The VOID, a Utah-based virtual reality startup, is gaining ground on its plan to sell its virtual reality experiences as an "add-on" for retail centers, a bid to draw shoppers back to malls and into the worlds of Hollywood's most popular franchises.
On Friday, the company will open its newest outpost at the Westfield World Trade Center in New York, an initial step in its plans to open more than 25 new locations by 2022. That move should ultimately double The VOID's size, and will also bring the company to Europe.
"It's a great pairing, I think, with malls and retail spaces because we're providing an extra experience, another reason to shop," Curtis Hickman, the company's co-founder and chief creative officer, told Cheddar on Thursday.
"When you put a VOID in a mall location, you drive a lot of traffic there. People who have never even been there before will show up just so they can go to The VOID experience, and then, of course, they stay, and they shop."
The company has focused on using content produced by larger studios, such as Disney and Sony Pictures. Its currently available virtual reality "experiences" are spin-offs of movie franchises including "Star Wars", "Wreck-It Ralph", and "Ghostbusters".
The VOID has also produced its own original virtual reality content.
"It's not just virtual reality, but we add all these sensory experiences on top of it so it really feels like you're there," Hickman added. "We call it presence. You feel like you're in 'Star Wars'. You feel the heat. You can smell the burning in the air. You can actually feel it when you get shot. It's a whole, encompassing sensory experience."
He explained that smell, for instance, is simulated through scent canisters that trigger throughout the experience.
"You step in — you literally step into this stage, this setting that we have, with everything matched one and one. If you see a wall, you can touch the wall. If there's a bench, you can sit down on the bench," he said.
The company's investors include the Walt Disney Company and Qualcomm, which Hickman said provide intellectual property and technological expertise. He added that the son of media titan Rupert Murdoch, James Murdoch — who reportedly invested a cool $20 million into the startup — is "a great resource for us."
The Federal Aviation Administration says flights departing for Los Angeles International Airport were halted briefly due to a staffing shortage at a Southern California air traffic facility. The FAA issued a temporary ground stop at one of the world’s busiest airports on Sunday morning soon after U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy predicted that travelers would see more flights delayed as the nation’s air traffic controllers work without pay during the federal government shutdown. The hold on planes taking off for LAX lasted an hour and 45 minutes and didn't appear to cause continued problems. The FAA said staffing shortages also delayed planes headed to Washington, Chicago and Newark, New Jersey on Sunday.
Boeing workers at three Midwest plants where military aircraft and weapons are developed have voted to reject the company’s latest contract offer and to continue a strike that started almost three months ago. The strike by about 3,200 machinists at the plants in the Missouri cities of St. Louis and St. Charles, and in Mascoutah, Illinois, is smaller in scale than a walkout last year by 33,000 Boeing workers who assemble commercial jetliners. The president of the International Association of Machinists says Sunday's outcome shows Boeing hasn't adequately addressed wages and retirement benefits. Boeing says Sunday's vote was close with 51% of union members opposing the revised offer.
The stunning indictment that led to the arrest of more than 30 people — including Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier and other NBA figures — has drawn new scrutiny of the booming business of sports betting in the U.S. The multibillion-dollar industry has made it easy for sports fans — and even some players — to wager on everything from the outcome of games to that of a single play with just a few taps of a cellphone. But regulating the rapidly-growing industry has proven to be a challenge. Professional sports leagues’ own role in promoting gambling has also raised eyebrows.
Tesla, the car company run by Elon Musk, reported Wednesday that it sold more vehicles in the past three months after boycotts hit hard earlier this year, but profits still fell sharply. Third-quarter earnings fell to $1.4 billion, from $2.2 billion a year earlier. Excluding charges, per share profit of 50 cents came in below analysts' estimate. Tesla shares fell 3.5% in after-hours trading. Musk said the company's robotaxi service, which is available in Austin, Texas, and San Francisco, will roll out to as many as 10 other metro areas by the end of the year.
Starbucks’ AI barista aims to speed service and improve experience. Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune Business Editor, explains its impact on workers and customers.
As Big Tech reports Q3 earnings, investors await proof that massive AI and cloud investments from Meta, Apple, Microsoft, and Alphabet are driving real growth.
Eric Trump joins us to discuss American Bitcoin’s mission, market strategy, and why he believes the U.S. must lead the next era of digital currency innovation.
