Oculus Rift: Good news and bad news

Nick Mertes 17 Mar, 2013 at 1:57pm ET Article published in Tech

The folks at Oculus VR sent a message to everyone who pre-ordered a Rift developer kit and it contains some good news and some (mildly) bad news.

The good news is the first batch of kits is almost ready to ship. Kickstarter backers have been notified they have around 24 hours to verify their shipping address.

The bad news is that DOOM 3 BFG Edition’s Oculus Rift support won’t be ready in time for the shipping date and, as such, the game will not be included with the developer kit. The game was planned as an included technology demonstration with shipping Rift kits, but apparently there is a bit more tweaking that needs to be done before the VR scarefest can commence.

Knowing their customers would be disappointed, the folks at Oculus VR have given backers three options to make up for the disappointment:

$20 Steam Wallet credit
$25 Oculus Store credit
Full refund of the Oculus Rift pledge

The Steam credit is (by no coincidence, I’m sure) the same cost as DOOM 3 BFG edition, meaning a purchase of the game still won’t cost backers anything. Of course if a backer already has the game, it ends up as a free $20 credit. The Oculus store credit is nice, but right now there isn’t an Oculus VR store. Once it does open it will include things like t-shirts, developer kits, and a latency tester for software developers. Of course if you are an all-or-nothing type, you can simply get your money back and find a way to live without the Rift. I seriously doubt anyone will take this option but, hey, the internet is a strange place sometimes.

In other news, the teams at Oculus VR, Meteor, and Adhesive are hard at work to make sure Hawken’s support is top notch. The action-oriented ‘mech combat game is expected to have full support for the Rift at launch.

And finally, two very interesting projects have been underway for some time now to expand game support for the Oculus Rift through drivers. The Vireio and vorpX projects both use drivers to add Rift support to specific games which do not natively support the HMD. Vireio is open source and available now, while vorpX is commercial and currently unreleased.

Comments

17 Mar 2013 ~ 2:53pm NiGHTS It'll be very interesting to see how the Rift turns out - seems like it certainly has the eyes of every developer at the moment.
17 Mar 2013 ~ 4:13pm RWB This is just speculation but seeing that I doubt for many reasons that this will end up vaporware or lay to waste for most other systems as the mind control devices I've seen, I can't help but think of future revisions that incorporate these extra features and finally becoming successful since you already have this strapped to your head. Combined with possible success on the Google glasses front technology like this is going to be insane 5 years from now. I don't expect miracles, but with refinements in latency overall, speed, weight, etc.... ohhh my.

I just hope they don't increase the price, $300 for a dev kit is fine... and I'd be willing to shell out up to $300 for such a device when it's ready. But no matter how awesome it is, that cost will still hurt something fierce.
17 Mar 2013 ~ 6:32pm mertesn
It'll be very interesting to see how the Rift turns out - seems like it certainly has the eyes of every developer at the moment.
I'll tell you soon after they arrive
17 Mar 2013 ~ 6:35pm mertesn
This is just speculation but seeing that I doubt for many reasons that this will end up vaporware or lay to waste for most other systems as the mind control devices I've seen, I can't help but think of future revisions that incorporate these extra features and finally becoming successful since you already have this strapped to your head. Combined with possible success on the Google glasses front technology like this is going to be insane 5 years from now. I don't expect miracles, but with refinements in latency overall, speed, weight, etc.... ohhh my.

I just hope they don't increase the price, $300 for a dev kit is fine... and I'd be willing to shell out up to $300 for such a device when it's ready. But no matter how awesome it is, that cost will still hurt something fierce.
The consumer version is supposed to cost somewhere between $200-300 and have improved resolution (1920x1080 vs 1280x800). Their goal is to have the consumer version ready with a bunch of supported games by year's end or early next year. It wouldn't surprise me at all to see a major announcement at CES if they can't make a holiday release this year.
18 Mar 2013 ~ 11:06am Cliff_Forster Virtual reality headset's were a novel idea in 1990. Anyone see the "Lawnmower Man". Seriously people, this was the vision of the future over two decades ago. There have been numerous attempts to make it practical for content consumption. There is one arcade machine that had some success porting over PC games to work in VR. It's neat, but after you have had it on your head for ten minutes, you are kinda done with it.

