Oculus is the leader in virtual reality (VR) technology with over 75,000 orders for development kits for the company’s VR headset, the Oculus Rift. Last week the VR company’s billion dollar acquisition with the social media company Facebook left fans feeling uneasy. Facebook is said to plan for the extension of Oculus into communications, media, entertainment and education. With the broad potential applications, VR is now a strong candidate to be the newest social and communication platform.
Now this sounds cool and all but this week fans back lashed against the new merger and death threats and other abuses flooded the Oculus VR officials. The announcement spread through the gaming sphere and tech industry with a mixture of shocked and angry emotions.
According to Polygon.com, Palmer Luckey, the company’s co-founder, added on Reddit thread that Oculus will “prove themselves with actions not words.” He further stated that the threats however were completely unwarranted and impacted those who are not even involved with Oculus.
Although the death threats are extreme, the fears are not irrational. Facebook has a reputation, one that is not positive with fans of Oculus as a whole. It is unlikely that Oculus will be forced to alter its programs in any major way, as Luckey stressed in multiple interviews. Or at least that’s the game plan for now– still we don’t know Facebook’s plans and it is a real fear for whether or not Facebook controls the future of Oculus’ virtual reality.
On the other hand, the $2 billion acquisition will enhance the retail Oculus Rift kit and make it less expensive. Virtual reality software is on the rise with Sony headlining with some strong hardware and rumors that Microsoft is experimenting with their own virtual reality products.
In theory, the next 24 months will bring a rise the Rift production and to virtual reality programs as a whole. As for the future, let’s see what Facebook wants in the end with their return on investment.
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