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Las Vegas enterprise taps 'Star Trek' appeal
October 11, 1997
Web posted at: 1:14 p.m. EDT (1714 GMT)From Correspondent Dick Wilson
LAS VEGAS (CNN) -- In the glitzy gambling mecca called Las Vegas, the expected -- sequined showgirls and aging-crooner lounge acts -- will soon be joined by something unexpected: "Star Trek, the Experience."
The $70 million entertainment project under construction is more interactive than a stage show and more detailed than a theme park, said Tim Chanaud of the Las Vegas Hilton, where the sci-fi complex will be located.
"It's a chance for people to actually become part of an adventure," he said.
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This particular starship is an enterprise that includes the "Space-quest Casino," as well as a bar, restaurant, shops and live actors in "Star Trek" garb.
Sophisticated computer-controlled rides and other entertainment are also part of the package. Its centerpiece is a computerized shuttle craft that takes visitors into space with a warp-speed movie on a giant cone-shaped screen.
The 27-seat shuttle car moves in six directions, sometimes all at once, during the four-minute ride. The ride's herky-jerky movements are based on motion simulators the U.S. military uses to train fighter pilots.
"It uses an enormous amount of technology from the military simulation and civil simulation industry," said Chris Morrow, vice president of McFadden Systems. "Everything about this show is under computer control."
CNN's Dick Wilson takes a tour of the casino that's out of this world
McFadden has been shifting the use of such technologies to entertainment in recent years, Morrow said.
The ride has a story line, but the show's creators are keeping its plot, climax and denouement under wraps for now.
"You are expecting to go on an attraction, on a ride, and at an unexpected moment, you are beamed up and have to return to Las Vegas," production designer Luc Mayrand said. "I won't tell you much more than that, but you basically disappear. You go up, take an adventure in the future."
The hotel hopes to have the attraction ready for the crowds expected in November when the world's largest computer show, Comdex, comes to town.
Related sites:
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- Star Trek: The Experience- official site Including news, interviews, construction reports, and a behind-the-scenes tour
- Las Vegas Hilton Hotel and Casino - presents complete information about this world class resort
External sites are not endorsed by CNN Interactive.
Watch these shows on CNN for more sci-tech stories:
CNN Computer Connection | Future Watch | Science & Technology Week
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