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.00000000001% I would not
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Facebook has acquired Oculus VR for 2 Billion US Dollars
- Thread starter ShogunDarius
- Start date
.00000000001% I would not
So how many casuals will spend $1000+ upgrade to 'properly' use OR? Supporters of OR has been all about 'OR is superior because it uses superior hardware aka PC, and Sony's morpheus is POS since it uses inferior hardware'.
Let's see how OR can convince ppl to upgrade their computer with titan GPU.
Let's see how OR can convince ppl to upgrade their computer with titan GPU.
Wolfgunblood Garopa
Member
Notch and Owen Good are exactly right. It's a bit worse than bad form to pull the rug out from the backers to 'partner' with a monster like Facebook, especially considering that their innovation was the result of the good will of the most successful hardware crowdfunding ever.
Marauder Shields
Member
Well if VR is ever going to get casual appeal, this is probably it's best shot at it.
JJDinomite
Banned
2 billion to Facebook is pocket change. It's like 2 dollars to you or me. They probably bought them for patents.
the current investors gonna make out pretty big on this, not that some of them even need it. i'm not that pessimistic off the bat, have to see what the terms of the deal were what mr luckey has to say about the acquisition. maybe they gave such an amount of $$ plus favourable conditions to continue the project, pushing out the release of CV1. it's main market at the start is gonna be PC gaming, would be a drastic turnaround if that in any way changed.
good investment imo, even if seemingly overvalued. clearly they aren't the only ones who can see this tech making big waves in popular culture, changing things forever. CV1 is gonna be some immense hardware for the price. as long as we get that and the level is set, should be competition for the future at least. if it in any way messes things up before we get that, some kind of FB or online account requirement or BS stopping you using the hardware exactly how you like, then people have grounds to go crazy.
good investment imo, even if seemingly overvalued. clearly they aren't the only ones who can see this tech making big waves in popular culture, changing things forever. CV1 is gonna be some immense hardware for the price. as long as we get that and the level is set, should be competition for the future at least. if it in any way messes things up before we get that, some kind of FB or online account requirement or BS stopping you using the hardware exactly how you like, then people have grounds to go crazy.
SkeptiMism
Member
Needs a physics engine first for combat mode.
But 99% sure that it will go in a different direction.
When you haven't shipped a single commercial product and someone offers you $2 billion, yeah. You hold out for more. Because there's no way Oculus goes down in valuation after that. What would they be worth in a few years once there are killer apps for VR and they're the market leaders?
BINGO. It's a fucking display, people.
Yeah hardcore gaming is still the best way to cultivate the market initially, so I doubt anything will change in the short run. Maybe Facebook will lower the specs a bit and subsidize it, to make it get more mass market traction. Which, master race considerations aside, may actually be a pretty good idea.
What Oculus wants is irrelevant. They don't own the company any more. Facebook does.
If it doesn't have a launcher, how is it going to use Facebook's backend and payment API, as cited by Oculus themselves?
Valid. But this isn't an app or tech to share your own content, so while I'm skeptical about Facebook's abuse of personal information, I can't really see how it'll damage Oculus. But I'm afraid of it, yes.
Don't know enough about this to comment on
You're honestly not surprised that they did this, are you?
Sounds like something that should've happened anyway?
That's like saying "Headphones that I use for work are going to be even better for gaming! Because what do you really do? I talk into my headset at work, I talk into my headset when I game. So win/win!" Yes you don't need a gaming dedicated TV. But you do have a gaming dedicated graphics and sound card, just like people have gaming dedicated headphones.
IAmRandom31
Banned
People thinking nothing will change from this
WarMacheen
Member
Well Occulus, you almost had a good run.
CountAntonius
Member
Would they have been able to compete with a monster like Sony otherwise?
Until FB stats suing everybody for patent infringement.
I can play plenty of OR games on my Macbook.
Hardware will not be a real barrier to entry.
Mushroomer25
Member
A year from now, we'll see a retail Rift SKU & developers creating more VR experiences. That might not have happened without an acquisition.
I think the real shift is FIVE years from now. When Oculus is working on creating virtual versions of actual reality, and building a Ready Player One future.
KoopaTheCasual
Junior Member
Ok (btw, wasn't trying to condescend with my earlier comment, I was genuinely asking you). And idk, when the base 2-399 Dell unit's on board intel graphics card can outpace any Titan? That's when I think it will be viable
Outtrigger888
Member
Just like the tv is used to do more than its intended purpose of watching television. The oculus will be more than a VR for gaming and I think facebook sees that. And just like today the tv is still used to watch television the oculus will still be used for gaming. Hope that makes sense.
smokeandmirrors
Banned
Totally like how they shuttered their $1 billion Instagram investment for their own photo service.
MightyHedgehog
Member
Pretty interesting times and, man, someone got fucking paid.
At first I thought that it was an elaborate joke. Why the heck would Facebook buy Oculus VR? After I saw the official announcement, my faith in the project dropped. Whatever Facebook officially says doesn't matter. They have the money, so they will modify the project according to what they think it is best (and more profitable).
eot
Banned
My least favourite part.
He gave them $10k for a devkit and a chance to meet John Carmack.
That they got bought by Facebook doesn't change anything about the kickstarter.
