Oculus Rift

[Rilot]

I'm actually really happy about this news (no jokes).

The rift has always been an amazing concept that has been implemented really well by some very clever people. However, it was trying to claw its way out of chicken/egg conundrum where the mainstream audience want a large volume of high quality content before they buy a new platform and the game developers want a large number of customers who already own the device so they know its worth developing AAA content for it.

Before, oculus were counting on the enthusiasm of game developers (coupled with the release of their dev kits) to get content for the oculus so it could hit the ground running. However, due to the uncertainty of its mainstream success very few big-name developers or publishers were committing to developing AAA games specifically for the platform.

However, now that oculus is with facebook (and we take Zuckerberg and Luckey at their words) they have the financial clout to commission AAA games to be made specifically for VR. If this does happen and games publishers see the rift as a viable mainstream platform then many more games (and other experiences) will be coming to VR much faster than would have otherwise been the case.

This.
Also, the FB money will ensure that Oculus VR get to release further versions of the hardware even if the first iteration isn't profitable. As a start-up, they were always vulnerable to market volatility with regards to new product types. They now have the clout of the Facebook marketing machine behind them as well as lots of funding.

This is a win IMO.

Can't wait for my DK2 to turn up.

 

[OldComputerGuy7]

I think its a shame but its not like someone else cant come along and build a better rift type of HMD, now there is such excitement over VR stuff and and a push to make it mainstream.

Most of what palmer learned was from the MTBS3d forum, he was on there asking questions and the people of that forum helped him build his first VR setup and pointed him in the right direction as he had no idea how it worked back in 2009 so i see no reason why someone else cannot do the same, i think without kickstarter the project would have died.

The hardware has been the easy part there is really nothing new about the rift its basically similar to many old VR headsets made years ago.
LEEPVR's cyberface 2 had a 145deg horizontal fov and two screens but super low res due to the tech of the time but find two hi res 4inch screens put them in the cyberface and your way beyond the rift's fov.
http://www.leepvr.com/theleepsystem.php
http://www.leepvr.com/cyberface2.php

The problem has been that there were no killer apps for a VR headset and people were always trying to sell them for $70k+ which meant the market was limited but now we are seeing VR for $500 as a price point and the fact that hi res micro displays are now common in smart phones means we have a much better chance to see them become mainstream.
It also helps that the average person is far more receptive to high tech stuff than they were in the 90's.

I think the best VR HMD at the moment is the Pi-sight this has 180deg horizontal FOV, costs something like $200k which is a ridiculous price as the hardware is just a bunch of 800x600 oled displays in a 3x3 arrangement per eye but has similar FOV to a imax so imagine that for games .
http://sensics.com/head-mounted-displays/technology/pisight-ultra-panoramic-hmds/

That's the kind of thing i would like to see but much cheaper as there is no good reason for the cost of the above tech but low volume and people that need such things will pay it.

I do hope rift will continue as it we thought it would but with facebook behind it i cant see that happening.

But i do hope that VR HMD becomes like smart phones with everyone trying to bring out better tech and pushing the limits as it will make VR a reality for all and it does not really matter who started it as long as its being constantly improved.

 

[robgmun]

I bet the pre-order rate has halted this morning!

 

[Devlish]

well, after the calamity of last night I am very much in wait and see mode. I cannot see how FB wont continue its series of dodgy practices or change its corporate imperatives to suit the emerging tech - but you never know. At least in the short term the cash infusion should provide benefits. But can they resist interfereing?

For me, it is really important what happens over the next few weeks. Palmer is talking about a series of 'exciting' announcements and I am still eyeing Cormack and seeing if there is any reaction there. I also want to see how the davs take it.

DK2 still on pre-order. For now.

 

[Glaucus]

Lol at so many idiots getting their knickers in a twist.
Facebook is just turning into an investment company to make profit in years to come. Nothings changed, no reason to get upset, Facebook isn't going to appear on it.

All it means is it give OR security in the short term with extra money, until they get to production.

 

[robgmun]

Lol at so many idiots getting their knickers in a twist.
Facebook is just turning into an investment company to make profit in years to come. Nothings changed, no reason to get upset, Facebook isn't going to appear on it.

I think you're coming across as a little naive Glaucus

OR isn't dead to me and i might wait to see what this will mean. But if it's all optional then i will get one

 

[Glaucus]

Nothing naïve about it. It has nothing to do with Facebook. It's simply an investment for future profit.

So you honestly think Facebook is going to try selling something that costs £100 to people which browse fb on mobile devices (by far the biggest market share on how fb is accessed) and don't do anything VR would benefit.

It's people freaking out because it's fb and making crap up.

Yay VR webpage, what they going to do have 3d animated thumbs up.

 

[Devlish]

Lol at so many idiots getting their knickers in a twist.
Facebook is just turning into an investment company to make profit in years to come. Nothings changed, no reason to get upset, Facebook isn't going to appear on it.

All it means is it give OR security in the short term with extra money, until they get to production.

Yes, you clearly have a deep insight which has escaped so many others. Congrats.

 

[GodAtum]

A project started on the premise of open software and free development could be sanctioned and locked down to whatever Facebook dictate.

 

[Muzy]

Nothing naïve about it. It has nothing to do with Facebook. It's simply an investment for future profit.

So you honestly think Facebook is going to try selling something that costs £100 to people which browse fb on mobile devices (by far the biggest market share on how fb is accessed) and don't do anything VR would benefit.