It's an idea that's come and gone. One has never been commercially successful at home because it's unpleasant to wear, it's field of vision trick is kinda neat for a bit, but it messes with the way your eyes work, it's a neat trick, but not something you want to endure for hours at a time. I know John Carmack has praised the Oculus Rift saying that it's lighter, it's refresh rate was good enough not to strain your eyes badly, and I would have been impressed if we were talking about this ten years ago, you know, when PC gamers still cared what John Carmack thought.

I'm always right about consumer electronics. This will fail miserably. It's market dried up in 1995.
18 Mar 2013 ~ 11:29am mertesn
Virtual reality headset's were a novel idea in 1990. Anyone see the "Lawnmower Man". Seriously people, this was the vision of the future over two decades ago. There have been numerous attempts to make it practical for content consumption. There is one arcade machine that had some success porting over PC games to work in VR. It's neat, but after you have had it on your head for ten minutes, you are kinda done with it.

It's an idea that's come and gone. One has never been commercially successful at home because it's unpleasant to wear, it's field of vision trick is kinda neat for a bit, but it messes with the way your eyes work, it's a neat trick, but not something you want to endure for hours at a time. I know John Carmack has praised the Oculus Rift saying that it's lighter, it's refresh rate was good enough not to strain your eyes badly, and I would have been impressed if we were talking about this ten years ago, you know, when PC gamers still cared what John Carmack thought.

I'm always right about consumer electronics. This will fail miserably. It's market dried up in 1995.
I have no illusions that this won't likely be on everyone's desks in two years as a required device, but it's a better implementation than anyone has brought out. Ever.

But to directly counter your argument, the reason nearly every 3D gaming implementation has failed is software support. You can have the most amazing hardware ever, but if software support from third parties isn't there, you will fail. This is why I think you're very much wrong about the Rift failing miserably. Current games are being updated with support for the Rift. Upcoming games have support built in. The best part? It doesn't look like the studios may not even need to do anything to add support. The vorpX project claims support for 50 games - that's the number they've actually tested, with a bunch more likely to work. The Vireio project has a number of titles working as well, though they seem to be more of a case-by-case basis.

So let's quantify your claim so it can be proven or disproven: What are your requirements for the Oculus Rift to be classified a miserable failure? Over 10,000 developer kits have been sold - and not all went to developers.

edit: I realize the last paragraph came off as argumentative. My intent was discussion.
18 Mar 2013 ~ 12:05pm Cliff_Forster I'm completely fine with argumentative.

To be successful I think it would have to establish an adoption level that changes how people want to game. How do we quantify that? Let's put it this way. I know hundreds of PC gamers in person and online. Of all of them I only know one that endorses playing games in stereoscopic 3D. How long's that been available? About two or so years now? I'd say that makes it a failure in the consumer space, it's neat technology, but it's not changing anything.

That's what I see here. I'm sure it will be a cool piece of tech, but if it does not change how most people want to play, then I'd say it's a failure. If I'd just prefer to sit there looking at my regular ole monitor with my mouse and keyboard, then the Oculus Rift did not do what it set out to accomplish, which is to change how people game.

The Nintendo Wii. That changed how people wanted to play games. It expanded the market for games, that equals success.

The Virtual Boy, that was a failure and the Oculus Rift will be too. People just don't want to strap something to their head so they can play a video game. It's not that it won't be cool, I bet it will be a neat gadget, but when consumers have the choice, they will play the same way they have been for years.
18 Mar 2013 ~ 12:14pm midga A bunch of people have told me anecdotes are great statistical evidence.
18 Mar 2013 ~ 2:48pm NiGHTS Wii had great sales numbers, agreed. That's about it, though. I still don't want to flail my arms and hands around to play games, and it appears most others don't, either. Wiis collect dust, and WiiU's novelty seems to have worn off.
18 Mar 2013 ~ 3:05pm Cliff_Forster My point is that the Wii created a novelty that changed gaming. Some may love it, others may hate it, but it's changed how many choose to interact with games. It had mass market appeal. It was accepted by consumers.

