Oculus VR's Carmack didn't expect Facebook deal, but says Oculus had to partner with someone

I've used my Occulus Rift a few times and got sick to my stomach, with Facebook in charge I won't even have to use it...

@kalipekona

"Because a lot of gamers are idiots and have zero understanding of economics."

That is one of the most accurate things that I've read in the comments of any Oculus/Facebook story yet. We've got morons complaining left and right that their paltry Kickstarter donations didn't entitle them to total control of the company. We've got people demanding their money back claiming that Palmer screwed them even though the Kickstarter's purpose was the creation of the dev kit, which is exactly what they did. We've got people claiming that they've sold out, that Facebook has already ruined the Rift even though Oculus is still operating independently and is benefiting from the additional resources.

I'll be the first to admit that I complained when I first heard about the deal. Facebook? Ugh! Anyone but them! But then I started reading Palmer's comments about it, and I listened to the conference call, and it started to make sense. A ton of sense, actually. It even made me realize that maybe I don't really hate Facebook, I just hate their stupid social networking web site. Actually, I hate the people on Facebook more than I do Facebook itself. I don't care what the people who I never talk to ate for dinner. That's why I don't use it.

But ironically enough, I still can agree with a lot of what they're doing. I had a knee-jerk reaction to the Facebook deal because I was ignorant about the company and what they were doing. Now that I know a little more, I feel a lot better.

@kalipekona @eli2333 Sony will sure be giving Oculus a run for their money. Microsoft... well... (looks over at the Kinect) I guess we'll have to see.

I dont think many people were going to get the OR anyways.

The poor guy left ID to work full time with Occulus. Now he is stuck with Facebook as his employer, he has no choice to accept it or lose his job. Facebook probably contacted him and offered him money so he could talk positively about the deal and facebook. Just another pawn for facebook. Its sad to see a gaming pionner reduced to such role.

I was just stating with friends a few months ago that now is the time to invest in the Oculus. A good Dev would design a title specifically to take full advantage of it and the next gen hardware to create a graphically rich and immersive interactive virtual game world(Skyrim Style). Even if it never fully takes off you could still be one of the few who offered a great game and experience for the Oculus and if it does take off then you have secured yourself as one of the lead developers for future VR games.

NO!

Well that ruined it for me.

I will not be getting an end market version and will be selling my beta unit.

@eli2333

Nope. I still believe that Oculus will provide the best VR headset around. The competition is good, though, because it will keep Oculus on their toes and ensure that they continue to give people the best VR experience possible.

While I wasn't certainly a big fan of the Facebook buyout of Oculus, thinking about it more I am starting to feel a little bit better about it. The reason I say that is because I would like VR to be just like the television, one in everybody's house as a typical constant in life. Thinking about the possibilities with VR that are not just simply limited to video games is truly exciting.

However I think in the Oculus independent form it wouldn't ever have a chance of becoming such a device. To get that kind of common acceptance it would have to be in A LOT of people's hands, and only the really big dog companies have that kind of reach. Hopefully the Rift can make good use of the billion + users of Facebook as that is a hell of a lot of exposure and probably a really good chance to really get it out there beyond the small niche that it is now.

Obviously the tech is truly revolutionary, but eventually it would have to find its way to a truly vast amount of people through the companies that have that reach. If Facebook is really serious about diversifying I hope they can foster this technology and really push it out to the masses because like others have said, competitors will get involved which will spur futher innovation and acceptance which we can only stand to benefit from. Think of it like the Apple iPhone first really striking interest in the general public. I hope we have that kind of reaction to the technology so in the future we can come home each day, throw on our VR and interact with others, have all kinds of life changing experiences with this interactive tech that none of us can truly probably predict is possible. But while this may not be the best way to get there at the moment in the general feeling, I still think it is a step in the right direction to a much bigger thing beyond just gaming.

Carmack is going to end up leaving Oculus once Facebook steps in with something that gets in the way of his vision. I just know it.

Now that Oculus has partnered with Facebook and many people are mad why have I not heard about DDoSing Oculus and Facebook business related sites? Get to it people!

@kitmeep @mkeezay22 Facebook WON'T dictate whether or not VR is a technological success. There are other companies working on VR tech.

Hey Carmack you genius why didn't you push for Oculus to partner with something that made more sense to gamers?

I would have been patient with the Rift as a startup. I have no patience with Facebook. I know where my Sony repair center is.... I"m not about to go find the elusive cloud that is Facebook's.

lol Facebook, first of all the NSA spies on all Facebook accounts breaking the first amendment of the US constitution literally billions of times and breaking international laws for spying on citizens basically worldwide. At least Sony asks if you want to send feedback to Sony to help better the experience. Project Morpheus FTW.

@kitmeep geez, take it easy. I did lol, though

his he for real???? YOU HAD CCP!!!!!!!!!!!! way to shit in there face...goodbye dreams of playing eve in vr goodbye

Berkman is right. No one ever makes a product, sells a product, and uses the money to continue making more anymore. That was people's dream - the American Dream - founding and running a successful company.

Now it's running a successful startup, success being defined as how much the eventual buyout is. Who cares about your dream when you're rolling in cash?

Work a couple years after the buyout so your options vest, then bail out and start a new startup. Rinse and repeat!

Not a big deal it's a VR those VRs were around since long time showing up failing and showing up again, if they are going to change the game and implement OR with Google glass things might change than just a VR helmet.

they needed a company like facebook.

the hardware was simple. almost every component is off the shelf (eg all of the sensors, the digital electronics that power it, and the displays.... both of which are high pixel density samsung OLED displays, IIRC).

they needed a company like facebook because a device like the OR is literally worthless without a ridiculously powerful SDK.

development of the hardware, even with the novel optics that prevent you from getting eye strain and allow you to wear glasses, was cheap and relatively simple.

the SDK needs to be so good, and so easy to use, that you can give it to one of the game companies that develops graphics/game engines for the major game developers, and they can readily adapt their current or next engine to work with the OR's special features.

the OR is more than hardware.

in fact, the OR may not even *stay* as a device.

this technology WILL BE COPIED once its success is determined.

thus, OR.... as a subsidiary of facebook..... may end up as a software company.

getting around hardware patents is relatively straightforward.

getting around SOFTWARE PATENTS is hard as hell.

if OR develops a good, comprehensive SDK, they may shed the hardware and only develop the software.

Did that many gamers really care about Oculus Rift for it to keep showing up in the news so much?

Well at least EA didn't buy it right.