Is the Oculus Rift doomed?

[Natsu]

the technical problem to solve here would be one with the force/feedback, i guess.


but when playing 360° doom, better turn it off! :-O

Well, there are things like the ARAIG Suit.

 

[Yoyobuae]

People choose to join Facebook, and if their data is mined to make money by the site, then it's the fault of the person if it's in the terms they sign. No one forced them to be a drone. They've accepted the role openly to be part of the herd. 

The Matrix Facebook is a system, Neo. That system is our enemy. But when you're inside, you look around. What do you see. Business men, teachers, lawyers, carpenters. The very minds of the people we are trying to save. But until we do, these people are still a part of that system, and that makes them our enemy.

I imagine eventually there will be a VR Matrix game or something, lol.

 

[Linux-SWAT]

Another article showing why being indie is better :

http://games.slashdot.org/story/14/03/26/215247/peter-molyneux-working-for-microsoft-is-like-taking-antidepressants

 

[Natsu]

I have a feeling this will affect Kickstarter projects in the future more than it will hurt OR.

As long as the get they product, I'm sure it wouldn't hurt Kickstarter.

[CENSORED]

Stay classy.

People choose to join Facebook, and if their data is mined to make money by the site, then it's the fault of the person if it's in the terms they sign. No one forced them to be a drone. They've accepted the role openly to be part of the herd.

I'm pretty sure people didn't join to get data mined. That wasn't what Facebook was and it shouldn't be. I'm pretty sure if you don't, someone close


to you will for you. It a uphill battle, but all these "data mining" will become less invasive.

 

[Saber]

People choose to join Facebook, and if their data is mined to make money by the site, then it's the fault of the person if it's in the terms they sign. No one forced them to be a drone. They've accepted the role openly to be part of the herd. 

The Matrix Facebook is a system, Neo. That system is our enemy. But when you're inside, you look around. What do you see. Business men, teachers, lawyers, carpenters. The very minds of the people we are trying to save. But until we do, these people are still a part of that system, and that makes them our enemy.

I imagine eventually there will be a VR Matrix game or something, lol.

For some reason I'm reminded of this scene about freedom from Jack Reacher:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1kBPnZPdc

 

[Mr_Loon]

Is the Oculus Rift (OR) doomed?

Hope not, I can see many ways this makes a lot of sense, if facebook can maintain a light touch where necessary and also find intelligent ways to integrate OR with their core services then this could be great.

Why ?

OR have now got enough cash to nail the hardware & hopefully make the final product affordable.

Facebook are not tied to one game system, so hopefully OR will be developed so it will work with a multitude of systems. i.e. it'll work well for PC gaming, Android / iOS / Pyra etc.

Some people really need to put on their tinfoil hats, I can't really understand all the hate for facebook, there are a lot worse things in the world than social networking and targeted advertising, which is essentially what facebook is all about. It baffles me that facebook is considered to be worth 10's of billions of dollars but in their shoes I'd like to do something cool with all that 'cash' & buying OR certainly fits that bill.

 

[levi]

It comes to something when Mr Loon is the voice of sanity

 

[vcoleiro1]

As I said in the other thread , when you think about it , Facebook buying them makes sense.

One of the inspirations behind the Oculus Rift for Palmer was the book "Ready Player One", in the book people live there lives mainly via VR and hook into a network called the Oasis.  

The Oasis is a place where you can socialize and do practically anything via VR. Most people have a login to it. You can via VR:

Travel

Meet friends 

Shop in virtual shops,

Visit a museum or exhibition in any part of the world

Have Business meetings where its like you are actually there and you can interact like draw on a virtual white board.

Go to work

Go to school,

Walk around on other worlds - be in a rocket as it takes off into space.

Socialize - go to clubs,  movies etc

Take on different forms - fly around like a bird etc etc

Game

etc etc etc  - basically everything.