The Oculus Rift has uber geek appeal. No denying it, but Joe Blow home PC gamer will not care. It's a $300 novelty gadget. It will not gain mass acceptance.
18 Mar 2013 ~ 5:53pm mertesn Yes, the Wii's controllers changed how people interact with one console - two if you include the Wii U. But we're not talking about consoles. We're talking about PC hardware. And yes, in that space there has been little to truly revolutionize the gaming experience since the mouse. But success doesn't require mass acceptance. It only requires the acceptance of the target audience. Take flight controls for example. A great number of flight sim fans simply will not play a flight sim without those controllers. They don't make up a significant percentage of the mass market, and yet the devices appeal to their target audience. They are a success.

Let's keep in mind the Rift's target audience: it ain't Joe Blow home PC gamer. It's definitely targeted at the high-end gamer. Those gamers, and the developers who target those gamers, are the people who funded the Kickstarter. Those gamers are the ones who will buy the finished product. Those gamers are the ones who will make the Rift a success. Right now the Rift is a $300 novelty gadget to non-developers. I won't deny that. But when the final product comes out, I believe it'll do quite well... especially as more people experience it.

Your use of the Virtual Boy's failure to predict the Rift's failure is akin to using the Hindenburg to predict the future of space exploration. The Virtual Boy was a self-contained console that failed because it was an uncomfortable piece of equipment that sat on a table forcing its users into awkward positions to play. The Rift is a display device that sits comfortably on the users head and allows the user full interactive freedom.
18 Mar 2013 ~ 6:33pm Cliff_Forster Let me word my argument in the most delicate way I know how. I believe the target market is high end PC gamers who have given up on ever getting laid. Seriously, who is going to sit around wearing this thing? I know nerd acceptance has come a long way, but man.... This is not happening.
18 Mar 2013 ~ 7:49pm mertesn
Let me word my argument in the most delicate way I know how. I believe the target market is high end PC gamers who have given up on ever getting laid.
And I'm done discussing this with you. You've sunk to insults.
18 Mar 2013 ~ 7:52pm mertesn Just announced: Official Team Fortress 2 support for the Rift will be available this week.
18 Mar 2013 ~ 8:02pm Thrax OCZ NIA.

Razer Hydra.

Novint Falcon.

PistolMouse.

Razer Artemis.

Leap Motion.

TrackIR 5 Head Tracker.

Peregrine Gaming Glove.

Razer Sixense.

Oculus Rift?

soon.jpg
18 Mar 2013 ~ 9:05pm NiGHTS
My point is that the ~~Wii~~ Rift created a novelty that changed gaming. Some may love it, others may hate it, but it's changed how many choose to interact with games.
Exactly.

I'm not saying it's going to kick ass, and I don't necessarily disagree with anything your saying - save for the bravado quips about sex - but few felt the Wii would change much when it was first released.

The large, glaring difference between the two is who the target market is.
18 Mar 2013 ~ 11:02pm CB 1987 called. Somebody made off with their 'geeks don't get laid' stereotype, and they're wondering if we've seen it around.
19 Mar 2013 ~ 12:33am Canti

IT'S LIKE I'M REALLY IN 1995!

I can't seriously see this technology catching on in anything other than the cockpit of a Metal Gear.

We haven't invented those yet.
19 Mar 2013 ~ 5:29am Ilriyas Not going to lie, I would wear the shit out of those for a Mechwarrior game.
19 Mar 2013 ~ 6:21am Cliff_Forster I did not intend to offend anyone. Being serious for a second. The "cool" factor is going to be part of the consumer equation. The bottom line is most people have some semblance of vanity. This device is not good for your vanity. I understand what you all are trying to say about a niche market. I'm telling you there are very few people that will pay for this experience. I'm not saying it's not a cool little piece of technology. I'm just telling you it will fail commercially because it just doesn't understand people. People are vain, very few go out of their way to look that awkward.
19 Mar 2013 ~ 10:15am Thrax As a marketing person (lololo arguing from credentials), I see one other huge obstacle:

This is not an experience that can be intuitively communicated. It must be experienced to be fully understood. That is a crushingly massive hurdle for a technology.
19 Mar 2013 ~ 10:33am mertesn
As a marketing person (lololo arguing from credentials), I see one other huge obstacle:

This is not an experience that can be intuitively communicated. It must be experienced to be fully understood. That is a crushingly massive hurdle for a technology.
Too true.

I'll have my dev kit in the next few weeks (hopefully), so there should be a demo station set up for Expo.
19 Mar 2013 ~ 12:25pm Cliff_Forster It's not polite to hurl on your host's floor. Have a bucket ready.

