Short version
By placing advertisements for various sponsors on rides and around the park, players can make money and/or offset expenses, but with a negative effect on guest happiness.Longer version
Many players crave more complex and challenging simulation elements in PlanCo (or its rumored successor, as the case may be). With the addition of sponsorships, players would have an additional avenue for building and maintaining rides while under financial duress, but must weigh the benefits against penalties to guest happiness.Sponsorships have a long and prominent history in the theme park industry. Just like in real life, PlanCo sponsorships could take two different forms: ride sponsorships and park sponsorships. Both would be affected by a Sponsor Rating that increases proportionally to the amount of advertisements placed by the player, with a higher Sponsor Rating providing better financial benefits but worse penalties to guest happiness.
Ride sponsorships can lower construction and maintenance costs for a particular attraction, and only require advertisements around the ride in question, but lower the ride's prestige.
Park sponsorships contribute to the player's general income, but lower the scenery rating within a certain radius, in addition to a general hit to guest happiness
The sponsors themselves would likely take the form of PlanCo's various in-universe companies, such as Chief Beef, Gulpee, et al. If the player has an active sponsorship with a brand, they may be required to have a certain number of that brand's shops in their park. Areas with a high Sponsor Rating will make guests more likely to visit sponsored shops. Sponsored shops may also have lower operating costs, but reduced profit as well.
Career scenario examples:
- A park has almost no cash and ride costs are sky high. Players must therefore take sponsorships to remain in the black and earn a profit while also working to keep guests from becoming too unhappy.
- A once-popular park has become a corporate dystopia. Players must improve guest happiness by cutting down on ads, which will require finding alternate ways of cutting costs and turning a profit.