As an avid gamer and social media cynic I was understandably troubled when I saw that Facebook had purchased Oculus VR, the company developing the most promising consumer virtual reality headset yet. It felt like the rich kid on the block rode his ATV over and ran over the fort I’d spent the summer building. Why would Facebook, a company whose contribution to games has been turning them into psychological mind traps designed to wrench a stay-at-home mom’s savings $.99 cents at a time want to wade into the sequestered world of “hardcore” gaming?
In short: I doubt they do. I am sure that the first compelling uses for the “Oculus Rift” headset will still come from the gaming world. The videogame industry is, after all, the master at creating compelling 3D environments and experiences. I don’t see a virtual reality version of your Facebook feed coming anytime soon (shucks). I think this acquisition is more of Facebook hedging their bets against what may come next. Facebook was late in capturing the mobile market and I believe they don’t want to be the last to the show on the next screen that we will use to whittle away our time online.
Facebook seems to be in a position where they would rather purchase the next big thing than create it themselves. Their desire to chase the “cool kids” as they find refuge on other networks will no doubt keep Facebook’s treasure hammer swinging and enriching any number of willing entrepreneurs along the way. I think the jury is still out on how well this strategy will work long term, but it definitely makes it interesting to read the news every morning.
The reality is that the Oculus technology itself is an unproven commodity. They have done a great job at generating a new wave of interest in virtual reality. Sony recently announced their own headset and it is rumored that Microsoft may soon follow suit. However, one need only look back at the optimistic new technologies rolled out every year at CES to see how hard it is to establish a genuine seismic shift in how we ingest media; 3D TV’s were all the rage a few years ago and remain a niche market today.
So what does this mean for the future of the two companies involved? I think Facebook users will not see anything from the deal anytime soon. The best case scenario for Oculus fans will be that the extra financial backing allows them to accelerate development unmolested by Facebook. I think this is somewhat likely as Facebook is under no pressure to recoup the investment any time soon and I’m sure has no desire to squander the good will of the millions that are eagerly looking forward to the Oculus Rift’s arrival.
Oculus VR’s co-founder took to Reddit to defend the decision, acknowledging the perception that they sold out. He maintains that the company will remain independent from Facebook. I agree with him. The “Oculus Rift” is still going to get a chance to prove itself. I think that Oculus VR is probably more likely to die from post-aquisition neglect than crushed by the burden of joining the Facebook ecosystem. It remains to seen how long it takes for Mr. Zuckerberg to get tired of his new toy.