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2012-09-05-oculus-rift-impressions-its-amazing-until-it-makes-you-want-to-hurl
19 Mar 2013 ~ 12:40pm mertesn
It's not polite to hurl on your host's floor. Have a bucket ready.

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2012-09-05-oculus-rift-impressions-its-amazing-until-it-makes-you-want-to-hurl
If you tend to get motion sickness, it could be a problem. I was fine after my demonstration time.
19 Mar 2013 ~ 4:19pm _k Updates to Team Fortress 2 March 19th 14:10

Team Fortress 2
Added support for running VR mode on the Oculus Rift
19 Mar 2013 ~ 6:03pm ardichoke

IT'S LIKE I'M REALLY IN 1995!

I can't seriously see this technology catching on in anything other than the cockpit of a Metal Gear.

We haven't invented those yet.
If they release a Metal Gear game that is compatible with these where you get to play as a Metal Gear pilot, I will totally buy them and play the shit out of that game.
19 Mar 2013 ~ 11:09pm Bandrik
People are vain, very few go out of their way to look that awkward.
I seriously doubt anyone using these will care about what they look like from the perspective of others, as long as they're enjoying the personal experience they're getting. It's not even something you use with others around, so who'd see you that matters?

Any argument about the gadget's sex appeal is bogus. It's a device you use by yourself when enjoying virtual ~~porn~~ reality games.
20 Mar 2013 ~ 12:54am BobbyDigi Funders of the kickstarter and those who preorder the dev kit before April first get a Hat...
20 Mar 2013 ~ 11:35am Cliff_Forster
People are vain, very few go out of their way to look that awkward.
I seriously doubt anyone using these will care about what they look like from the perspective of others, as long as they're enjoying the personal experience they're getting. It's not even something you use with others around, so who'd see you that matters?

Any argument about the gadget's sex appeal is bogus. It's a device you use by yourself when enjoying virtual ~~porn~~ reality games.
Let me preface this, I sent a PM to Nick the other day to apologize, if I did offend anyone with my "hope of getting laid" comment, I sincerely apologize. I was just playing, and looking to keep the conversation going because I do enjoy a little conflict from time to time.

That said, being 100% serious now.

People are vain. Look at Apple, the richest gadget company in the world. We would all agree Apple has done a better job marketing gadgets than any other company in recent memory, would we not? I have quantitative evidence to support that if we need it? Is Apple's technology exceptional compared to their rivals? Not really, it's marketing, it's playing to people's vanity, their need to belong, to fit in, be part of the club, the club that says I'm hip, I'm in..... You will no doubt say I'm trying to compare and apple to an orange, that this market does not compete with that market. My friend, all entertainment markets are simultaneously competing with one another for share. The share is your investment, your time. You can listen to music, watch a movie, browse a website, play a video game, you get the point, it's all competing. Any entertainment gadget that comes out is competing. Nick's prior argument segmenting consoles from PC peripherals, I respectfully reject it. It's not a sound case, of course PC peripherals have to compete with consoles, cell phones, laptops, TV, and everything else that distracts you, entertains you, it's all competitive.

People are already stretched too thin. Distracted in countless ways. Does the Oculus Rift solve a problem for consumers, or does it create a new one? Should I pay to become a little more detached from the real world, from interaction with my spouse, my kid? You ask, who will see you wear it? I guess if that does not matter to a particular segment, maybe they are already detached enough from the real world that this is the next logical step for them? I know in my household, me wearing a device to get a little more detached from my reality, it would not go over that well. Some consumers will take that into account, who will see me, who will notice. I'm not even that vain, and it's crossed my mind. I'm not going to wear that thing save for five minutes just to kinda see what it's all about. I'm definitely not spending $300 to become more detached from the real world.

