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Did Facebook Buy Oculus To Counter Google Glass?

Posted by timothy on from the magic-8-ball-says-looks-likely dept.

Nerval's Lobster (2598977) writes "In a statement soon after Facebook announced the acquisition of Oculus Rift, CEO Mark Zuckerberg suggested that the bulky Oculus headset had the potential to transform VR into the "most social platform ever." Whatever his reasons for shelling out $2 billion for the company, it's clear that Facebook is now a player in the augmented-reality space, which Google is also exploring in its own way. Yes, Google Glass serves a different function—overlaying maps and text over the wearer's view of the real world, rather than immersing people in a virtual environment—but the potential customer base for both devices is basically the same, and now Google has some real competition if it wants to transform Glass into some sort of gaming device. And despite some blowback from Markus Persson, it's likely that developers will continue to explore Oculus as a gaming platform, Facebook or no. Zuckerberg might be talking a good game about virtual realities far into the future (does he have to pay to promote his own posts on Facebook? Joke.), but this acquisition was likely a short-term play, as well."

23 of 108 comments (clear)

  1. Does it matter? by i+kan+reed · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Virtual reality games and augmented reality tools, in spite of both using your eyes, are so far apart in functionality, that if this were the explanation, the shareholders would be justified in a lynching.

    1. Re:Does it matter? by bobaferret · · Score: 5, Insightful

      this. Augmented reality is about interacting with the real world. Virtual reality is about being cut off from it. The market segments are so different I can't believe this article even came into existence..... Oh wait, this is from news.dice.com..... It's that who owns slashdot.... ah! I believe I see what your trying to do there..

    2. Re:Does it matter? by poetmatt · · Score: 4, Insightful

      It's more simple than that. Another case of the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B... aka bad posts from a bad author who consistently posts complete fucking garbage.

    3. Re:Does it matter? by bhcompy · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Meh. Look at Neuromancer, Snow Crash, and Surrogates, now mix Occulus Rift with Playstation Home and you have those worlds. Those realities aren't too far off. Google Glass allows you to walk bodily in the world, but VR allows you to become someone better than yourself, and, as the internet has shown, plenty of people hate themselves enough to pretend to be someone else when they can. The virtual main streets of Snow Crash may be the future, or the body doubles of Surrogates may be the future. Either way, those are competition to Google Glass, but it's a bit further sighted.

    4. Re:Does it matter? by paulpach · · Score: 5, Funny
      Next Nerval's Lobster article:

      Winzip vs Microsoft word vs C++, which one is right for you?

    5. Re:Does it matter? by paulpach · · Score: 4, Funny

      ...but the potential customer base for both devices is basically the same...

      Technically yes, both are for human beings that don't wear eye patches, which is basically the same customer base for eye drops.

    6. Re:Does it matter? by Immerman · · Score: 4, Informative

      True, but that is simply data visualization and has nothing to do with augmented reality. Augmented reality specifically allows you to see reality, and then augments that visions with synthetic enhancements overlayed upon it.

      --
      --- Most topics have many sides worth arguing, allow me to take one opposite you.
    7. Re:Does it matter? by HornWumpus · · Score: 3, Interesting

      The new rift comes with a camera, it's not impossible.

      --
      John McAfee 'It was like that time I hired that Bangkok prostitute; to do my taxes, while I fucked my accountant'
  2. real answer by slashmydots · · Score: 5, Funny

    Everyone who uses Facebook seems to be in their own little self-centered world anyway. That's why they bought Oculus. It simply matches.

    1. Re:real answer by slashmydots · · Score: 2

      OMG and I can totally have it transform 2D pics into a 3D estimation and virtual beat the crap out of my frenemies. Yay!

    2. Re:real answer by geoskd · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Everyone who uses Facebook seems to be in their own little self-centered world anyway. That's why they bought Oculus. It simply matches.

      No, Facebook bought Oculus because they are sitting on a pile of cash, and no good strategy for making profits. Facebook is not Google (which has a massive short term revenue stream), and it has no long term strategy for making social pay out the big bucks. Facebook also does not have the engineering talent to follow Googles "try everything" strategy, so Facebook is trying desperately to buy revenue diversity instead of creating it for themselves. Ultimately this is a loosing strategy, and a sign of weak / stupid management with very poor planning skills.

