• Hey Guest. Check out your NeoGAF Wrapped 2025 results here!

Facebook has acquired Oculus VR for 2 Billion US Dollars

Holy shit this thread. Surprised GAF hasn't gone down.

iogOJA3IXCxdP.gif
 
Team,

As you may have heard this morning, Oculus has agreed to join Facebook.

Facebook shares our vision for connecting a billion people through virtual reality with the power of shared presence.

Oculus will continue to operate independently. We’re staying Oculus, we’re still building the Oculus Rift, our email addresses are remain @oculusvr.com, and most importantly, our hoodies will still say Oculus.

By partnering with Facebook, we’ll be able to build a better product with zero compromises and a focus on growth. We’ll also be investing more heavily in made-for-VR content and exploring other opportunities to accelerate our vision.

In broad strokes, here are a few key points to consider for the long-term strategy:

1. We’re able to tap into Facebook’s experience and backend systems for our platform services. As an added bonus, Oculus now has a rock solid, global payments solution.
2. We’ll be able to leverage Facebook’s recruiting infrastructure, including hiring engineers from within Facebook, to supercharge our recruiting.
3. We can afford to always make the decision that is right for virtual reality and our customers in the long term – we don’t have to make short term compromises.
4. We’re going to invest in additional partnerships to build the best product and platform.

I’ll meet with everyone individually over the next few days to discuss what this means in terms of integration. In the meantime, know that things couldn’t be better.

No team, ever, has had a better shot at delivering on the dream of virtual reality. This will be the team that solves the hardest problems and delivers the final platform. We need you now, more than ever, to go out and find the very best engineers in the world to help us deliver the final platform, the Holodeck.

This is a truly special moment. The work we’ve done has captured the world’s attention and changed the perception of the medium forever. This partnership is a huge affirmation of everything we’ve done. Congratulations, guys.

Now, let’s get back to changing the world.

– Brendan

http://www.oculusvr.com/blog/letter-to-the-team-from-brendan-iribe/
Click to expand...
Best thing that could happen to VR.
 
So, hardcore gaming audience funds gaming peripheral only to have it sold to a company that will most likely not cater to that audience... Gotta love Kickstarter.
 
VillageBC said:
Here's the Facebook of the future... Might not be called Facebook by then.

Virtual homepage to hang out with all your "friends"
Virtual attendance at nickelback conference.
Telecommuting now will actual involve you sitting in a virtual cubicle.
Facebook version of Netflix/hulu
Premiere movie releases virtual style
Evening inundated with likes and endorsements.
Click to expand...

Hey, that's Home!
 
Briarios said:
I saw a very similar sort of argument being made by some people when BioWare was acquired by EA. How'd that turn out? Oculus is Facebook now - they were purchased. Over time, their culture will become the same as Facebook's -- that's how it works and how it always works. If you think there will be no changes, no realignment of priorities, you're insane.

This is from the Forbes article:

That includes $400 million in cash and 23.1 million shares of Facebook stock. There’s also an additional $300 million potential earn-out in cash and stock based on “the achievement of certain milestones.”

Who do you think set those milestones? Facebook! They're already driving the direction of the company from day 1. This is now the FB show. Get used to it.
Click to expand...

Exactly

Septimius said:
This would be comparable if Facebook already did VR, like EA already did games. FB doesn't know VR, and can't say anything about it. They're not where they are today by thinking they can steamroll companies that are doing something great. This is basic business. Facebook believes this is the future, and they want to be in on it. If they buy this, then steamroll the operations, it would go as people predict. Luckily, Facebook doesn't even begin to think they know what to do with a VR company, which is why they'll be left able to do what they do, because it is proven that what they do is amazing and gains more and more traction for every day.
Click to expand...

This is just so naive. You damn better believe they will have a lot to say about their new 2 billion investment. You are basically taking some imaginary stance where you know what's going through the minds of FB higher ups and apparently they don't know much so they will let OR do whatever they want....lol

Also stop quoting yourself
 
Mindwipe said:
I envisage a proprietary connection API that requires a licence from Facebook to develop software on, and contains Facebook's standard terms and conditions. Nothing that will bring them into "disrepute". Nothing that features a breast. Facebook retain the right to arbitrarily pull any content at any time for any reason. Facebook to retain the right to access any and all data generated by the rift at any time for any reason.
Click to expand...

Do you honestly think this will happen, and in time for CV1? This is so far-fetched to me.
 
Isn't this a big influx of cash for OR devs to fully realize their creation? It doesn't have to work with FB, but it might give them access to important IPs and a foot in the door of what might be the new revolution in multimedia. Seems like a good investment, if OR can come to market smoothly. PEACE.
 
DJSebolski said:
So you would not take 2 billion? Is that what you are saying? Please....
Click to expand...

2 Billion isn't cool. You know what's cool?

I'm just glad Gaben didn't take those big cash offers that people were flashing at him.

Now Valve is poised to be the largest entertainment company this century.
 
-COOLIO- said:
these threads are definitely gaf at it's worse, but you have to take it for what it is. just enjoy the craziness and dont worry about convincing anyone of anything. at the end of the day, occulus rift will live and die by it's final product. im confident that OR is on right track, some people aren't. so be it. we'll still get to enjoy OR at the end of the day.
Click to expand...