I have to ask myself, do I honestly want to bury myself into the game more? Is it good for me? Do I want that in my life? Will it make me feel cooler, hipper, better about myself to be able to do that? I'm asking myself that, and I'm sure allot of other people will as well. (and to @Thrax point, that's if they even get to experience a Rift demo to begin with)

People do buy gadgets to bolster their self image, to feel better about themselves, to feel like they fit in, belong. Maybe "sex appeal" isn't the best description, but if I've ever seen a gadget that lack's it, it's the Oculus Rift.
20 Mar 2013 ~ 12:12pm Jokke Just wait till the Oculus Rift porn movies show up.
20 Mar 2013 ~ 12:32pm mertesn I think they're working on handling 3D movies, so...
20 Mar 2013 ~ 12:38pm CyrixInstead I will definitely be getting me one of these for Christmas! I'm just hoping it's possible to play sitting on my ass on the settee.
20 Mar 2013 ~ 9:17pm NiGHTS I don't see this as anything more than a gaming peripheral. Because of that, I can't understand the argument that my mother needs to buy this product for it to be successful

Do I need a gaming mouse? Do I need a gaming keyboard? Everything with blue flashing LED lights that add 10 extra horsepower to my gaming experience?
20 Mar 2013 ~ 10:27pm Bandrik This is what what you think I will look like this Christmas:

This is what I will actually look like this Christmas:

Yes, my dreams of one day becoming an equine goddess and riding a mechanical dolphin on the moon will soon come to fruition.
21 Mar 2013 ~ 4:03pm midga

Yes, my dreams of one day becoming an equine goddess and riding a mechanical dolphin on the moon will soon come to fruition.
Because anyone can become a princess now if they have friends and read books.
3 Apr 2013 ~ 8:53am Ryder http://www.tested.com/tech/gaming/454560-testing-oculus-rift-development-kit-team-fortress-2/

Tested just tested TF2 on Oculus Rift
23 Apr 2013 ~ 8:51am Zanthian http://www.ign.com/articles/2013/04/22/skyrim-modded-to-support-oculus-rift

Skyrim Modded to Support Oculus Rift

I would want to try this.
23 Apr 2013 ~ 9:17am mertesn
http://www.ign.com/articles/2013/04/22/skyrim-modded-to-support-oculus-rift

Skyrim Modded to Support Oculus Rift

I would want to try this.
http://penny-arcade.com/report/article/skyrim-is-unplayable-on-the-oculus-rift-dont-believe-the-hype
23 Apr 2013 ~ 4:11pm CyrixInstead Going back and reading this Cliff, I really can't agree with some of the arguments made. As previously mentioned, the comparison with the Virtual Boy was somewhat misplaced; the Hindenburg comparison hit the nail on the head.

I agree that it will be hard to market, as Nintendo are experiencing with the 3DS (how do you market a 3D product on a 2D TV/magazine?) but would like to hope that word of mouth plays an important part here.

My biggest issue is with the assertion that only one gamer you know endorses 3D gaming. I think that misses the point here and I get the feeling that this will be a little bit like things were when smartphones came along. People thought they didn't need one until they actually used one, and now most people probably feel they can't live without it. I'm not saying it's going to become as commonplace as the smartphone, that would be silly, but I would like to think (hope) that once this is available to the masses you'll find the number of supporters increases considerably?

Admittedly I've not tried it, but I just get the feeling that it's going to blow minds when it arrives. Well, I'm hoping so
24 Apr 2013 ~ 2:32am RahnalH102
like to hope that word of mouth plays an important part here.
Going slightly (mostly) off topic here, but this is something I actually would like to see for HL3. Don't advertise it at all, just list it up on Steam in the "New Releases" section and see how long it takes for it to blow up once a few notice and then spread the word.

On Topic: I don't have much to say on this at the moment, but for the sake of your discussion (Forgive me if it was already mentioned somewhere, I admit I skimmed most of this, hence why I don't' have much to say on it) would the stereoscopic setting that some cards have now lend to the discussion at all? That feature has or is becoming sort of baseline, but not in a "everyone uses and wants this" sort of way. It is peripheral based but not as expensive compared to the Rift would be ( at first at least.)

Not ragging on anyone or anything, just wondering if that merits anything to this discussion on it's projected success.
24 Apr 2013 ~ 5:05am mertesn I don't believe so. Stereoscopic 3D uses the entire display to create each left/right image. The Rift uses half the display for each eye.
24 Apr 2013 ~ 5:43pm Cliff_Forster I think I was misunderstood in prior comments. I did not mean to compare the experience on the rift to stereoscopic 3D in a technical sense. I meant to compare them as fringe technologies that will do little to change mainstream gaming.
9 May 2013 ~ 6:08pm marinus I dearly love stereo' displays so i'm praying Oculus succeeds . But i agree with other respondents who say that very few will buy anything bulky you have to wear. [limits use to ones room, and is hot and sweaty]
The other big gaps are NON-GAMERS content, and 1080p rez.
So for now, a lot of us non-gamers are rooting for Oculus, but not buying...
10 May 2013 ~ 10:05am mertesn Half-Life 2 gains official Oculus Rift support.