      Buying Whatsapp was a gamble on that companies ability to monetize an otherwise non-revenue generating user base. Oculus likewise has no proven user base. For an established company like Microsoft or Google, this kind of acquisition makes sense, since they can eat the loss if the investment goes sour (they usually do). Facebook cannot afford to have any of these mega deals go bad. They simply do not have the revenue stream and they can never again go IPO and raise another pile of cash. So instead of sitting on the cash, and waiting for a strong investment opportunity, they are squandering the money like kids in a store. It is hauntingly reminiscent of the dot-com boom, and likely will end the same way.

      --
      I wish I had a good sig, but all the good ones are copyrighted
    3. Re:real answer by geoskd · · Score: 2

      Facebook and Google are worlds apart. Googles Net earnings is greater than Facebooks gross revenue. Ditto, every other tech company that counts. Facebook has made a concerted effort to generate revenue any way they can, to the point of almost pissing off customers, and they still are almost an order of magnitude below any of the other big players (Google, MS, Apple). Worse still, the market is showing signs of a shift, and as Myspace can tell you, when your user base goes, they go quick.

      --
      I wish I had a good sig, but all the good ones are copyrighted
  3. WTF? Both are eyewear therefore the SAME! by GodInHell · · Score: 2, Insightful

    The use cases for google glass (overlaying information ontop of really - i.e. augmented reality) and Oculus Rift (a VR display that supplants and replaces your view with a different view - i.e. virtual reality) are entirely different. That would be like buying a car manufacturer to help catch up with SpaceX in building heavy launch vehicles - yeah, both are things you catch a ride in - but the technology that powers them doesn't cross pollinate.

  4. No. Next question? by gelfling · · Score: 5, Interesting

    fb's user growth flattened out as fb less cool to its own target demographic. It's just randomly looking for the next cool thing it can use to be cool. And trust me, google glass is not cool. Google glass is something your douchebag fratboy older brother uses to be cool to HIS boss. It's this year's bluetooth earbud.

  5. Beautiful by Anrego · · Score: 5, Funny

    One of those oh so rare moments in this community, which most days won't agree on anything, can all come together around a unifying understanding that the author is a complete idiot.

  6. incoherent by samantha · · Score: 4, Informative

    Google glass and Oculus Rift are in completely different spaces. One is Augment Reality and the other is Virtual Reality. One is for overlaying outside reality and the other is for replacing at least visual outer reality with other content. One is for augmented interaction with in commonly perceived visual world the other for deep immersion in a virtual world/worldview.

    It is pretty sloppy thinking to consider them competitors.

  7. What really happened by slapout · · Score: 4, Funny

    Mark Zuckerberg is setting around with his friends at a bar. Everyone's drinking.

    Bob: "How Mark, how much money is Facebook really worth?"

    Mark: "It's worth a lot."

    John: "I bet it's not. I bet you've blown through most of it."

    Mark: "No. We've got money in the bank"

    Bob: "Prove it."

    John: "Yeah. Prove it. Buy something really expensive"

    Bob: "Yeah. Buy something that costs a lot. We dare you."

    John: "Something that costs millions of dollars"

    Mark pulls out his phone and makes a call...

    --
    Coder's Stone: The programming language quick ref for iPad
  8. Incredible logic by janoc · · Score: 5, Funny

    This argument really goes like: "Oculus Rift is targeted at gamers, most gamers like bacon too, ergo Oculus Rift is competition for bacon."

    WTF, people ... Why the most clueless idiots have to be the ones getting published at Slashdot ...

  9. Dear Slashdot by fustakrakich · · Score: 2

    More facebook articles please. Maybe they'll buy the place from Dice.

    --
    “He’s not deformed, he’s just drunk!”
  10. Nevermind Google Glass isn't even AR by Chibi+Merrow · · Score: 3, Informative

    It's even dumber than that. Google Glass doesn't 'overlay' anything. It's a screen above your field of view.

    How do stories like this get approved?

    --
    Maxim: People cannot follow directions.
    Increases in truth directly with the length of time spent explaining them
    1. Re:Nevermind Google Glass isn't even AR by multimediavt · · Score: 2

      It's even dumber than that. Google Glass doesn't 'overlay' anything. It's a screen above your field of view.

      How do stories like this get approved?

      All Dice crap is now slammed down our throats whether we vote for it or not. It bypasses the firehouse and pees directly on us.

  11. Well, you did ask by gargleblast · · Score: 3, Informative

    Is Betteridge's Law Of Headlines finally due for retirement?

  12. "most social platform ever" by fran6gagne · · Score: 2

    The "most social platform ever" already exist. It is called real life.