Experiencing Star Wars: Secrets of the Empire at The VOID VR in NYC

[MUSIC] The Void is a unique type of entertainment destination for virtual reality. Inside these walls, visitors are transported into fantasy worlds that incorporate your senses to make the virtual feel real. The company is expanding and opening up dozens of new locations across the US and Europe. So Roger and I got to check out the new space opening up in New York City this week. With a mission around Star Wars called Secrets of the Empire. Welcome to the Void. I'm Joe, I'll be your guide today. If I could just have you guys stand up against this wall here for me and I'll get your first names. When it's your time to embark on the mission, a guide's gonna get you set up and answer any questions you have. And every experience has an introduction video, to set the tone of what you are about to encounter. You guys don't worry you will get a briefing by the commander. If you go ahead and follow me.>> Do we get lifesavers? I want a lifesaver? I have a bad feeling about this. [SOUND] This is Captain cast. And we all hope you succeed. Do you know your mission? Yes. What's the mission? Gotta get the thing box. The Secret Did the crate, stay alive. When it's time to suit up you strap into a backpack computer system with a helmet, visor, and headphones. Roger and I could hear each other inside our headsets, but we're not tethered to anything. It's all wireless as we are taken into a gray room to begin. Within moments, the walls transformed and we were all on board a rebel ship They can see each other dressed as storm troopers. I see you're purple. Yes, I can see you. All right. Hey, you're purple. The boy has these little tricks to help begin the process of trusting your legs and body in the virtual world. For example, by sitting down in the ship you realize you can reach out and touch things in your environment. Everything you see, the walls, the door frames, the railings is gonna match what it's actually around you in the space. If you see a lever, pull it. If there's a gun, go on and grab it. Buttons that control panels, they're also part of the game. [SOUND] What's really cool is that you can feel the wind lashing by you when you're outside. And because we're on a lava planet, you're gonna feel plenty of heat around you. We're going [CROSSTALK] Wow, it's getting way hotter. And even smell like another planet. If you get shot by a Stormtrooper, Wow. [SOUND] Well, you're gonna feel that too, because these Stormtroopers don't miss. The action picks up quickly. And by the time it's all over, you are totally trusting that you can go anywhere and not run into anything. Okay, I'm gonna head out. See you guys later. All right, we gotta get outta here. [MUSIC] All right, I guess mission accomplished. We're heading home! All righty, welcome back, rebels. If you guys can go ahead and lift up your visors for me. Thank you guys so much. I will take those broken glasses from you. How was the mission? Amazing. Successful. It was great? Yeah, Toy won. He got the doohickey. Awesome, thank you so much for being with. So when you look at the current state of VR entertainment, not a lot of people are rushing to buy VR for their homes. So what does the void do differently for the experience? And how has that led to this expansion? Void gives people a way to experience VR in a very safe and very accesible way. You show up in a Void location and all the gear is there waiting for you. Everything's set up for you. And then what you get to experience is something well beyond what What you can do at home anyway. It's a great introduction and virtual reality and I think a really good way for people to see the potential of what we are will be in the future. Where do you see the evolution of the void? Is it different types of storytelling effects or different places we could see it? It's combination of things, there's new stories that are coming, I think that will work Working on, stuff we're working with Sony Pictures virtual reality, which I'm very excited about. There's new technologies where we're doing more with interactions in the experience, more with you having even more agency in some of these experiences so that the story changes based on- Based on decisions that you make, and even things that you might say. Like I choose you on an adventure? Yeah, to an extent yeah. So that these things become more your story, that you get to tell, as opposed to one that we are just telling to you.