There are a few game companies that you might expect to open a theme park. One example would be Nintendo, which in fact did announce earlier this year that it was teaming up with Universal for attractions based on its characters. Ubisoft, on the other hand, isn’t exactly the first name that would come to mind for most people.
Today, however, Ubisoft announced that it is planning to bring a 10,000 square meter “next-generation” theme park based on its games to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The park will feature rides, attractions, and shows based on Ubisoft franchises like Assassin’s Creed, Just Dance, and Rabbids. There is no word on when construction of the park will begin, but it is slated to open sometime in 2020.
Ubisoft Motion Pictures will be leading the project, according to a post on the company’s blog. “Ubisoft’s intention for this park is to immerse people in reactive worlds where they can interact with each other and become the heroes of their own life-sized game,” Ubisoft Motion Pictures senior vice president Jean de Rivières said. “Ubisoft will produce all digital media for the rides, and help design guests’ journey into the park to ensure the visitors’ experience is at its best.”
In order to build the park, Ubisoft is partnering with RSG, co-owner and co-developer of Movie Animation Park Studios. RSG will own and operate the park, while Ubisoft will be more hands-off, but still retain creative control over the attractions.
“RSG is committed to redefining family fun, and video games have taken an increasingly central role in entertainment for all ages,” RSG chairman Ramelle Ramli said in a statement. “Partnering with Ubisoft means we’ll work with their creative teams to develop the first of what we believe will be a revolutionary new theme park experience. We are confident that this partnership agreement highly benefits both parties and consolidates our presence in the global family entertainment market.”
This may seem like it’s coming out of the blue for those of us based in the U.S., but this isn’t the first time Ubisoft has embarked on real-world attractions. The company previously opened the award-winning Rabbids dark ride for the Futuroscope theme park in France.