It's a huge network of people where people can login and do what they want via VR - that was the Oasis.  Gaming was a part of it.   Whats Facebook - A large network of people. Palmer has already said Facebook appealed because of the huge user base it has that he wanted to leverage . It makes sense, this looks like they will eventually (long term) build the equivelant of the Oasis. The Oasis - VR Worlds and existances which pull in everybody into logging into it and using it almost all the time .  Sound like what Facebook would be interested in - you bet.

 

[DFP]

I think I'd rather Oculus had been acquired by Monsanto or the Lehman Brothers.

Ridiculous.

I find Facebook's core service at most a medium for social addicts with too much leisure time(like Twitter, IRC, or the like), but Monsanto's products and practices are by far much more dangerous, a cancer to the world. 

Seven of the top 12 shareholders of **Facebook** and **Monsanto** are identical.


Even more to the point, three of the top five shareholders are the same.


At least after the whole world is covered in frankencrop, you'll be able to reside in your virtual profile page. =P

 

[Askarus]

As I said in the other thread , when you think about it , Facebook buying them makes sense.

One of the inspirations behind the Oculus Rift for Palmer was the book "Ready Player One", in the book people live there lives mainly via VR and hook into a network called the Oasis.  

The Oasis is a place where you can socialize and do practically anything via VR. Most people have a login to it. You can via VR:

Travel

Meet friends 

Shop in virtual shops,

Visit a museum or exhibition in any part of the world

Have Business meetings where its like you are actually there and you can interact like draw on a virtual white board.

Go to work

Go to school,

Walk around on other worlds - be in a rocket as it takes off into space.

Socialize - go to clubs,  movies etc

Take on different forms - fly around like a bird etc etc

Game

etc etc etc  - basically everything.

It's a huge network of people where people can login and do what they want via VR - that was the Oasis.  Gaming was a part of it.   Whats Facebook - A large network of people. Palmer has already said Facebook appealed because of the huge user base it has that he wanted to leverage . It makes sense, this looks like they will eventually (long term) build the equivelant of the Oasis. The Oasis - VR Worlds and existances which pull in everybody into logging into it and using it almost all the time .  Sound like what Facebook would be interested in - you bet.

Now replace every "Oasis" with "Hell" and you got it right.

 

[Klumpen]

I also don't like the idea of completely blocking one's sense of vision. Blocking out sound is one thing, and even that makes me feel uncomfortable at times, but vision ... :unsure:

Same here, I would only use it totally locked in my appartment and with the audio level at a peak where I could still hear some stuff around me,

but since there may not be a junk free VR-helmet with proper Linux and/or WinXP support in a while, I don't even have to try it.

The idea of using it for social stuff is just horrible, I would only use it for single player games (like Fallout 3) and do my social stuff the old way with smell, touch etc.. included.

I'm glad, that my girlfriend is only 20min per bike away (real hugs, yay) and I have quit all social networking but this one here and reduced my pure eMail-contacts to a minimum.

What sound solution do they want to build in anyway?

7.1 Surround headset?

 

[Askarus]

I also don't like the idea of completely blocking one's sense of vision. Blocking out sound is one thing, and even that makes me feel uncomfortable at times, but vision ... :unsure:

Same here, I would only use it totally locked in my appartment and with the audio level at a peak where I could still hear some stuff around me,

but since there may not be a junk free VR-helmet with proper Linux and/or WinXP support in a while, I don't even have to try it.

I'm looking forward to all the people who miss their train station because they use such VR glasses .

Why not integrating a 3D camera?

So you can see what's going on in the real world through the VR glasses and swith back per button press to VR.

You could also add some overlay then to the real world and make it look more fun (pink houses and such ).

 

[Klumpen]

Why not integrating a 3D camera?

So you can see what's going on in the real world through the VR glasses and swith back per button press to VR.

You could also add some overlay then to the real world and make it look more fun (pink houses and such ).

I am pretty sure, that augmented reality will be the first addon or just built into the next (mobile?) version.

