RSU To The Rescue
Ever been scared breathless by a kid playing a video game? Ever screamed when they pressed their joystick? Come to the Boneyard, a Haunted House located the Dallas-Fort Worth Market. Aside from being a commercial Haunted House, it also benefits local charities and Non-Profit groups. Primarily we support Local Special Olympic Teams. Many of the athletes we support also work in the Haunted House as Actors, Tech Assistants and in other basic staff positions. While most of our special needs kids have fairly high-level functional skills, meaning that that they are able to interact well with others and can handle the overwhelming sights and sounds that go with working inside a Haunted Attraction, a few do not function at an independent level and need to be supervised. Now just because these kids don't function at a higher level don't think for a second that they don't want to take part in the action... trust me: they do. If you have ever snuck up on your friends or hidden just out of site to pounce on a co-worker to scare them then you to understand the feeling that goes hand in hand with making someone scream like a school girl.
In the past we have tried several different approaches to get these kids in the game, from building specially constructed rooms, as well as hidden drop panels they could sit behind that would let them participate in the show while still affording them some level of protection. While they all worked to some degree, nothing ever really fit the bill. For one thing it's very hot inside a Haunted House. While it may be October and in the 40's outside, temps can exceed 100 degree's on the inside. Cram a few thousand customers in a small place and chase ’em around the room with a chainsaw, and it heats up quick. So even though we fixed a spot for the kids, the conditions were not suited for them. They could not communicate basic information that we may take for granted.... " I am too hot"..."I need a drink" and so on. So we ended up with hot, tired and dehydrated kids. Not good.
So what to do? It turns out the solution was here all along. The Boneyard is more than just a haunted house. We have a large stage with live bands, the VooDoo Lounge where you can grab a cold beer (if you survived the haunt!) Or hang with the puppies if you didn't have the nerve to enter in the first place. We also have a large game room, where it all started to come together. It's your basic setup: pool tables, air hockey, classic arcade games (yes, we have Ms. PacMan), and first person shooters & driving games. Over the years several of the games end up getting taken apart and used for parts, so we have, in a manner of speaking, a second Boneyard: a room with a large collection of out of order arcade games.
Around March we were doing a little house cleaning, fixing some games, sending some to auction, and so on, when we came across a two seat racing console. The racer was not in good shape--the computer boards were missing, steering wheels gone and who knows what happened to the monitors. So with out much fanfare, it was pegged as a "Dumpster" and set aside. As the day goes on, however, I kept finding myself back at this game cabinet. Finally one of the crew asked me what my deal was with this cabinet. “I think I have an idea,” I said. No one likes to hear that come from my lips. It usually means late nights for everybody, long hours and unpredictable results. The cabinet, reprieved from the dumpster, got dragged into the Prop-Shop. “Now this is perfect for the ‘Remote Scare Unit’,” I proclaim with a straight face. Silence. So I think to myself, maybe they didn't hear me. Oh, they heard me all right; they just didn't think it was very funny (it's OK... I get that a lot).
So now we have a two seat game console, stereo speakers in each seat—and did I mention that the seats were adjustable? , Plus, they have gas and break pedals and a two-speed stick shift. In my minds eye...the perfect RSU. So here's the plan: We install high resolution color cameras inside the haunted house, some totally cool animatronics, air cannons, water squirters and perhaps some electrified shocking wallpaper. Hook it all up to the new monitors in the RSU's and...Bada-Bing, Bada-Boom! Problem solved. How cool is this for the kids? They can sit back in the actors lounge and play video games (and we all know that they absolutely love Video games). The only difference here? Their not chasing Mario around the screen--their chasing YOU!. They sit back in their chairs, watching the crowd go by, and thanks to the speakers installed in the seats they can hear exactly what’s going on, live, inside the event. They wait for just the right moment, and with the skill of a true gamer, they shoot you down.
So the next time you find yourself at the Boneyard, winding your way through the darkness, don’t be surprised, when out of nowhere, you get plastered with a shot of air. Or a monster swings down out at you. Just remember (after your heart rate slows and the screams subside), somewhere in the far reaches of the labyrinth, a kid laughing his head off. Because of you, he just scored and made it to the bonus round.
