If that's correct, Six Flags' handling of this attraction delay from a PR/marketing standpoint is straight-up malpractice. Heads should role inside the corporation for this. Look at the most recent SFNE coaster additions:
- 2017: Joker, a standard, cloned S&S 4D FreeSpin
- 2015: Wicked Cyclone, an RMC I-Box conversion of Cyclone
- 2012: Goliath, an already-since-removed, relocated, cloned inverted boomerang—the 2nd boomerang in the park
- 2011: Gotham City Gauntlet Escape from Arkham Asylum, a relocated, standard model wild mouse
- 2005: Pandemonium, a cloned family spinner
- 2002: Batman - The Dark Knight, the last, original, ground-up coaster designed and built for Six Flags New England
I think a
very fair argument could be made to say that Quantum Accelerator is the park's first significant coaster addition in over a decade and, as outlined, it is the park's first purpose-designed, ground-up coaster since 2002. For Quantum not to be
vigorously marketed in the lead-up to its opening is just absolutely abominable. The worst part is that you know Six Flags executives will then turn around in the next 12 months and look at SFNE as an underperforming asset despite the debut of new cap-ex in the park—all while blissfully ignoring that it's THEIR OWN FAULT that said cap-ex won't make anywhere near the splash it should. They actively chose to shoot the park in the foot and then in a few months they'll pretend the underperformance must be the result of some mysterious, external market conditions or unpredictable, unspecified headwinds that led to the issue. Oh, and then they'll probably consider downgrading the park to non-core status and look to capitalize on it via other means too (read: sell the place).
I understand that the delay sucked for the corporation. It was a shitty situation. That said, they had almost a full year to adapt and adjust their marketing strategy to make the best of that bad situation. That's literally the core of their job description—take what is happening in the park and attempt to optimize the financial capitalization of that work however possible. If Quantum is about to open in the next couple weeks, Six Flags marketing has simply failed to do the most basic, core aspect of their job.
Fucking hate this stuff, man. Any one of us can look at this situation and see it is so obviously wrong to let a major new attraction debut with essentially complete and utter silence. We all know it's stupid—we all know it's self-defeating—and yet we have to sit back and watch Six Flags do it to themselves yet again—all while the supposed marketing "professionals" actively making these objectively boneheaded decisions cash their paychecks as a great, historic park suffers. Just absolutely enraging stuff.
EDIT: Fixed coaster dates.