Short sighted people like me could even replace their usual glasses with this and look like dorks all the time, besides being bombed with ads directly towards the eyes.

 

[Kiga]

Here

According to a person involved in the deal who was not allowed to speak publicly because he was not authorized by either company, Facebook eventually plans to redesign the Oculus hardware and rebrand it with a Facebook interface and logo.

 

[Majin Wamu]

I know I am a bit late on stating my reaction to this but it is a big shame about this new development. I had high hopes for the OR and I have even introduced a couple of my friends it. I do not like social networks, and won't ever make one, so if this requires a facebook account than I am afraid I am with the others who mentioned this earlier and might pass on this.

It was funny, earlier when I mentioned this to my brother, he had joked and said now we can play FarmVile in 3D. Just like we always wanted....

 

[WizardStan]

if this requires a facebook account than I am afraid I am with the others who mentioned this earlier and might pass on this.

I am 99% confident that it won't. OR promised that games developed for the Developer Kit 2 would be compatible with the consumer version, and that even the original kit would at least be compatible enough to do some development. They used it as a selling point.If Facebook comes along and changes the consumer hardware such that it needs specific API calls to tie it back to their service then it is no longer compatible with the DK2, and absolutely nothing from the original can be used on that final consumer version. They would be in breach of contract, promising something to get the sale and then reneging on that promise. They open themselves up to a class action suit.

The last 1% of uncertainty is that they may be aware of this and prepared for a court settlement. A $1000 settlement (3 times the original purchase cost) times 75000 is "only" $75'000'000, far from the $2billion they got in the deal (and even the $400million in cash).

Down in "other consoles" I've already outlined my prediction for why Facebook wants OR and what they'll do with it, and why that means it will definitely remain as open as it is now. Basically they realize that people can't justify spending $300 on hardware just for some fancy new Facebook, so they need as many developers as possible pumping out software to help convince us it's worthwhile. Some of those people will buy the hardware and then also use the "Facebook Net3D Experience" (made up name) software that comes with it and that's what they want.

 

[Majin Wamu]

That's pretty interesting. Thanks for the breakdown WizardStan, I didn't really know that much. But for some reason the fact that facebook is behind the scene seems to affect my interest. Well maybe it shouldn't.

 

[WizardStan]

But for some reason the fact that facebook is behind the scene seems to affect my interest. Well maybe it shouldn't.

Oh I didn't say that. There are lots of reasons to be wary of Facebook. They're a big company that does a lot of questionable things and maybe you don't want to give them any incentive at all. Or probably a great many other things.I'm just saying that this one particular fear, that you'll need a Facebook login, or that games will be required to put ads that send revenue back to Facebook, or any of these other changes that people seem to be worried about, are pretty unlikely to happen. The final product will almost certainly be the same and if you're OK giving money to an "evil" company to get a cool product I'm sure we won't be disappointed. Just don't install the CD that comes with it.

 

[EvilDragon]

Well, I've chatted a bit more with Palmer yesterday night, and can totally understand why he did it.

I can't tell more (don't know what's public and what not) but with that deal they managed to solve the most annoying issues - and that's doing compromises by using existing hardware (like we do with the SoC and display).

That's huge for them - and we still will have tons of headaches about that in our case.

 

[Askarus]

Here

According to a person involved in the deal who was not allowed to speak publicly because he was not authorized by either company, Facebook eventually plans to redesign the Oculus hardware and rebrand it with a Facebook interface and logo.

Even that might be a no-go for me.

I don't want that.

Well, I've chatted a bit more with Palmer yesterday night, and can totally understand why he did it.

I can't tell more (don't know what's public and what not) but with that deal they managed to solve the most annoying issues - and that's doing compromises by using existing hardware (like we do with the SoC and display).

That's huge for them - and we still will have tons of headaches about that in our case.

Whatever secrets you don't share, I hope Palmer is still the big boss and tells what the product will be in the end.