Facebook Buys Oculus, Virtual Reality Gaming Startup, For $2 Billion

[bdreason]

Facebook literally buying their competition. Lol. Virtual gaming is the next big thing.

Facebook isn't interested in virtual gaming. They are going to take the tech and use it for some gimmick social media shit. Can't really blame the developers for selling out for 2 billion though, anyone would. Sucks for all those people who invested in the kickstarter though.

[treadster]

What would facebook even gain from buying the oculus?

[bdreason]

What would facebook even gain from buying the oculus?

They just want to own the technology / patent. If VR blows up, for hardcore gaming, or social gaming, or p0rn, or whatever... Facebook will have their hands all over it. The way Facebook has been throwing around stock-based buyouts lately makes me think their cash cow isn't producing like it used to.

[Dresta]

Its amazing how much money Facebook constantly invests in things that make humanity dumber. Not that its their fault, the people love it and the investment pays off.


Humanity is so silly doe.

Their business plan does appear to be something along the lines of 'what else can we create that will give human beings something inane to pointlessly fritter their time away on.'

The more inane, the greater the success.

[El Kabong]

didn't they fund this first through kickstarter?

Yep, and there's tons of people canceling their pre-orders now because of this (Reddit is outraged. OUTRAGED!). There were rumours that the guy didn't want to sell, but they started to get word about Sony's Morpheus project being a competitor, so sold out to Facebook to guarantee they made money off their invention, rather than going solo and potentially running head to head with a giant company.

[-p.tiddy-]

that's really amazing that they went from Kickstarter to $2B...

[The Iron Sheik]

Dudes acting like VR wouldn't be tight as shit

yeah virtual farmville would be the shit.

[Dresta]

Dudes acting like VR wouldn't be tight as shit

We're talking about facebook here. Not tight: lame.

[nightprowler10]

yeah virtual farmville would be the shit.

OR would be amazing for proper gaming though. It has already been tested with a handful of games.

[The Iron Sheik]

OR would be amazing for proper gaming though. It has already been tested with a handful of games.

not on facebook's watch. they're just buying up shit to try and parachute their inevitable implosion.

basically, OR won't be primarily for gaming with facebook.

[oarabbus]

We're talking about facebook here. Not tight: lame.

Have you seen the Rift technology? Facebook is just going to own the company, not control the engineering R&D. It still has the potential to be amazing.

[-p.tiddy-]

guys, as already mentioned in here Sony is developing a competitor that FB can't ruin

Sony also happens to make the Playstation...so this tech hasn't yet been ruined for us I don't think

[nightprowler10]

basically, OR won't be primarily for gaming with facebook.

Like tiddy says though, Sony is making their own, so FB can't afford to ruin this tech. And even if they do, we'll have alternatives.

[The Iron Sheik]

Like tiddy says though, Sony is making their own, so FB can't afford to ruin this tech. And even if they do, we'll have alternatives.

i knew never said VR gaming was dead. it's just that it's all up to sony now. OR looked very promising. it's just disappointment.

[nightprowler10]

Haha, I was pretty sad at the news myself but then talked myself into being optimistic again.