatening bounty hunters, the visitors are involved in the gene transformation program, and finally breaks captain Chen’s conspiracy,” adds Mr Zhou of OCT’s marketing department.
“It is fully immersive, highly integrated with our IP, we’ve got very positive feedback from the visitors.”
Encouraging repeat visits
One of the things that makes this walkthrough attraction unique is that Hive Break can be experienced from two different perspectives thanks to its dual storylines.
“That journey of what was your original mission, going to the spaceport, and how that got interrupted, can be experienced from different perspectives,” says Van Genuchten. “Either you are part of the Space Pirate group, and you’re experiencing this from the slightly more adventurous side, or you are a part of the Bounty Hunters who are living the same story but chasing the pirates. And then everything comes together at the conclusion.”
OCT Walkthrough Hive Break attraction with interviews from Triotech on Vimeo.
“That allowed us to do two tracks with two identical themed attractions, but we changed the media in between them to give people either the space pirates or the bounty hunter experience. It means that guests want to come back and do it again, to experience the other storyline.
“It all revolves around the interstellar theme that OCT has developed for an entire park. We took that and then created a storyline with a series of characters. Now the client is looking at how they can populate that into the rest of the park.”
Hive Break is a shared experience
Hive Break is immersive, but it’s also a shared experience at the same time.
“I love the design that Nol and his team came up with,” says Yale. “So, when you come into the attraction, there are two space shuttles, and you have to choose which one you’re going to take. You can choose to be the good guys or the bad guys, depending on your point of view.” Then you’re thinking, should I redo it after my friend took that one and I took this one? I think that’s part of the whole dynamic which makes this attraction very different.”
“We’re shuttling groups of 16 through every experience. That is very conducive to larger groups, friends and family units. They can stay together and have this shared experience as a group. They are very much in touch and in contact with each other throughout the entire attraction. It’s not an isolating experience like a VR experience often is.”
Seamless technology
Hive Break includes a Motion Simulator with interactive custom media content created by Triotech’s Montreal studio using the UNREAL game engine, a Training Facility featuring the firm’s proprietary Illusio interactive projection mapping technology, and one of the company’s successful Interactive Theatres. Despite the sophisticated tech, the team made sure that the guest experience was the main focus, as Yale explains:
“There’s a motion simulator, which was from our French division, CL Corp. There’s a training facility with projection mapping technology, which we’ve also used on LEGO NINJAGO and in other locations.”
“Then, the final stage is the command centre, which is our 400-unit installed Interactive Theatre. But the important thing is that we use technology, but we don’t want to focus on it. Because what the guests will remember is the story and how they interact with the story.
“That’s why we try to make the technology as seamless as possible.”
The tech behind Hive Break
For Triotech, technology is a tool that is used to tell a story and to immerse guests in an adventure. Describing the technology that facilitates the guest journey through Hive Break in more detail, Van Genuchten says:
“The motion simulator is an ace technology that comes from our sister company in Europe. It is essentially a small pod-like environment, a motion platform in which we can enhance transportation using high-definition media, displayed either in port holes or in windows. We then theme that environment completely, in this case, it became a space pod. You walk in there and it feels like the interior of a spaceship. Then we support that with additional special effects.”
“All that combines to create that sense of oh my god, we’re transporting you into a new universe.
“We then take you into the second space, where we’re using our Illusio projection mapping technology. And we’re quite unique in that we’re the only company that does interactive projection mapping, as far as we know. We can have 40 people interact with a fully three-dimensional interactive projection-mapped environment.
“In this case, the area that we’re covering is 60 foot wide by 24 foot tall, fully three-dimensional sculpture. We call it the training facility because it sets up the conflict and the road towards resolution.”
A three-course meal
“Then guests go into the interactive theatre, which is essentially a pimped-out version of our XD Dark Ride Theatre. It’s the same technology, but the screen is way bigger, the motion seats have a custom design, and the entire environment is themed out to be the command centre of a big spaceship so that the seats look out through the window into space.”
