Howdy, Stranger!
It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!
Quick Links
General: Occulus VR to be Purchased by Facebook
SBFord
Former Associate EditorMember LegendaryPosts: 33,129
Facebook has entered into a deal that would see the social networking giant purchase Occulus VR for approximately two billion dollars. According to Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg, Occulus VR is the gaming platform of tomorrow.
MENLO PARK, CALIF. – March 25, 2014 – Facebook today announced that it has reached a definitive agreement to acquire Oculus VR, Inc., the leader in immersive virtual reality technology, for a total of approximately $2 billion. This includes $400 million in cash and 23.1 million shares of Facebook common stock (valued at $1.6 billion based on the average closing price of the 20 trading days preceding March 21, 2014 of $69.35 per share). The agreement also provides for an additional $300 million earn-out in cash and stock based on the achievement of certain milestones.
Oculus is the leader in immersive virtual reality technology and has already built strong interest among developers, having received more than 75,000 orders for development kits for the company's virtual reality headset, the Oculus Rift. While the applications for virtual reality technology beyond gaming are in their nascent stages, several industries are already experimenting with the technology, and Facebook plans to extend Oculus’ existing advantage in gaming to new verticals, including communications, media and entertainment, education and other areas. Given these broad potential applications, virtual reality technology is a strong candidate to emerge as the next social and communications platform.
"Mobile is the platform of today, and now we’re also getting ready for the platforms of tomorrow," said Facebook founder and CEO, Mark Zuckerberg. "Oculus has the chance to create the most social platform ever, and change the way we work, play and communicate."
"We are excited to work with Mark and the Facebook team to deliver the very best virtual reality platform in the world," said Brendan Iribe, co-founder and CEO of Oculus VR. "We believe virtual reality will be heavily defined by social experiences that connect people in magical, new ways. It is a transformative and disruptive technology, that enables the world to experience the impossible, and it's only just the beginning."
Oculus will maintain its headquarters in Irvine, CA, and will continue development of the Oculus Rift, its ground-breaking virtual reality platform.
The transaction is expected to close in the second quarter of 2014.
Source: Facebook Press Release
Comments
If that happens, I certainly won't be going anywhere near an Oculus. I don't want anything to do with the greedy mess that is Zuckerberg and Facebook. What are they trying to accomplish? Find another way to throw their ads in people's faces? Maybe they'll program built-in subliminal imaging into each device... lol
What a joke.
My gaming blog
glad i saw this before i bothered ordering a dev kit to goof around with.
No way i'll go anywhere near this product now.
Occulus VR now with added biometric sensors. (gotta harvest as much data on you as possible its how we make our money!)
http://www.gamespot.com/articles/minecraft-developer-notch-cancels-oculus-vr-version-of-game-after-facebook-acquisition/1100-6418541/
Already eh, thats sad.
Same here. I could just puke. This is a very bad News.
It's all about money. Not to be "special" what OC was before.
*/spit*
Aerowyn's Video Compilation of ALL things Guild Wars 2
Why am I reminded of AOL buying Netscape?
AOL, after all, was not the world's biggest privacy and security risk.
I has a sad
While this may be good for VR in general I can't help but feel it's bad for gaming and what the Oculus might have done for it.
Hope I am wrong.....
Brenics ~ Just to point out I do believe Chris Roberts is going down as the man who cheated backers and took down crowdfunding for gaming.
Heh.. As someone who is more interested in the OR as a AR/VR tool for stuff like virtual enviorments then some fancy gaming tool this is good news. It means that a lot more money will be put in to development and much more resources will be dedicated to it.
This have been a good conversation
Agree! I wouldn't trust anything that p.o.s zuckerberg had his smawrmy hands on! Probably turn it into a brainwashing device, constant stream of subliminal's to your eyes and ears "post more cat pictures", "post more selfies"....
So long OR!
This crap will probably be chipped with Farmville built right into the hardware.
Such a great indy startup turned completely upside down...
This must be a real kick in the nutz for those who backed this on Kickstarter.
What are your other Hobbies?
Gaming is Dirt Cheap compared to this...
Exactly what i was thinking!
On the funnier side if Facebook is somehow integrated into this the amount of teenage girls walking into walls and trees while wearing this thing will be hilarious.
Whats next... Connecting this thing to a iPhone?
That's it, I am going old tech and getting a flip phone.
What are your other Hobbies?
Gaming is Dirt Cheap compared to this...
SWTOR Referral Bonus!
Referral link
7 day subscriber level access
Returning players get 1 free server transfer
Leveling assistance items given to new player!
See all perks Here
- - "What if the hokey pokey really is what it's all about?" - -
Project Morpheus just got alot better looking and Sony doesn't even have to say anything about it.
Remember kids - just say no to facebook
I can see it now - bunch of old ladys sitting around with vr headsets playing candy crush - Ouch Flo, I think I just put my neck out, Oh Ruth you always say that, can you put a pillow under my feet, my cankles are acting up.
This is how I feel right now