It's people freaking out because it's fb and making crap up.

Yay VR webpage, what they going to do have 3d animated thumbs up.

their owned by FB now, so whatever the **** Mark tells them, they will open their ass and welcome it.

 

[iamtheoneneo]

Nothing naïve about it. It has nothing to do with Facebook. It's simply an investment for future profit.

So you honestly think Facebook is going to try selling something that costs £100 to people which browse fb on mobile devices (by far the biggest market share on how fb is accessed) and don't do anything VR would benefit.

It's people freaking out because it's fb and making crap up.

Yay VR webpage, what they going to do have 3d animated thumbs up.

I think your glasses are too rose tinted tbh.
Facebook arent a games company, they are a social stream that depends on clickbait, ad revenue and the number of users on its platform.

Nothing good will come of this buyout.

 

[anything I don't mind]

Well done to that guy who sold it. But talk about some disappointing news. At least it wasn't microsoft.

 

[rubberduck]

Facebook arent a games company, they are a social stream that depends on clickbait, ad revenue and the number of users on its platform.

Which is probably why they are looking to diversify their revenue streams. Cant help but feel FB have overpaid for this company when, in the not too distant future, there will be multiple headsets on the market which essentially do the same thing. I bet the Oculus guys are laughing all the way to the bank.

 

[wnb]

It's not vapourware, it's had two very successful dev kits, the second one more polished then most 1st Gen products out there. The tech has been proven beyond doubt

Maybe I should have made myself a little more clear. Yes they have released two dev kits but a consumer release is still some way off.

 

[anything I don't mind]

Well apparently they sold 75000 dev kits within a few days and at $400 a pop thats like $25 million and that's only a pre-release kit. But how they could then value the company at 2 billion dollar seems a big jump. They must see a lot of potential in that technology and think that it is here to stay, which in some ways is a positive thing for VR fans.

 

[Madeddie]

Not sure what all the fuss it about DK3 that is in the pipeline looks much better than the DK2 release

I think you're coming across as a little naive Glaucus

OR isn't dead to me and i might wait to see what this will mean. But if it's all optional then i will get one

 

[Glaucus]

Step back from your FB bashing and actually think about how they could implement your scaremongering. Whilst keeping developers and actually selling OR.

This isn't an established market they can come in and mess up by throwing in adds.
The markets aren't even the same. Dedicated pc gamers, vs mobile consumption. Oar doesn't even work on mobile devices. Let alone the cost of OR and what are casual users going to use it on.

So yeah bone up with a reasonable scenario that FB can mess this up in your scaremongering thoughts.

More likely FB have purchased it for future profit, like they've already said.

In the short term it is only suitable for gamers and perhaps enterprise. They need the developers to build content otherwise it doesn't sell. There's no existing market and dedicated pc gamers are easy to annoy.
Long term, as they have said they want a VR version of Skype. Now that they can certainly monetize a bit like FB, but again that's through the software not the hardware.

So yeah, rather than it's doomed FB are going to mess it up. Can we have a sensible example of how they could mess it up, in the way you say.

 

[FrenchTart]

It's pretty obvious that in the short term this will be a good thing for the Rift.

The worries that people have are regarding what exactly will Facebook do a few years down the line if the Rift is successful. It's really not hard to imagine that future versions require some kind of tie-in with FB's data mining or that continued support/updates will stop unless you're in some way part of the FB empire.

 

[xyphic]

I'm not sure how well Skype would work with OR to be honest. It'd be great for the person wearing the device, but the people on the other end would just see someone wearing a large box over their face.

I'm happy to accept that Facebook have bought the device for "future profit" but it certainly isn't going to make a profit from gamers having spent $400m of cash acquiring the company plus however much more they need to invest in the technology to bring it to market.

I think that what we'll see is Facebook playing the long game. They'll release the device to market and it'll be pretty much what the Oculus VR founders set out to release, but in the long term it'll shift more towards being a platform in its own right (so will include CPU, GPU, WiFi, etc.) and that will be aimed at the more casual market. That's where we'll see the Facebook brand appear, and that's where I would imagine it'll be tied into your desktop Facebook experience. There's nothing wrong with that approach, but it's a shame for those of us who were looking forward to using it for gaming because I don't think it'll be well supported in the long term.

 

[Devlish]

So yeah, rather than it's doomed FB are going to mess it up. Can we have a sensible example of how they could mess it up, in the way you say.

So the nightmare scenario is that OR have taken $2 Billion - only $400 million of which was cash, the rest if in FB stock. So the most recent round of OR investment raised $75 million and I am pretty sure I have seen total value for OR of around $280 million before this, but cant be ***** to look.

So realistically the cash has gone on paydays for the Senior Management and to pay off the big money, the corporate investors. I am pretty sure I have seen quotes today from (now-ex) investors saying 'good luck to OR now were not working with them!' so they've taken cash rather than shares.

So whenever OR needs funding, say for 4K screens, theyre going to have to put in a business case to FB. FB are going to want to see a big return on any investments. What do we need 4K screens for when the DK2 1080 will do nicely for our new demographic. Why do you need photorealism at the cost of profit when Piggle 3D looks great in 1080? Sorry, funding denied, youve got to remember youre now a social enterprise not a gaming one Palmer! Haha, dont worry its great for our (and your) FB shares! Enjoy your private island!

Sigh.