Preview: Riders’ Virtual Future

Soon roller-coaster enthusiasts will be soaring through the air on fighter jets and shooting alien targets at Six Flags Magic Mountain. Six Flags Entertainment Corp., owner of the Valencia amusement park, announced last month that it will debut a fully immersive 360-degree virtual reality roller coaster to the masses this year – and experts project the rides will save the park operator money while also boosting visitor traffic. But there might be something familiar about this latest attraction. Instead of spending millions building rides from the ground up, Six Flags is revamping existing, somewhat aging coasters to create completely new experiences for visitors. “Transforming an existing roller coaster into a VR experience likely comes at a mere fraction of the cost of building a new coaster,” Ian Corydon, senior analyst with investment brokerage B. Riley & Co. in Los Angeles said in his March 28 report on Six Flags. “With a little software development expense, this year’s VR fighter jet experience could be changed into completely new VR experiences in subsequent years.” Read the full story in the April 4 issue of the San Fernando Valley Business Journal.