Or, in more simple terms, now you can brownpants every time a spiderhat gives you a facehug.
1 Jun 2013 ~ 1:28am NiGHTS http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=news/local/orange_county&id=9122999

Cofounder dead
1 Jun 2013 ~ 1:12pm Canti "The suspects were taken into custody. Police say all are gang members on probation, with outstanding warrants for their arrest."

Fucking senseless and terrible.
1 Jun 2013 ~ 4:10pm mertesn Totally agree with you there @Canti.

My dev kit arrived. I'm going to bring a demo system to Expo.
1 Jun 2013 ~ 6:09pm BobbyDigi

My dev kit arrived. I'm going to bring a demo system to Expo.
Did you get a hat code?
1 Jun 2013 ~ 6:12pm mertesn No. I should see about that.
4 Jun 2013 ~ 12:07pm mertesn

My dev kit arrived. I'm going to bring a demo system to Expo.
Did you get a hat code?

No. I should see about that.
Got the instructions to get my hat. I'll probably get around to that this evening after work.
12 Jul 2013 ~ 5:46pm Cliff_Forster How did the demo go at Expo? Many get to try it? What does everyone think?
12 Jul 2013 ~ 9:51pm mertesn Not many got to try it. Had an emergency come up and I had to leave early :/
12 Jul 2013 ~ 10:02pm kimono54 Hope all is well, Nick.
12 Jul 2013 ~ 10:36pm Cliff_Forster I'm sorry to hear that Nick, hope everything is fine now.
16 Aug 2013 ~ 3:42pm JBoogaloo ...dammit. Wouldn't embed a video I wanted.
19 Mar 2014 ~ 5:05pm Zanthian
https://www.oculusvr.com/order/
They have dev kit 2 on preorder for $350:
Do Want...
19 Mar 2014 ~ 5:08pm mertesn

@Zanthian said:
https://www.oculusvr.com/order/
They have dev kit 2 on preorder for $350:
Do Want...

Did order. Unfortunately they aren't shipping until July, so probably no new dev kit for Expo.

In the days leading up to Expo I played the most immersive and environmentally isolated game of TF2 that could have been played at the time. Using the (original) dev kit and some headphones I spent nearly an hour in the game. Didn't have a single problem while playing and I adapted almost immediately. Once I removed the Rift it became a different story. It actually took about 15 minutes to get my eyes adjusted back to normal use. Hopefully the new HD OLED display allows a quicker transition back to IRL.
19 Mar 2014 ~ 6:28pm Zanthian
I haven't been able to check one out yet. Are they as impressive as all the reaction videos seem to make them?
19 Mar 2014 ~ 6:42pm mertesn
Pretty much. I'll bring my dev kit again this year.
20 Mar 2014 ~ 12:41am Snarkasm
Only thing keeping me from ordering right now is that they're still promising that the end-user kit will be even higher res.
20 Mar 2014 ~ 12:44am mertesn

@Snarkasm said:
Only thing keeping me from ordering right now is that they're still promising that the end-user kit will be even higher res.

If a resolution increase is in the works, I'd imagine it's 2560x1600. I'd be amazed if they got 4K out of it.
20 Mar 2014 ~ 7:19am Pink
My friend got one of these, I tried it out a few times and I gotta say its pretty cool.
My buddy eventually got bored with it and sold it though, his next project is building a 3d printer with parts he bought... Man... I'm rambling, gotta gå get some coffee...
25 Mar 2014 ~ 9:52pm Tushon
Since this is new news, Facebook is buying Oculus VR.
25 Mar 2014 ~ 10:09pm mertesn
Many sad. Such disappoint.
25 Mar 2014 ~ 10:16pm midga
On the one hand, it's nice for it to have some serious financial backing. On the other, I hate Facebook's business model with an erupting burning passion (that's hyperbole). So, I guess we shall see.
25 Mar 2014 ~ 10:34pm Thrax
I just want to brainstorm what this could be for.
1. Facebook has a massive chat empire.
2. Everyone is on Facebook.
3. VR video conferencing/chat/hangouts in virtual rooms? VR tours of faraway places?
25 Mar 2014 ~ 10:49pm Tushon
Newsflash: Thrax is Mark Zuckerberg:

