So, you all heard about Facebook buying Oculus Rift right? I considered doing an article last night, but I decided to let my own and everyone else's hot heads cool down a bit.
You should all know my thoughts on VR by now, I don't like it and it is as simple as that. I don't want to strap some big ugly device to my face and block out anyone else in the room to play a game. I don't know anyone else if my own circle that want to either regardless of what platform they game on, they simply don't want to.
Anyway, Facebook has purchased Oculus VR for 2 BILLION DOLLARS and a wave of developers have already cancelled their Oculus Rift games.
Oculus' own blog comments say it all, their first and top voted comment is:
QuoteDO NOT WANT.
That is the first comment you can see on it.
It has led figures such as Notch to outright cancel Minecraft on the Rift:
We were in talks about maybe bringing a version of Minecraft to Oculus. I just cancelled that deal. Facebook creeps me out.
— Markus Persson (@notch) March 25, 2014
A funny fact is that John Carmack who previously worked for id Software (Doom, Quake, Rage) moved to Oculus VR, he now works for Facebook because of it.
For the record, I am coding right now, just like I was last week.I expect the FB deal will avoid several embarrassing scaling crisis for VR.
— John Carmack (@ID_AA_Carmack) March 26, 2014
Sadly though, this won't mean much as their entire indie "cred" has vanished with the announcement. Facebook is interested in gaining users and monetizing them and nothing more. Selling VR kits to gamers will not be even close to the top of their "things to do with Oculus" list.
Simon Roth, the developer of Maia put it quite well:
Imagine how crap their Kickstarter backers must feel. Gave them all that cash just to line their pockets with a tech bubble style sell out.
Simon Roth (@SimoRoth) March 25, 2014
His comments also align with Notch's blog post where notch stated:
NotchAnd I did not chip in ten grand to seed a first investment round to build value for a Facebook acquisition.
Say goodbye to VR as we knew it, or rather as we didn't know it since the consumer devices weren't even out yet.
Oculus needs to do some major damage control.
Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
Quoting: the futureif partnering with Facebook
No, stop right there. They are not "partnering" with Facebook; that's PR bullshit. They have been bought by Facebook.
Facebook has no obligation to keep the team together, to keep doing Oculus stuff, to do anything. For all we know, they just bought Oculus to get hire the team (and/or especialyl Carmack). They have done that in the past, they bought companies and then moved the people to work on Facebook; the service the original company provided ceased to exist.
And even if they keep the team working on VR, there's no reason to assume it'll be anywhere near what the original Oculus Rift mission was. In fact, it would be damn right naive to assume that.
Quoting: the futurehelps them out then we need to give them the chance to prove this was the correct decision.
From a cynical, capitalistic perspective, this might have been the correct decision. The people at Oculus made a quick buck, the original Kickstarter supported and developers be damned.
Quoting: the futurehttp://www.gamespot.com/articles/why-you-shouldn-t-worry-about-facebook-buying-oculus-rift/1100-6418545/
Yes, just like what was said for, for example, Beluga, which, oh wonder, was shut down a few months later when the original team was moved to work on Facebook Messenger.
It's like everyone has amnesia or something. Just look at what great new stuff they created after they aquired Storylane; or drop.io. What, nothing, you say? Oh, right.
Google would have probably paid more, and given them full creative license. Not to mention that even if Google has lost their indie cred, they still have a fair amount of tech cred.
Quoting: ruediixHonestly, if they wanted to do a tech-bubble era sell-out, they should have gone with Google.
Google would have probably paid more, and given them full creative license. Not to mention that even if Google has lost their indie cred, they still have a fair amount of tech cred.
Google probably wasn't going to offer nearly as much, because Google already has in-house talent for doing VR stuff. I assume that's why they went with Facebook for the acquisition :(
if partnering with Facebook
No, stop right there. They are not "partnering" with Facebook; that's PR bullshit. They have been bought by Facebook.
Yes and no they have and haven't first of the deal hasn't gone through yet but that is to little concern because it will still most likely go through. second they will still be operating independently from facebook as far as we have been told facebook is more of a bank that will let them hire more people and try new things with VR for now this could change in the future.
the future
helps them out then we need to give them the chance to prove this was the correct decision.
From a cynical, capitalistic perspective, this might have been the correct decision. The people at Oculus made a quick buck, the original Kickstarter supported and developers be damned.
first of all they still are a business and if they are in it to make a quick buck but you can't get mad they are a company but i don't see it like that and in the end its all about how you view it. to me it seems like they are taking this seriously the money they got from kickstarter was a good thing and they could have made a final product with that money however it will most likely have been worse than the one they will release now however we cannot truly know. but because of this deal they can now
1 get custom parts for these devices not spare parts so price will drop for the consumer and the overall ability of the finished product will go up
2 have the ability to experiment more with VR technology and try new things which is good for us in the end.
3 hire new people to speed up development
4 the past isn't a window to the future just because facebook has messed up in the past doesn't mean that they will in the future(almost all companies mess up so you can't take it out on the companies).
5 when and if facebook messes up then you can jump on the fuck you facebook train and trust me i will be there too but you can't jump on the train at this point because its way too early to see what will happen
Yes, just like what was said for, for example, Beluga, which, oh wonder, was shut down a few months later when the original team was moved to work on Facebook Messenger.
It's like everyone has amnesia or something. Just look at what great new stuff they created after they aquired Storylane; or drop.io. What, nothing, you say? Oh, right.
just like i said the past is not a window for the future we can't assume nothing will come of it until it does then we can storm the facebook headquarters
Quoting: The Futuresecond they will still be operating independently from facebook
So they claim. I don't believe a word of it.
Quoting: The Futurefacebook is more of a bank
Seriously? That's naive bullshit.
And if they wanted to do that, they could just have lended them money / invested in their company.
Quoting: The Futurefirst of all they still are a business
Facebook is. Oculus isn't anymore.
Quoting: The Futureif they are in it to make a quick buck but you can't get mad they are a company
Oh hell I can get mad.
Politically, I'm pretty far left, sympathising with communism even. Just take a guess what I think of people making a quick buck to the detriment of others.
Quoting: The Futurethe past isn't a window to the future just because facebook has messed up in the past doesn't mean that they will in the future
What. the. hell.
Let me get this straight:
A person or a company messes up 1000 times, and at the 1001st time, you would still let it do as it pleases because "the past isn't a window to the future"?
Are in the habit of wiring Nigerian princes your money? Do you answer those mails that promise you a easy work-at-home jobs that $5000 a week? When someone in the street tries to sell you a "genuine" Rolex, do you buy it?
Quoting: The Futurewhen and if facebook messes up then you can jump on the fuck you facebook train
They have already messed up. A lot of times. If, this time, they behave, it would be an exception, not the rule.
Quoting: The Futurei will be there too
Yes, you will be the rube who just paid $1000 for a $5 fake Rolex.
That you're suspicious of the person running away with your money then won't help anyone.
Quoting: The Futurejust like i said the past is not a window for the future
Bullshit. Past behaviour is a very good predictor for future behaviour.
A partner hitting you is a severe red flag that this person is abusive and that you should get the hell away from them. A person with a history of not paying back borrowed money is not something you should lend more to. You probably shouldn't leave a dry alcoholic alone when they're depressed or stressed.
The same holds true for companies. When a company known for abusing patent law buys a certain patent, you should watch out.
No doubt Spock would deem the selling to Bookface as a logical choice, yet as we proved to him in countless episodes, logic does not always dictate the greater outcome.
I can see great harm coming to the ability of any such future endeavours of this sort on kickstarter.
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