The Modern Halloween Event: Gaming IPs, Immersion, and $350 previews
Universal leans hard into gaming IPs for Halloween Horror Nights while Winchester Mysery House doubles down on immersion.
Universal is doubling down on pop-culture firepower with the enormously popular gaming IPs of Fallout and Five Nights at Freddy’s confirmed for this year's Halloween Horror Nights. They're also charging superfans $350 for “Premium Scream Night,” a ticketed dress rehearsal. With massive IPs and superfans willing to pay premium prices just to attend a dress rehearsal, how can smaller attractions compete? Thirteenth Floor and Winchester Mystery House might have an answer with "Festival Fright Nights." The event will transform the labyrinthine Winchester Mystery House into a Halloween event with three haunted houses and entertainment. The key is the immersive storyline, which sets the event in 1924 and utilizes the mansion's backdrop and history, showing that smaller venues can out-maneuver giant budgets by weaponizing authenticity and location. Philip and Scott unpack what these parallel strategies signal about Halloween’s next arms race—premium previews, IP one-upmanship, and how regional haunts can lean into their unique assets instead of chasing billion-dollar licenses. Catch the gloves-off follow-up in Green Tagged Unhinged on Patreon.
Scott Swenson, ICAE
For over 30 years, Scott Swenson has been bringing stories to life as a writer, director, producer, and performer. His work in theme parks, consumer events, live theatre, and television has given him a broad spectrum of experiences. In 2014, after 21 years with SeaWorld Parks and Entertainment, Scott formed Scott Swenson Creative Development. Since then he has been providing impactful experiences for clients around the world. Whether he is installing shows on cruise ships or creating seasonal festivals for theme parks, writing educational presentations for zoos and museums or training the next generation of attractions professionals, Scott is always finding new ways to tell stories that engage, educate and entertain.
Philip Hernandez, ICAE
CEO of Gantom, Publisher of Haunted Attraction Network
Philip is a journalist reporting on the Haunted House Industry, Horror events, Theme Parks, and Halloween. He is also the CEO of Gantom Lighting and Founder / Publisher of the Haunted Attraction Network, the haunted attraction industry's most prominent news media source. He is based in Los Angeles.