But this is just the start. After games, we're going to make Oculus a platform for many other experiences. Imagine enjoying a court side seat at a game, studying in a classroom of students and teachers all over the world or consulting with a doctor face-to-face — just by putting on goggles in your home.
This is really a new communication platform. By feeling truly present, you can share unbounded spaces and experiences with the people in your life. Imagine sharing not just moments with your friends online, but entire experiences and adventures.
25 Mar 2014 ~ 11:11pm BHHammy
Why?

All this does is make Palmer look like a huge sellout. Seriously, it really makes it look like he's trying to cash out on the project. Certainly nowhere near confidence-inspiring.

How about we actually get the shit it's intended for finalized and commercially viable first before we try shoving a bunch of other stuff on it? Seriously, I can't grasp the logic behind this deal at all.
25 Mar 2014 ~ 11:38pm PirateNinja
I would have absolutely sold if I were Palmer, fuck yeah retire wealthy at 21. Weird to think Carmack works for facebook though.
26 Mar 2014 ~ 12:38am BHHammy
Note to self: don't fund any kickstarters started by PirateNinja.

EDIT: Notch made an excellent post on the subject of the acquisition.
26 Mar 2014 ~ 12:48am drasnor

@BHHammy said:
Why?
...
Seriously, I can't grasp the logic behind this deal at all.

I can.
26 Mar 2014 ~ 12:48am primesuspect
If selling your startup to Facebook for TWO BILLION DOLLARS is "selling out" then fuck me, call me Sally Sellout, and unfriend me, because I'll be laughing all the way to the bank.
26 Mar 2014 ~ 1:52am CB
https://twitter.com/ID_AA_Carmack/status/448629403740692481
26 Mar 2014 ~ 4:45am midga

@BHHammy said:
Note to self: don't fund any kickstarters started by PirateNinja.

EDIT: Notch made an excellent post on the subject of the acquisition.

Notch pretty well hit my sentiments on the head. This will definitely be a great tech for social stuff, but Facebook has always seemed shady as fuck to me.
26 Mar 2014 ~ 5:33am PirateNinja

@BHHammy said:
Note to self: don't fund any kickstarters started by PirateNinja.

EDIT: Notch made an excellent post on the subject of the acquisition.

If you are worried about people choosing many millions of dollars and a complete loss of liability over your donation, you should probably avoid funding _anybody _ on kickstarter, not just me. If anything, this underlines the issue with crowd-sourced funding; all of the initial investors have the potential to get boned. Traditional venture capitalists strike it rich when the inevitable buyout happens, but that's because they want a stake in the asset instead of a t-shirt and early access.

Anyway, even if minecraft and others bail temporarily, market forces will likely draw them back in if this was ever going to be a success. It has a better chance now than it ever did.
26 Mar 2014 ~ 5:43am BobbyDigi
Everyone involved in this deal:
26 Mar 2014 ~ 5:51am Canti

@Thrax said:
3. VR video conferencing/chat/hangouts in virtual rooms?

From Neon Genesis Evangelion

Show takes place in 2015.

Facebook = Seele, the end is near.
26 Mar 2014 ~ 11:18am Bandrik
Get your dirty social media outta my vidya gaems!!!

I play games to get AWAY from people. The only worthwhile immersive experience with other people would be VR porn. And I doubt Facebook is in that business.

...right?
26 Mar 2014 ~ 11:29am Pink
Virtual reality farmville? Like posts by blinking twice and twisting your neck 360 degrees? I see a world of new possibilities!
26 Mar 2014 ~ 1:06pm Signal

@Bandrik said:
Get your dirty social media outta my vidya gaems!!!

I play games to get AWAY from people. The only worthwhile immersive experience with other people would be VR porn. And I doubt Facebook is in that business.

...right?