Nol Van GenuchtenWe are all always trying to figure out how we can make attractions even more exciting and ambitious, and how to use our products to tell a complete story
“We’re taking these elements that we have as a company, these unique products that we have, and then we push them to do more with them, bringing all our teams together. We are all always trying to figure out how we can make attractions even more exciting and ambitious, and how to use our products to tell a complete story.
“I like to think of the walkthrough attractions as a three-course meal; starter, main course and dessert!”
A strong partnership
Triotech has worked with OCT Group for around 10 years, starting with the delivery of 4D Theatres, and then adding more interactive attractions to different parks. This partnership culminated in Hive Break for which Triotech designed, developed and fabricated every component.
“OCT and Triotech have a long collaborative history with a dozen projects completed over recent years,” says Yuegan Hu. “OCT Group understand their guests very well and recognizes the importance of creative attractions that feature advanced technology.”
“During the execution of this project, Triotech’s teams worked closely with us to overcome the adverse impact of the pandemic on the dispatch of workers, the arrival of goods, on-site installation and commissioning, and ensured that the attraction opened on time.
“Triotech was very responsive as well as the technical support. We appreciate their quick answers. Even during the pandemic, Triotech provided great support and doesn’t cut any corners.”
“They trust us because we’ve always delivered something that their guests were happy with,” says Yale. “That’s why they have the confidence to come with us.”
Guests enjoy Hive Break
As well as the seal of approval from the client, the new walkthrough attraction has also been received positively by guests.
“The feedback from the visitors is very positive,” says Yuegan Hu. “Because this is a unique experience, in which you can walk and play at the same time, unlike other facilities where you can only stay in one place. In this ride, you can move freely around the assigned area, and it is all safe.”
“We’ve got very positive feedback from our guests,” adds Mr Tian, of OCT’s operating department.
Trends in Asia
Asia is still a market to watch, says Yale, despite the ongoing issues caused by the pandemic.
“It was all about China for quite a few years, from around 2010 to 2019. Now that market is more established, we’re seeing lots of new development across Southeast Asia, for example in Vietnam, Indonesia, South Korea, Malaysia and Thailand.”
Southeast Asia is home to over 600 million people:
“It’s twice the size of the US, and it’s going to become an interesting market. In China, it’s been hard because people can’t move around the country, and parks are open, but with limited capacity. So, it’s going to take a bit of time. But it’s going to come back; it’s the largest population in the world.”
The demographics are also interesting, with a large young population, and a growing middle class.
“I think there’s going to be a lot of work in the region in the next five years,” adds Yale. “It’s going to be interesting to watch.”
What’s next for Triotech
Certainly, Triotech has several projects on the go in the region. This includes an interactive dark ride for Vingroup’s Vinpearl Land theme park on Phú Quốc island in Vietnam.
“This should be opening in September,” says Yale. “It is a highly themed dark ride with a Middle Ages style fantasy story. We also have projects in Korea and China”
Meanwhile, in North America, Triotech’s Carnival Chaos Hyper Ride at Clifton Hill near Niagara Falls will also be opening this summer. The team is also working on an interactive themed roller coaster in the US.
“In general, we’ve learned something over the past couple of years. We know that people like to leave their homes and that they like to spend time together and enjoy a group experience. Also, what we’re seeing more and more, and it was a trend that we saw before COVID, is that people like to be active and to engage with the experience.
“All of that plays very well for Triotech. We do out-of-home experiences, we always focus on the group experience and most of our products are interactive experiences so that the guests can engage with the content and be a part of the experience. I think the future is looking wonderful.”
Triotech will be exhibiting at IAAPA Expo Europe in London, which takes place from 13 – 15 September 2022. The team will be sharing their latest projects on Booth #1317, and attendees can pre-book a meeting by clicking here.
