BY: Myles Johnson
The idea of
sending a person through a three dimensional virtual reality seemed like a
dream far too big to be conceived in yesterday’s time and age. It was as laughable as the Matrix or a Star
Trek movie. Yet a company called Oculus
VR decided bring that dream into a reality by starting a kick starter that
raised 2.4 million to not only get startup, but also see the desire for such a
gaming device to hit the market. The
world responded above and beyond the company’s expectations and they have used
this resource to proceed with the production of the Oculus Rift.
The Oculus Rift is a virtual gaming
platform that since its early stages of birth was made to revolutionize the way
we play video games. It comes with a
headset/goggles that immerses the gamer through peripheral rotation so the
environment of the game is literally around you. There is also a platform for your feet with a
circular bar so everything is contained within it that tracks your body weight,
how much energy you exert, and synchronizes your movements into the character
you are playing as. It’s almost like
“larping” but extremely more complex and cool. This type of gameplay takes the
controller out of the hands of gamers as well; instead of pressing the right
trigger to shoot you will be pulling a plastic gun model synced with the Oculus
to shoot. So the specs and models of
this platform are amazing especially when concerning the technology but it is
still in the development stage.
Although
recently Facebook just bought the company Oculus VR for 2 billion dollars. The logistics of that buyout being 400
million in cash and 1.6 billion in stock. With the projection of up to 300
million depending on the performance of the Oculus. Mark Zuckerberg has a lot more than just
virtual gaming with numbers like those. His vision probably lies along the
lines of virtual chat rooms, or being able go to a doctor visit or being
courtside at a basketball game all through power of the goggles.
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Facebook stepping into the realm of gaming is pretty interesting seeing how they are a social site. Similar to the product that Sony is planning to introduce it will be interesting to see how the two will compete or if they will come to some sort of mutually beneficial agreement in terms of market share. It will be interesting to see how they measure up against the other once they both are fully developed and introduced.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Kendall but I think they are overstepping there boundaries and moving too far away from there target market. I think it will take too much capital to make this work as there are moving into maker that is already over saturated. It will be interesting to see what happens with this idea and if it will succeed.
ReplyDeleteI believe the potential for virtual reality for gaming and other forms of entertainment is boundless. With Sony and now Facebook investing in this new peripheral, the quality and accessibility will only increase from here. This is a good piece of technology to keep an eye on and can become a catalyst for similar future technological risks.
ReplyDeleteThis is deeply interesting to me, as I see Oculus' current efforts in VR to be so gaming focused it begs the question of what the big picture can actually look like.
ReplyDeleteFacebook is about communication, but these experiences are more than just that. Ithink this could prove to be one of the smartest moves FB has made.
this is really interesting me because it is a continuance of the trend of super websites trying to branch out into new markets. This right along with Google and their car could signify that these companies will be the major powerhouses in the future.
ReplyDeleteIt's interesting to learn about this development. Seems like Facebook is really trying to expand their influence. I think it will be good for them to move into the virtual reality space because, as an innovative company focused on providing value, they will have to take it into a positive direction for the future.
ReplyDeletethis is very interesting because it seems as if this company will eventually become a major company and there will be a lot of value.The technology is very interesting and i feel like it would useful to our society.
ReplyDeleteFacebook essentially seems to be trying to take over the world, much like Google, buying out every company they can. It will be interesting to see how they incorporate gaming into their general culture.
ReplyDeleteThe future really is now, these types of technologies seemed so distant only a few years ago. The aggressive investment buy Zuckerberg I think definitely implies that he intends on pushing this technology far beyond the defined realms of gaming.
ReplyDeleteThis is a very interesting product. The gaming industry has been dominated by three companies for quite a while now. To see how Oculus will fit in and who their target market will be with be interesting as well. I could see them make a big push and take a good portion of the market share.
ReplyDeleteThis is an interesting investment for facebook seeing as they are social media company and the Oculus Rift is a virtual reality technology for games. But facebook has made some interesting investments in the past and seemed to make them work. This is a great investment and it will be interesting to see what facebook will do with it.
ReplyDeleteFacebook is doing great things in the tech sector, so it makes sense for the company to expand into new arenas. Ultimately, social media will not always be the force that it is today, so it is smart of Facebook to branch out and try new thing. I think that FB could have chosen a different avenue of gaming to approach, because virtual gaming is still a in a rough stage,but I am certain that the corporate exec's are confident in their ability to profit from this new company.
ReplyDeleteFacebook just like Google is buying up a lot of different companies in the technology sector. It just seems that they are buying out anyone who can be seen as competition. Also, it seems gaming is now starting to begin its stages of virtual gaming. It is going to get to a point where one can walk into World of Warcraft.
ReplyDeleteFacebook seems to be buying everything these days, and I don't blame them. This proves further that the future is now! Instead of purchasing different apps, Facebook is looking to be more innovative and independent as they purchase something like the Oculus Rift.
ReplyDeleteFacebook is really buying a lot of different companies, They are trying to take over just like Google. I think they are doing great things in the technology sector.
ReplyDeleteIt's amazing to see a social network site expand their brand to include new technologies in various areas.
ReplyDeleteThis is great! It would be interesting to see how this can also be used in education and allowing students to learn something productive while playing a game. With the whole experience being virtual there are alot of cool things that I foresee could be created in terms of educational games.
ReplyDeleteI'm really curious to find out how Facebook will implement this new system into their website, if at all. I'm not sure I currently understand how or where the current platform will fit this design.
ReplyDeleteThat isn't real virtual reality though. That is a screen closer to your face. Something like inception would be virtual reality.
ReplyDeleteFacebook is clearly trying to become the next google. The scary thing is that they have a better shot at doing that then apple and could do it.
ReplyDelete