Ever been scared breathless by a kid playing a video game? Ever screamed when they pressed their joystick? Come to the Boneyard, a Haunted House located the Dallas-Fort Worth Market. Aside from being a commercial Haunted House, it also benefits local charities and Non-Profit groups. Primarily we support Local Special Olympic Teams. Many of the athletes we support also work in the Haunted House as Actors, Tech Assistants and in other basic staff positions. While most of our special needs kids have fairly high-level functional skills, meaning that that they are able to interact well with others and can handle the overwhelming sights and sounds that go with working inside a Haunted Attraction, a few do not function at an independent level and need to be supervised. Now just because these kids don't function at a higher level don't think for a second that they don't want to take part in the action... trust me: they do. If you have ever snuck up on your friends or hidden just out of site to pounce on a co-worker to scare them then you to understand the feeling that goes hand in hand with making someone scream like a school girl.
In the past we have tried several different approaches to get these kids in the game, from building specially constructed rooms, as well as hidden drop panels they could sit behind that would let them participate in the show while still affording them some level of protection. While they all worked to some degree, nothing ever really fit the bill. For one thing it's very hot inside a Haunted House. While it may be October and in the 40's outside, temps can exceed 100 degree's on the inside. Cram a few thousand customers in a small place and chase ’em around the room with a chainsaw, and it heats up quick. So even though we fixed a spot for the kids, the conditions were not suited for them. They could not communicate basic information that we may take for granted.... " I am too hot"..."I need a drink" and so on. So we ended up with hot, tired and dehydrated kids. Not good.So what to do? It turns out the solution was here all along. The Boneyard is more than just a haunted house. We have a large stage with live bands, the VooDoo Lounge where you can grab a cold beer (if you survived the haunt!) Or hang with the puppies if you didn't have the nerve to enter in the first place. We also have a large game room, where it all started to come together. It's your basic setup: pool tables, air hockey, classic arcade games (yes, we have Ms. PacMan), and first person shooters & driving games. Over the years several of the games end up getting taken apart and used for parts, so we have, in a manner of speaking, a second Boneyard: a room with a large collection of out of order arcade games.
Around March we were doing a little house cleaning, fixing some games, sending some to auction, and so on, when we came across a two seat racing console. The racer was not in good shape--the computer boards were missing, steering wheels gone and who knows what happened to the monitors. So with out much fanfare, it was pegged as a "Dumpster" and set aside. As the day goes on, however, I kept finding myself back at this game cabinet. Finally one of the crew asked me what my deal was with this cabinet. “I think I have an idea,” I said. No one likes to hear that come from my lips. It usually means late nights for everybody, long hours and unpredictable results. The cabinet, reprieved from the dumpster, got dragged into the Prop-Shop. “Now this is perfect for the ‘Remote Scare Unit’,” I proclaim with a straight face. Silence. So I think to myself, maybe they didn't hear me. Oh, they heard me all right; they just didn't think it was very funny (it's OK... I get that a lot).
So now we have a two seat game console, stereo speakers in each seat—and did I mention that the seats were adjustable? , Plus, they have gas and break pedals and a two-speed stick shift. In my minds eye...the perfect RSU. So here's the plan: We install high resolution color cameras inside the haunted house, some totally cool animatronics, air cannons, water squirters and perhaps some electrified shocking wallpaper. Hook it all up to the new monitors in the RSU's and...Bada-Bing, Bada-Boom! Problem solved. How cool is this for the kids? They can sit back in the actors lounge and play video games (and we all know that they absolutely love Video games). The only difference here? Their not chasing Mario around the screen--their chasing YOU!. They sit back in their chairs, watching the crowd go by, and thanks to the speakers installed in the seats they can hear exactly what’s going on, live, inside the event. They wait for just the right moment, and with the skill of a true gamer, they shoot you down.So the next time you find yourself at the Boneyard, winding your way through the darkness, don’t be surprised, when out of nowhere, you get plastered with a shot of air. Or a monster swings down out at you. Just remember (after your heart rate slows and the screams subside), somewhere in the far reaches of the labyrinth, a kid laughing his head off. Because of you, he just scored and made it to the bonus round.
Come share in what we’re doing. We look forward to seeing you one dark windy night at the Boneyard.
