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Hyper-real 'Star Wars' VR makes you the hero

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Veronique Dupont, Agence France-Presse

<p>ANAHEIM -- Imagine putting on a helmet, lowering the visor and being transported immediately from your humdrum day-to-day existence into your own &quot;Star Wars&quot; adventure.</p><p>Well, holster that blaster because the kind of fantasy that could once only be woven into the dreams of the young is coming to a theme park or shopping mall near you -- perhaps sooner than you think.</p><p>The Void is the latest in a flood of businesses offering whole-body, fully immersive virtual reality experiences for about double the price of a movie ticket.</p><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/BlWcrPmAXen/" data-instgrm-version="9" style="background:#FFF;border:0;border-radius:3px;box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15);margin:1px;max-width:540px;min-width:326px;padding:0;width:calc(100% - 2px)"><div style="padding:8px"><div style="background:#F8F8F8;line-height:0;margin-top:40px;padding:29.72222222222222% 0;text-align:center;width:100%"><div style="background:url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAABGdBTUEAALGPC/xhBQAAAAFzUkdCAK7OHOkAAAAMUExURczMzPf399fX1+bm5mzY9AMAAADiSURBVDjLvZXbEsMgCES5/P8/t9FuRVCRmU73JWlzosgSIIZURCjo/ad+EQJJB4Hv8BFt+IDpQoCx1wjOSBFhh2XssxEIYn3ulI/6MNReE07UIWJEv8UEOWDS88LY97kqyTliJKKtuYBbruAyVh5wOHiXmpi5we58Ek028czwyuQdLKPG1Bkb4NnM+VeAnfHqn1k4+GPT6uGQcvu2h2OVuIf/gWUFyy8OWEpdyZSa3aVCqpVoVvzZZ2VTnn2wU8qzVjDDetO90GSy9mVLqtgYSy231MxrY6I2gGqjrTY0L8fxCxfCBbhWrsYYAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC);display:block;height:44px;margin:0 auto -44px;position:relative;top:-22px;width:44px"> </div></div><p style="color:#c9c8cd;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:17px;margin-bottom:0;margin-top:8px;overflow:hidden;padding:8px 0 7px;text-align:center;text-overflow:ellipsis;white-space:nowrap"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BlWcrPmAXen/" style="color:#c9c8cd;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;font-style:normal;font-weight:normal;line-height:17px;text-decoration:none" target="_blank">A post shared by The VOID (@voidvr)</a> on <time dateTime="2018-07-17T23:11:41+00:00" style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:17px">Jul 17, 2018 at 4:11pm PDT</time></p></div></blockquote><script async="" defer="" src="https://www.instagram.com/embed.js" type="text/javascript"></script><p>The company&#x27;s &quot;Star Wars: Secrets of the Empire&quot; scenario instructs players that their mission is to recover Imperial intelligence critical to the survival of the Rebellion -- yes, that Rebellion, of Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia.</p><p>In reality, the players are in a room full of cameras, movement sensors and other gadgetry in the shadow of Disneyland in southern California.</p><p>As far as they are concerned, they are rebels disguised as Imperial stormtroopers on the molten planet of Mustafar, battling giant lava monsters and generally taking care of business.</p><p>Wearing vests weighed down by high-tech hardware, the players can reach out and touch what they are seeing in their visors, feel the breeze on their faces and hear creatures scuttling around them.</p><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/BllpZkdjq0U/" data-instgrm-version="9" style="background:#FFF;border:0;border-radius:3px;box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15);margin:1px;max-width:540px;min-width:326px;padding:0;width:calc(100% - 2px)"><div style="padding:8px"><div style="background:#F8F8F8;line-height:0;margin-top:40px;padding:28.10185185185185% 0;text-align:center;width:100%"><div style="background:url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAABGdBTUEAALGPC/xhBQAAAAFzUkdCAK7OHOkAAAAMUExURczMzPf399fX1+bm5mzY9AMAAADiSURBVDjLvZXbEsMgCES5/P8/t9FuRVCRmU73JWlzosgSIIZURCjo/ad+EQJJB4Hv8BFt+IDpQoCx1wjOSBFhh2XssxEIYn3ulI/6MNReE07UIWJEv8UEOWDS88LY97kqyTliJKKtuYBbruAyVh5wOHiXmpi5we58Ek028czwyuQdLKPG1Bkb4NnM+VeAnfHqn1k4+GPT6uGQcvu2h2OVuIf/gWUFyy8OWEpdyZSa3aVCqpVoVvzZZ2VTnn2wU8qzVjDDetO90GSy9mVLqtgYSy231MxrY6I2gGqjrTY0L8fxCxfCBbhWrsYYAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC);display:block;height:44px;margin:0 auto -44px;position:relative;top:-22px;width:44px"> </div></div><p style="color:#c9c8cd;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:17px;margin-bottom:0;margin-top:8px;overflow:hidden;padding:8px 0 7px;text-align:center;text-overflow:ellipsis;white-space:nowrap"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BllpZkdjq0U/" style="color:#c9c8cd;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;font-style:normal;font-weight:normal;line-height:17px;text-decoration:none" target="_blank">A post shared by The VOID (@voidvr)</a> on <time dateTime="2018-07-23T20:52:02+00:00" style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:17px">Jul 23, 2018 at 1:52pm PDT</time></p></div></blockquote><script async="" defer="" src="https://www.instagram.com/embed.js" type="text/javascript"></script><p>Designed in partnership with Disney-owned Lucasfilm, which makes the &quot;Star Wars&quot; movies, the experience involves all the senses, says marketing director John Kirkpatrick.</p><p>&quot;I really felt like I was in the movie,&quot; says player Sean Oshima, 29, a technology consultant. &quot;I was really amazed by this technology. You can really feel the agents shooting you.&quot;</p><div><strong>Cusp of a boom</strong></div><p>The experience -- typically enjoyed in groups -- costs about $30-35 for 10 minutes, and gets about 500 visitors a day in Anaheim.</p><p>There are locations in North America, the Middle East and Europe and the company is still growing, with other scenarios including a narrative tour around the movie &quot;Ghostbusters,&quot; and a haunted house experience.</p><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/BZrTQ3ply8l/" data-instgrm-version="9" style="background:#FFF;border:0;border-radius:3px;box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15);margin:1px;max-width:540px;min-width:326px;padding:0;width:calc(100% - 2px)"><div style="padding:8px"><div style="background:#F8F8F8;line-height:0;margin-top:40px;padding:28.14814814814815% 0;text-align:center;width:100%"><div style="background:url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAABGdBTUEAALGPC/xhBQAAAAFzUkdCAK7OHOkAAAAMUExURczMzPf399fX1+bm5mzY9AMAAADiSURBVDjLvZXbEsMgCES5/P8/t9FuRVCRmU73JWlzosgSIIZURCjo/ad+EQJJB4Hv8BFt+IDpQoCx1wjOSBFhh2XssxEIYn3ulI/6MNReE07UIWJEv8UEOWDS88LY97kqyTliJKKtuYBbruAyVh5wOHiXmpi5we58Ek028czwyuQdLKPG1Bkb4NnM+VeAnfHqn1k4+GPT6uGQcvu2h2OVuIf/gWUFyy8OWEpdyZSa3aVCqpVoVvzZZ2VTnn2wU8qzVjDDetO90GSy9mVLqtgYSy231MxrY6I2gGqjrTY0L8fxCxfCBbhWrsYYAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC);display:block;height:44px;margin:0 auto -44px;position:relative;top:-22px;width:44px"> </div></div><p style="color:#c9c8cd;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:17px;margin-bottom:0;margin-top:8px;overflow:hidden;padding:8px 0 7px;text-align:center;text-overflow:ellipsis;white-space:nowrap"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BZrTQ3ply8l/" style="color:#c9c8cd;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;font-style:normal;font-weight:normal;line-height:17px;text-decoration:none" target="_blank">A post shared by The VOID (@voidvr)</a> on <time dateTime="2017-09-30T19:16:46+00:00" style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:17px">Sep 30, 2017 at 12:16pm PDT</time></p></div></blockquote><script async="" defer="" src="https://www.instagram.com/embed.js" type="text/javascript"></script><p>Without the bells and whistles, the interior is much as you might expect -- a room measuring about 10 square meters, partitioned here and there to guide players through the attraction.</p><p>The cutting-edge tech works in tandem with run-of-the-mill radiators and fans varying the atmospherics, while foam mats double as magma and scent diffusers provide the &quot;smell-o-vision.&quot;</p><p>Jeremy Bailenson, founding director of Stanford University&#x27;s Virtual Human Interaction Lab and author of the best-selling &quot;Experience on Demand,&quot; told AFP the sector was on the cusp of a boom.</p><p>In California, VR attractions under development or already out there include the free-roaming group experience &quot;Alien: Descent&quot; in Orange County and an ImaxVR center in Los Angeles.</p><p>An attraction based on CIA analyst &quot;Jack Ryan,&quot; the hero of the Tom Clancy novels and an upcoming Amazon TV series, was among numerous VR experiences showcased at the recent San Diego Comic-Con fan event.