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Facebook buys Oculus VR...and I can't stop laughing!


antithesis

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I guess this means the Oculus Rift is on the up and up...

 

Social network Behemoth Facebook has acquired Oculus Rift developer Oculus VR in a massive deal worth an estimated $2 billion. Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg announced the news today on, you guessed it, Facebook. You can read his full note below.

Facebook's deal includes $400 million in cash and 23.1 million Facebook shares, valued at $1.6 billion. The deal also includes a performance-based payout options, that could boost the sale by an additional $300 million in cash and stock if certain milestones are reached.

Oculus Rift may be popular with gamers, but Facebook plans to leverage the technology to other industries.

"Facebook plans to extend Oculus' existing advantage in gaming to new verticals, including communications, media and entertainment, education, and other areas," Facebook said in a statement. "Given these broad potential applications, virtual reality technology is a strong candidate to emerge as the next social and communications platform."

"Mobile is the platform of today, and now we're also getting ready for the platforms of tomorrow," Zuckerberg said. "Oculus has the chance to create the most social platform ever, and change the way we work, play, and communicate."

Source - Facebook buys Oculus Rift company in a massive deal worth an estimated $2 billion - GameSpot

Key word = "social".

D.O.A. The road to hell is paved with good intentions. Playing Candy Crush on VR ain't my kinda thing.

Hoop with a stick people. With a stick. Stick.

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If the Oculus devs still have full control over the project (which I highly doubt after those statements) this could be a good thing because they have way more money to work with. However, "mobile is the platform of today" doesn't really inspire confidence...

 

 

Parker

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If the Oculus devs still have full control over the project (which I highly doubt after those statements) this could be a good thing because they have way more money to work with. However, "mobile is the platform of today" doesn't really inspire confidence...

 

 

Parker

On the flipside of the argument, Sony must be having kittens over this news.

Bad PR for MS (#dealwithit) helped to drive the revival of the PS brand, I can see a similar thing happening for Project Morpheus. Games that were intended for Oculus Rift will likely crop up on PS4 instead as the Facebook deal drives early VR adopters to look for safer waters.

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Looks like VR gaming died before it could even start. Sony still has their VR thing, but how many devs are actually going to use it? It'll likely be the next PS Move.

Games that were intended for Oculus Rift will likely crop up on PS4 instead as the Facebook deal drives early VR adopters to look for safer waters.

Unless this happens. In which case, there may still be hope.

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If the Oculus devs still have full control over the project (which I highly doubt after those statements) this could be a good thing because they have way more money to work with. However, "mobile is the platform of today" doesn't really inspire confidence...

 

 

Parker

 

So what's going to happen to the devs that are making indie projects? 

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Looks like VR gaming died before it could even start. Sony still has their VR thing, but how many devs are actually going to use it? It'll likely be the next PS Move.

That's the danger. What was a groundroots-powered product intended to revolutionise the gaming industry has now been handed to Sony and MS to water down and turn into the next big gimmick.

By signing up with Facebook, Oculus VR has instantaneously lost all credibility and goodwill amongst the video gaming community and development industry. They (re)created the demand for VR and have all but turned their backs on the very people who just made them wealthy men.

 

So what's going to happen to the devs that are making indie projects?

Gamers and developers are going to look elsewhere, but perhaps with a focus on revenue instead of innovation, which seems be the logic behind Oculus VR's decision to sell out. Sad, sad day.

Edited by ant1th3s1s
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