Utah startup brings virtual reality's potential for magic closer

Lindon, Utah

IN AN ordinary office complex here, past cartons of Mountain Dew and a throng of hoodie-wearing employees, sits a prototype for an attraction that Hollywood thinks will become the next entertainment craze - an offering that could mint money for its developers, throw a lifeline to struggling shopping malls and, at long last, jump-start sales of virtual reality gear.

"I have seen a lot of great VR experiences, and nothing comes close to what the Void is doing," said Cliff Plumer, a former Lucasfilm technologist and manager who joined the virtual reality startup, the Void, as its chief executive on Feb 9. "If anything is going to inspire mass consumer adoption of virtual reality, this is it."