</p><div><strong>VR Oscar</strong></div><p>Video games are criticized for isolating players, but proponents of virtual reality say it can be an inherently social experience, as it promotes teamwork through problem-solving.</p><p>The technology is developing rapidly and has already moved beyond pure entertainment into education and science.</p><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/BZoeC20lGGE/" data-instgrm-version="9" style="background:#FFF;border:0;border-radius:3px;box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15);margin:1px;max-width:540px;min-width:326px;padding:0;width:calc(100% - 2px)"><div style="padding:8px"><div style="background:#F8F8F8;line-height:0;margin-top:40px;padding:33.33333333333333% 0;text-align:center;width:100%"><div style="background:url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAABGdBTUEAALGPC/xhBQAAAAFzUkdCAK7OHOkAAAAMUExURczMzPf399fX1+bm5mzY9AMAAADiSURBVDjLvZXbEsMgCES5/P8/t9FuRVCRmU73JWlzosgSIIZURCjo/ad+EQJJB4Hv8BFt+IDpQoCx1wjOSBFhh2XssxEIYn3ulI/6MNReE07UIWJEv8UEOWDS88LY97kqyTliJKKtuYBbruAyVh5wOHiXmpi5we58Ek028czwyuQdLKPG1Bkb4NnM+VeAnfHqn1k4+GPT6uGQcvu2h2OVuIf/gWUFyy8OWEpdyZSa3aVCqpVoVvzZZ2VTnn2wU8qzVjDDetO90GSy9mVLqtgYSy231MxrY6I2gGqjrTY0L8fxCxfCBbhWrsYYAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC);display:block;height:44px;margin:0 auto -44px;position:relative;top:-22px;width:44px"> </div></div><p style="color:#c9c8cd;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:17px;margin-bottom:0;margin-top:8px;overflow:hidden;padding:8px 0 7px;text-align:center;text-overflow:ellipsis;white-space:nowrap"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BZoeC20lGGE/" style="color:#c9c8cd;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;font-style:normal;font-weight:normal;line-height:17px;text-decoration:none" target="_blank">A post shared by The VOID (@voidvr)</a> on <time dateTime="2017-09-29T16:53:15+00:00" style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:17px">Sep 29, 2017 at 9:53am PDT</time></p></div></blockquote><script async="" defer="" src="https://www.instagram.com/embed.js" type="text/javascript"></script><p>Acclaimed filmmaker Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu got a special Oscar last year for a virtual reality installation focusing on the plight of migrants, which was shown in several cities including Los Angeles.</p><p>The six-minute &quot;Carne y Arena&quot; (&quot;Virtually Present, Physically Invisible&quot;) takes viewers on the harrowing trek many migrants undertake through the Sonoran desert in the southwestern US.</p><p>As sirens wail, each participant -- barefoot on the sandy ground and wearing VR goggles -- experiences the journey alone, joined only by a small band of virtual people hoping to reach America.</p><p>Border guards armed to the teeth separate the men from the women and the children. Their abandoned shoes litter the ground, as one person screams out in pain and a tragedy looms.</p><p>From the art world, a successful exhibition on David Bowie is to be adapted into a VR experience by Sony, while architects, teachers and many others in the public and private sectors are increasingly using the technology to illustrate projects and ideas.</p><p>&quot;Picture if an educator or a student goes into a world, and instead of just learning about it through a textbook, you can actually interact (with) that locale,&quot; said Kirkpatrick.</p><p>&quot;Or even see what those worlds might have looked like in the times that you&#x27;re studying.&quot;</p><div><strong>© Agence France-Presse</strong></div>

<p>Imagine putting on a helmet, lowering the visor and being transported immediately from your humdrum day-to-day existence into your own "Star Wars" adventure.</p><p> </p>

Imagine putting on a helmet, lowering the visor and being transported immediately from your humdrum day-to-day existence into your own "Star Wars" adventure.

Hyper-real 'Star Wars' VR makes you the hero

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Hyper-real 'Star Wars' VR makes you the hero

Veronique Dupont,

Agence France-Presse

Published July 29, 2018 07:29 PM PHT

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virtual reality

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The Void

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