You know what's funny..between you and me, you're the one going for hyperbole here lol
Let me break this down for you
I'm not saying they are going to 'ruin' OR or the product. I don't see the quality of the product getting affected
No need to explain why a company invests in another company. Human resources, expertise, patents etc etc all come in to play. So no need to keep drumming that same note either. It's basic knowledge
A large corporation investing such a large amount will do so only because it fits their own needs. It's not a charity. They won't let OR go unchecked with their work...don't be naive in thinking otherwise. They will want a good ROI afterall
The real major issue for core gamers is the division of priorities..and forgive me if I don't care much for PR statements by the companies involved. Heck even in PR we see mention of social aspect/experiences over and over again. Time will tell how it pans out but there is a real risk of their focus getting divided and gaming not getting as much attention as it should. Why would any company have blind faith in a new investment and not supervise it? Why wouldn't they set goals/targets for it? They will make certain OR team work towards meeting FB's goals as well
All I'm saying is being overly optimistic is being naive. There are very real potential risks involved with this for the core gamer.
I understand some comments are overly negative and dramatic...but this overly optimistic posts are just as silly
Okay, lack of profits sidelining the project is one possibility that I can accept, but even then, that's based on the performance of a product that hasn't yet been released. I see the worry there, but I think it's too early to start burning down the place over such a possibility.
As for the device being made cheaper in order to appeal to a wider base, I think the things he's suggesting the Rift would be used for would require it to be a top notch product, regardless of its uses in gaming. I mean, sure FB is about teh dollas, but I think getting shown up completely by the Morpheus/releasing a product that is completely neutered and underwhelming wouldn't be in their best interest.
I'm not trying to defend FB here, but I'm not convinced the sky is falling yet.
Betta Lines
Member
I hope Carmack completely ignores it and says something like 'made a breakthrough in low-persistence by re-calibrating the augmented quantum tunnels on there'
Everyone is doing sony's work for them this gen. I love it.
The motion sensing is not a "fucking display". It needs drivers and you need an SDK to interface with said drivers.
thunder_snail
Member
Rift was supposed to be the driver of VR industry. Big corporations like Sony don't take risks and rarely innovate stuff. It was OR that made lots of people start paying attention to VR and it was Oculus that started experimenting to see what really works and doesn't work well for VR experience at lower costs.
The problem is not about Rift by Facebook selling well.
Think about it this way. Would any technology in existence right now have reached this point if it wasn't the hardcore enthusiasts demanding more?
When it takes you about 3 years ( ? ) to deliver a fonctionnality you promised ( official modding API ) I can only aggree that you need a very ( very^1000 ) stable plaform.
Pardon me, but didn't OR people are the ones who saying PS4 OR is not possible because of hardware limitation (not powerful enough)?
I'm pretty sure PS4 is more powerful than your macbook. What is going on?
They already said they want to deliver and sell content, so I imagine they will have a virtual store.
If their hardware was exclusive to their store, they would not have been at Steam Dev days, and steam would not be working on VR implementation for Steam OS.
You and other panickers are graping at straws here...
I cannot speak of these "OR people" and your false sense of outrage, honestly.
Look at the OR demos currently and tell me they cannot run on a PS2.
All you need is a smooth experience, and you don't need Titanfall level graphics to be immersed.
SlowRevolution
Member
I wonder what Carmack thinks of all this.
odhiex
Member
Good move by Facebook, they are trying to expand the Rift in other areas of entertainment and non-entertainment (education, therapy, etc)
Bad news for hardcore gaming community... As you know, mostly they hated Facebook for the fair and unfair reasons.
For me, this is still a good news. As the Rift team has now have a lot of money for their R&D and the support from Facebook in mainstreaming the product to the masses.
Note: I hope Sony does the above too. As they were showing some collaboration with NASA last week.
I love that gaming is moving forward, but I also wanted VR revolutionize other areas as well.
Bad news for hardcore gaming community... As you know, mostly they hated Facebook for the fair and unfair reasons.
For me, this is still a good news. As the Rift team has now have a lot of money for their R&D and the support from Facebook in mainstreaming the product to the masses.
Note: I hope Sony does the above too. As they were showing some collaboration with NASA last week.
I love that gaming is moving forward, but I also wanted VR revolutionize other areas as well.
Fine Ham Abounds
Member
I think its pretty reasonable to speculate what someone like Facebook would want with VR, and that it'll probably suck about as much as everything Facebook does.
I also don't see what value this adds to the product for someone who will never use Facebook.
Premature would be assuming this will be the first thing Facebook doesn't screw up.
But I digress, certainly you are technically correct.
They might not care about just the money, but it certainly seems to be a significant factor.
If they were able to get $2 billion from FB, I'd expect they could have shopped around for a partner more conducive to the core vision in a similar price range.
I sort of agree. Facebook has no idea what they are doing, they are just willing to buy attention. Later, they will capitalize the only way they know how: with ads.
Did some quick searching and it seems you are right. So Facebook and Oculus Rift do seem to have plans beyond just hardware. The question is what do those plans consist of.
Elfforkusu
Member
I... don't see how this can both make sense for facebook and be a good thing.
Unless maybe it's the first step of their transition to a media/technology company?
Unless maybe it's the first step of their transition to a media/technology company?