Yes you will get to enjoy OR some day.

You will just have to log into Facebook first.
 
Alienous said:
Mostly I guess I'm annoyed at Palmer selling out.

In time, perhaps, he would've been standing next to Zuckerberg, not under him, with his name being touted as bringing about the VR revolution.
Click to expand...

palmer seems to me like someone that just wants to have vr out there and done right, and i think that's precisely why they went with facebook. he doesn't have a big ego and he didn't care about the obvious backlash this would get from tech enthusiasts, because he has a vision and that's what matters most.

i respect that dude a lot.
 
fade_ said:
Maybe not at first but you have to be the least bit wary that they'll try to do nefarious things with it once they have a nice healthy install base.
Click to expand...

Wary of it in the same way we should be wary of any company who gains power. I would say we should be just as wary of Oculus if they got the instal base without Facebook.
 
thunder_snail said:
Price of manufacturing VR equipment. Cost vs Price. Oculus has always been about raising the quality and lowering the price. If you really think Facebook will be about raising the quality AND lowering the price, you're being naive. VR will have to improve even more than what it is now for better gaming experience. Do you honestly think Facebook is about that?
Click to expand...
Facebook are going to let them finish what they started, and then continue to support the future of VR in general. I don't think they're going to raise the quality, I don't think they're going to lower it. They're just going to support them. Oculus are both a hardware and a software company. Facebook's resources gives them more help on the software side. I doubt Facebook already had VR hardware specialists that are going to come in and ruin everything. They've bought the VR hardware specialists. They were working at Oculus, and will continue to do so.
 
Has anyone seen the movie "Gamer" where they have that hugely popular VR Social Network place where their actual world is shit, so they just escape into a VR world that's basically a utopia? That's how I see this going
 
-SD- said:
http://www.oculusvr.com/blog/letter-to-the-team-from-brendan-iribe/
Click to expand...

So, for people who don't think this is bad:

1. We’re able to tap into Facebook’s experience and backend systems for our platform services. As an added bonus, Oculus now has a rock solid, global payments solution.
Click to expand...

Why does Oculus need a payment solution?

How dumb do you have to be at this point not to spot that all payments for anything on Facebook will be required to go through the Facebook payment API?

Have you ever read the terms and conditions of the Facebook payment API?
 
This is so random.

There's not many people that would have turned down 2 billion dollars and now we know that VR definitely has a future. As to what that future holds, I have no idea. Only time will tell if OR's dedication to gaming stay's true.

Still......Facebook though
 
2 billion really?? And that was a smart decision? Seems like a real waste of resources spending that much money... guess they must know something we don't or they made the biggest miscalculation of their lives!
 
Stumpokapow said:
(posted this in the Steam thread but more general audience here)

I think it's a great buy for a Facebook and a great sell for Oculus and I'm not sure why people are upset here. For reference, I have a Facebook account but don't post anything or use Facebook.
Click to expand...

I think the people who are expressing negativity are the ones who won't be affected. Its the masses who usually walk blindly into corporations' arms and are the ones who will be most affected. I mean its Facebook for christ sake they make money from selling you shite you don't need. It just adds that FB taint. That NSA taint. Facebook VR.
 
Dennis said:
lol not sure if trolling or stupid.
Click to expand...

Trolling.

And he's right. This puts a massive dent in the already shaky credibility of large scale kickstarter projects.

Those funders just put their money towards a project that in all likelihood will not fulfill what they wanted OR to become.
 
many kickstarter backers on twitter and other forum are very upset about this. I feel for them since after all they what made this device possible with their early support and having faith in the project just for a billionaire to buy the entire thing now.
 
The reactions to Notch's tweet are just fucking hilarious "Fuck you for having principals! What kind of developer are you, not going where the big money is. Lol, we all know the best way to develop a game is to do things you don't want to do"
 
Oh no. This literally ruined my day. As someone who's been in love with the VR idea, FOR GAMING, Rift is now dead in said regard. I have legitimate reasons to doubt this is for the best, just like others here. It'll help Rift in non-entertainment sectors, but for gaming especially its dead.

Well hopefully this news will push Sony to make Morpheous available for use on PC. They can really capitalize on this news. Its funny though how for many Sony is back as the white knight for gaming. Who knows what valve is doing with their VR.

Some of the dev/pub reactions have been interesting, can't wait to see more.

Your move Sony.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Savvy Games acquires Mobile Legends developer Moonton for $6 billion
6
191
panda-zebra replied
Super Game: Sega's mysterious billion-dollar project.
2
59
901
Hudo replied
National Videogame Museum USA Has Acquired A "Mythical" Nintendo PlayStation (Sony MSF-1)
Retro Hardware 
1
170
cartman414 replied
The Story of Nintendo Billion-Dollar Hollywood Pivot
Opinion Trailer Game Dev 
7
240
NotMyProblemAnymoreCunt replied
[Arab 'insider]: Ubisoft Has Been Acquired by 'someone'
2 3
129
1K
MDSLKTR replied
Top Bottom