Facebook to purchase Oculus Rift for US$2 billion

[Sardukhar]

Facebook to purchase Oculus Rift for US$2 billion

From http://techcrunch.com/2014/03/25/fa...rift-headset-for-around-2b-in-cash-and-stock/ among other places.

So..what does this mean? Is it good news? Bad? That is a lot of money for VR development, but FB is hardly known as a hardware tech company.

Some highlights: "Oculus has taken over 75k orders for its virtual reality headset so far. " So not a great crazy demand yet, but still there.

And this: "The company has received a total of $93.4M in funding so far from Spark, Matrix, Founders Fund, Formation 8, BIG Ventures and Andreessen Horowitz. "

In other words, Virtual reality development just got a huge financial shot in the arm. Does that make it viable? Does that change your plans to buy/not buy? Will this sideline VR for serious games if it's FB licensing the tech?

...is CDPR paying more attention to VR now?

 

[227]

This whole VR thing will risk being a passing fad until they can miniaturize it into something relatively unobtrusive like Google Glass, but if Facebook wants to hemorrhage money betting on strapping a huge box to your face for "teh social," I'm totally down with them having less money.

It's funny how it takes just one success to make people think of themselves as a futuretechnology seer. Anyway, I predict "poking" to be 300% more annoying in the future.

 

[dragonbird]

Luckily for Sard I'd already seen my news feed full of references to this when I woke up, otherwise I'd have been accusing him of premature April Fools jokes.

I think maybe bad news for gamers in the short-term, but good news for VR generally.

Bad news because Oculus did seem to have a gamer-focus, and that may not be the case any longer. So yes, the emphasis may now be on things like reducing the physical size of the unit, making it more portable, more like Google Glass, rather than on the quality of the VR experience.

Good news in the longer term simply because there are now two big players instead of one, so more need to compete, bring it to the mass market.

My only real fear would be if some kind of patent war starts, but we'll need to wait and see on that. I don't know if it's even a possibility yet.

 

[227]

Facebook's market isn't really the "spend a ton of money on unnecessary hardware" crowd so much as the "Farmville and microtransactions yay!" kind of people, so I have to question how much of an impact they'll have on helping it gain any kind of mass appeal.

Right now it just seems like there are a small number of very vocal supporters yelling "FUTURE!" about the OR while everyone else is looking sideways at it, wondering what the hell the point is outside of the gimmick. Kind of reminds me of the Ouya in that regard, actually. Also, the 3DS, though at least Nintendo has enough big franchises held hostage on their platforms to keep it alive. I really can't see a future where there are OR-only games, so I'd be surprised if it doesn't just fade away at some point regardless of what Facebook tries to pull.

 

[dragonbird]

Anybody know where most of the Facebook revenue comes from at the moment? Business advertising or apps/microtransactions?

When I was still working, I remember going to a seminar where a company was pushing Second Life as a forum for businesses to meet up with clients, discuss business deals, sell stuff. For me, Facebook is a "go to" site for finding local suppliers, all of whom seem to be working now from Facebook accounts rather than something like a website that needs more effort. Very little to do with social networking and, for me at least, nothing to do with apps and games. So I have a slightly one-sided view of it.

 

[chriswebb2020.736]

$2,000,000,000

That's not chicken feed.

As for wether this is good news or bad news... weeelllllllll... If they keep all the stupid ads out of it, (unlike facebook,) and the NSA don't try to tap into all our minds while were pugged in, then I can see this leading to the sort of interfaces seen in CP2020 and GitS. I am for that, at least.

 

[nukeheal]

People need to relax about data control. They dont need OR to know what games you are playing. Steam is the best source for that or any analist can tell then what is popular. If they really wanted to control the PC market they would buy 51% of Valve.

It's all about making money for Mark and Facebook First thing I thought about is that Mark is just a fan of the prospect and want to owns it because he knows it will grow big with almost no competition. He is still a kid after all. If I would win lottery 10x in the row I would buy it as well.

 

[Sardukhar]

People need to relax about data control. They dont need OR to know what games you are playing. Steam is the best source for that or any analist can tell then what is popular.

"analist". Heh.

 

[Garrison72]

Brain Dance USA.

 

[nukeheal]

"analist". Heh.

Haha you got me.

 

[Sardukhar]

Brain Dance USA.

Getting closer. Soon, force-feedback suits.

Watch as Wisdom becomes an early adopter and then an addict. How ironic. I'll text him in fifteen years and ask him, "How are the cutscenes?"


Just found this:" Markus Persson ‏@notch

We were in talks about maybe bringing a version of Minecraft to Oculus. I just cancelled that deal. Facebook creeps me out."

 

[Garrison72]

Haha you got me.

Everyone has a talent.

I'm more concerned about Facebook linking my actions and info up to every sentient advertising being on the planet than what government aganecies would do. More than that, I see this as a possible squandered opportunity. But we'll have to wait and see what Zucky does I guess. I call 'im zucky cause were' pals. He lent me 10 grand the other day.

 

[blank_redge]

...hadn't considered the Kickstarter donors that got 'em off the ground to begin with.

Curious to see how this pans out.

 

[braindancer12]

good news! It means Oculus Rift is safe, with the deal the company can grow and become stronger. For Zuckerburg its one part of his big goal.....

 

[thewarsend]

Now it is certain oculus rift will suck and will be expensive.. It will suck because of all the ads, it will be expensive because of Zuckerberg..

Never trust a guy who screwed over his partners before..

 

[Sardukhar]

Now it is certain oculus rift will suck and will be expensive.. It will suck because of all the ads, it will be expensive because of Zuckerberg..

Never trust a guy who screwed over his partners before..

Sooo..if it doesn't suck, you'll admit Cop is a terrible Cyberpunk Role and you secretly always wanted to play Corporate and Rockerboy more?

Because, yeah. You know.

 

[braindancer12]

Never trust a guy who screwed over his partners before..

do you believe the movie?

 

[thewarsend]

do you believe the movie?

I never watched the movie, i have read an article or two about it..