I won't lie. That would get me to create a Facebook account.
26 Mar 2014 ~ 1:47pm BuddyJ
Virtual Farmville and Candy Crush Saga 3D anyone? That's the future right there.
26 Mar 2014 ~ 2:09pm primesuspect
I'd love to see a point/counterpoint article from these strong opinions ....
26 Mar 2014 ~ 2:15pm mertesn
Interested. Anyone else? I'm willing to work with either side of the issue.
26 Mar 2014 ~ 4:50pm Kwitko
26 Mar 2014 ~ 4:52pm Bandrik

@Signal said:

I won't lie. That would get me to create a Facebook account.
26 Mar 2014 ~ 7:16pm Cliff_Forster
I think the kick-starter investors should be entitled to part of the sale. This is going to open up a huge can of worms that will end in kick-starter being regulated by the government, just you wait and see.
26 Mar 2014 ~ 7:22pm Kwitko
26 Mar 2014 ~ 7:23pm ardichoke

@Cliff_Forster said:
I think the kick-starter investors should be entitled to part of the sale. This is going to open up a huge can of worms that will end in kick-starter being regulated by the government, just you wait and see.

From the conversation I've heard around the office, they can't because of existing regulation. Also, once again based on what I've heard from coworkers, there's already legislation in the works to change that regulation so companies could offer dividends to kickstarter contributors as a reward.

edit, some sort of information that sort of backs this up: http://www.quora.com/Why-does-Kickstarter-prohibit-financial-incentives-e-g-company-ownership-dividends
26 Mar 2014 ~ 7:48pm BobbyDigi
I was bored and decided to see just how much each person would get if they got part of the deal per donation or per dollar donated

Spreadsheet

A couple of the higher level donators could have been millionaires.
26 Mar 2014 ~ 8:03pm Thrax
I love @BobbyDigi‌'s post because data.
26 Mar 2014 ~ 8:08pm RyanFodder

@BobbyDigi said:
I was bored and decided to see just how much each person would get if they got part of the deal per donation or per dollar donated

Spreadsheet

A couple of the higher level donators could have been millionaires.

Even if the kickstarter was half their funding, that would still be a lot of money.
26 Mar 2014 ~ 8:12pm BlackHawk
Does the data take in to consideration any seed money or outside investors. I doubt they only used Kickstarter.
26 Mar 2014 ~ 8:17pm BobbyDigi

@BlackHawk said:
Does the data take in to consideration any seed money or outside investors. I doubt they only used Kickstarter.

No it does not. Should be viewed with that in mind. The numbers are so large though. Even if the comeback was 25% of the sale, $500 would have received back $100,000
26 Mar 2014 ~ 8:48pm RyanFodder
Its amazing the difference between millions and billions.
26 Mar 2014 ~ 8:55pm primesuspect

@Thrax said:
I love BobbyDigi‌'s post because data.

YET YOU DON'T "AWESOME" HIS POST BECAUSE LAZY
26 Mar 2014 ~ 8:58pm Thrax
Or because pointless.
26 Mar 2014 ~ 9:38pm Linc

@Thrax said:
Or because pointless.

Since most of my near-term plans for Icrontic include filtering content based primarily on Reactions, that's not so much the case.
26 Mar 2014 ~ 9:43pm Thrax
Hey, if Icrontikarma will start to do something, I'm game to pres butans.
26 Mar 2014 ~ 9:45pm PirateNinja
Top 10 Lolziest Icrontic Posts You Won't Believe - "I was shocked when I saw number 4!"

Prepare anus.
26 Mar 2014 ~ 10:59pm BHHammy
Someone pointed this article from barely a month ago out to me.
I found the last few bits interesting.

As long as Oculus remains in the spotlight and continues to impress, rumors will be running rampant. Some people think Microsoft, Google, Apple or any number of tech or gaming firms will purchase Oculus. And you can bet some have already tried. For now, Luckey insists that he's staying independent.

"We want to do things our way. There are certainly people who are interested... but we have a vision for our consumer product and we know that we're going to be able to pull it off. We don't want to be assimilated into someone who's going to have us working on their own product or their own vision of VR - we want to be able to deliver our own vision of what VR is," he said.

So even if a company like Amazon made a huge offer, it wouldn't matter? "Nobody can say it doesn't matter - everyone has a number," Luckey admitted. "But I don't think there's a reasonable number that would make me say, 'You know I was going to change the world with VR and try to change humanity forever but here's a number. It really is about making sure that we get to deliver our vision of consumer virtual reality."

Guess that number was 1.6bil in Facebook stock and 400mil in cash.