Theme_Park_Insider
04-09-2009, 08:10 PM
By Derek Potter: Owners of the park formerly known as Hard Rock (http://www.themeparkinsider.com/reviews/freestyle_music_park/) have announced the new name. Get ready ladies and gents......Freestyle Music Park.
After negotiations with Hard Rock Corporation broke down, and on the heels of a truly bizarre lawsuit that actually awarded former CEO/captain of the sinking ship Steve Goodwin intellectual property rights, the new owners were put in the position of finding a new name...and finding it quickly.
One sad note is that the great live shows that graced the park last year will be canned, probably because they don't want to pay Goodwin the royalties that he seeks for his "rights" It's rumored that one of the shows will be a skate/BMX stunt show. It also appears that the rides, restaurants, and areas are being renamed...also probably to prevent Goodwin from sticking his hand out. A Memorial Day opening is planned.
My opinion? The new name doesn't work. It doesn't have a very good ring to it at all. I understand the timeline they had to deal with, but there wasn't anything better than that? The decision favoring Goodwin in the intellectual property rights lawsuit seems to have really pulled the rug out from under the new owners. Continuing without the Hard Rock name is one thing, but renaming attractions and designing new themes effectively in two months is a real uphill battle. Here is the story from the Sun News (http://www.thesunnews.com/news/local/story/854522.html).
Thoughts on the new name?
Update: Arthur Levine's got an interview (http://themeparks.about.com/od/findusthemeparks/a/SteveBaker.htm) with Hard Rock Park's Freestyle Music Park's Steve Baker.
[Slaps forehead] I totally had forgotten that the name of FPI MB Entertainment, the new owners of the park, stands of Freestyle Park International Myrtle Beach. And that the park that they run in Russia is called Freestyle Park. So Freestyle is their brand name. This is the music-themed park in the chain, ergo, Freestyle Music Park. Utterly predictable. After ID'ing the Freestyle Park and Steve Baker connections before anyone else, I can't believe I missed that.
More... (http://www.themeparkinsider.com/flume/200904/1155/)
After negotiations with Hard Rock Corporation broke down, and on the heels of a truly bizarre lawsuit that actually awarded former CEO/captain of the sinking ship Steve Goodwin intellectual property rights, the new owners were put in the position of finding a new name...and finding it quickly.
One sad note is that the great live shows that graced the park last year will be canned, probably because they don't want to pay Goodwin the royalties that he seeks for his "rights" It's rumored that one of the shows will be a skate/BMX stunt show. It also appears that the rides, restaurants, and areas are being renamed...also probably to prevent Goodwin from sticking his hand out. A Memorial Day opening is planned.
My opinion? The new name doesn't work. It doesn't have a very good ring to it at all. I understand the timeline they had to deal with, but there wasn't anything better than that? The decision favoring Goodwin in the intellectual property rights lawsuit seems to have really pulled the rug out from under the new owners. Continuing without the Hard Rock name is one thing, but renaming attractions and designing new themes effectively in two months is a real uphill battle. Here is the story from the Sun News (http://www.thesunnews.com/news/local/story/854522.html).
Thoughts on the new name?
Update: Arthur Levine's got an interview (http://themeparks.about.com/od/findusthemeparks/a/SteveBaker.htm) with Hard Rock Park's Freestyle Music Park's Steve Baker.
[Slaps forehead] I totally had forgotten that the name of FPI MB Entertainment, the new owners of the park, stands of Freestyle Park International Myrtle Beach. And that the park that they run in Russia is called Freestyle Park. So Freestyle is their brand name. This is the music-themed park in the chain, ergo, Freestyle Music Park. Utterly predictable. After ID'ing the Freestyle Park and Steve Baker connections before anyone else, I can't believe I missed that.
More... (http://www.themeparkinsider.com/flume/200904/1155/)