Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

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."

13 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.
  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.

  3. 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.

  4. 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.

  5. 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.

  6. 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
  7. 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 ...