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Facebook buys Oculus Rift !!!! Grrrr

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Facebook buys Oculus Rift VR company for $2 billion

The response from hardcore gamers and developers has been predictably reactionary, with Minecraft creator Markus ‘Notch’ Persson immediately cancelling an Oculus Rift version of Minecraft. In fact he got so angry about the whole deal he then went on to write a blog about how virtual reality is going to change the world but Facebook is ‘creepy’.
We were in talks about maybe bringing a version of Minecraft to Oculus. I just cancelled that deal. Facebook creeps me out.—
Markus Persson
(@notch) March 25, 2014

Read More ~ Business Insider/Facebook Is Buying Oculus Rift, The Greatest Leap Forward In Virtual Reality, For $US2 Billion

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 good in a way that the $ ae going to be poured into it, but I do feel sorry for the original backers of it on Kickstarter not getting their Goggles as yet :(
 
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So.... Facebook wants to give their users a more immersive experience in Farmville? This is just one bizarre acquisition. Unless they are looking to dramatically expand beyond social networking, I don't see how this fits into their core business.
 
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Exactly ^^^ They are a Social Networking Business, Facebook, Instagram and so on. have a look at this list of acquisitions since July 2007 where all of them are Apps, or something to do with Web, photo management, social networking and right at the bottom, you have VIRTUAL REALITY . . . What the !!!!

It scares me, and I think the end user is missing out, with Facebook having a hold on something, that started by the people for the people in Kickstarter, and now this . . . . Im disgusted that Oculus sold out, and left their pledgers in the dark, and with NO Oculus . . .
 

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To be fair to Oculus, as long as they kept their commitments to you through KickStarter (gave you what you paid for), they didn't really do anything wrong. At the end of the day, it's a business.

I will admit that the purchase seems a little odd. However, reading the press release, it becomes clear that they want to transform this into a communication tool effectively working this into what they do best: connecting people.
 
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It scares me, and I think the end user is missing out, with Facebook having a hold on something, that started by the people for the people in Kickstarter, and now this . . . . Im disgusted that Oculus sold out, and left their pledgers in the dark, and with NO Oculus . . .

This is one of the reasons I've avoided being a Kickstarter supporter. To date, I've supported exactly 1 project: Pro Pinball (well 2... it failed the first time around). I've read too many stories of overhyped expectations and delays to feel good about being a supporter.
 
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To be fair to Oculus, as long as they kept their commitments to you through KickStarter (gave you what you paid for), they didn't really do anything wrong.

But this is where the problem lies, they haven't been able to fulfil their commitment to their backers. Its still at "Coming Soon" and a lot of disappointed people out there.


This is one of the reasons I've avoided being a Kickstarter supporter. To date, I've supported exactly 1 project: Pro Pinball (well 2... it failed the first time around). I've read too many stories of overhyped expectations and delays to feel good about being a supporter.

Ive now backed 17 and I have only had problems with one. Well I wouldn't call it a problem, but hey are behind on their expectations by 2 months, but at the end of the dy, this will make for a better product. All in all, KS is a great place to get some amazing ideas off the ground.

The thing with Oculus, they where asking for 32,000,000 so you can imagine how much 1 unit cost, and this is why people are so upset. I pick and choose my projects, and make sure I do my research and even ask questions before I take the plunge. It took me 7 questions back and forth before I backed one. http://www.mac-forums.com/forums/schwebs-lounge/298809-kickstarter-projects-im-backing-others.html#post1571994
 

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But this is where the problem lies, they haven't been able to fulfil their commitment to their backers. Its still at "Coming Soon" and a lot of disappointed people out there.
Was part of the deal for contributing that you get a headset when it gets released? I genuinely don't know but from what I've seen, contributions generally mean that you get something more symbolic or something rather minor (posters, etc.). This is what I mean by fulfilling their commitments.

Beyond that, the sale to Facebook doesn't mean that they won't deliver on their promise to release a headset.
 
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Was part of the deal for contributing that you get a headset when it gets released? I genuinely don't know but from what I've seen, contributions generally mean that you get something more symbolic or something rather minor (posters, etc.). This is what I mean by fulfilling their commitments.

Beyond that, the sale to Facebook doesn't mean that they won't deliver on their promise to release a headset.

Yes they were meant to get a Rift in Nov-Dec last year, and for people spending $300 I would be upset that I haven't got it either.
Your wrong, on Kickstarter, you can pledge from $1 up to $20,000 the largest amount I have seen, and you do get minor stuff, like posters, and key rings, and the likes, with the company's Logo on it, but the main pledging goes toward you getting a 1 off usually of the product they are truing to get off the ground. They are usually only KS only editions and the real thing, but after that, the company sells the real product via their website.
Thats what crowd funding is all about. No-one is going to hand over $25 for a poster and hope the company can make the product, of them to then buy it at retail value . .
 
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Yes they were meant to get a Rift in Nov-Dec last year, and for people spending $300 I would be upset that I haven't got it either.
Your wrong, on Kickstarter, you can pledge from $1 up to $20,000 the largest amount I have seen, and you do get minor stuff, like posters, and key rings, and the likes, with the company's Logo on it, but the main pledging goes toward you getting a 1 off usually of the product they are truing to get off the ground. They are usually only KS only editions and the real thing, but after that, the company sells the real product via their website.
Thats what crowd funding is all about. No-one is going to hand over $25 for a poster and hope the company can make the product, of them to then buy it at retail value . .

Not to mention that the people who funded Oculus didn't do so with the understanding that they would sell out to a company they may or may not "approve of" and who ultimately has a hand in how this product gets used that they may or may not approve of. Not to mention that the mere fact that Facebook having bought them out means that their pledges to help get this rolling ultimately weren't even necessary. They paid these guys to "get noticed" and get acquired by Facebook. Oculus no longer needs that seed money with Facebook now the owner. Quite frankly I think them selling out like this before delivering a product to their investors was wrong and even shady. And that's exactly what the backers are... investors. How does one sell a company out without the permission of their investors? They should just refund what EVERYONE put into it. With interest.
 

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