Everyone was surprised by Facebook buying Oculus VR earlier this week. It seemed like an odd fit, and many people were incensed by the acquisition, but my opinion on it is as follows: Facebook might not be the best fit, but Oculus needed money — badly. So far, Facebook has let their last two acquisitions, Instagram and WhatsApp, operate on their own, so I believe we can expect similarly of Oculus. As part of their new budget, Oculus has hired Valve’s Michael Abrash, a pioneer of the VR movement and creator behind Valve’s VR tech demo that got so much press. At Oculus, he’ll be reuniting with his old pal John Carmack to build Oculus up. Let’s hope it all goes well! Read more…
In an unexpected move, Facebook has announced their plans to buy Oculus VR, the company making the Kickstarter-ed Oculus Rift virtual reality headset. Facebook is paying out around $2 billion, which includes $400 million and 23.1 million Facebook shares, with another $300 million tied to undisclosed milestones. The partnership seems completely random, but Facebook and Oculus VR reason that this is another step in connecting people. After games, the plan is to expand the technology into other areas, like getting ring-side seats at a sports game, consulting with a doctor, and going to school. Read more…
As the hype machine is getting revved up for Twitter to go public, the one question I found myself asking was “why has it taken so long?”. And recently I was watching a really well done special on Twitter on Bloomberg TV and they boiled it down to “great service, but no business model”. Slowly Twitter is figuring out that model, but I think the real issue is why Facebook left them in the dust so long ago? Read more…
This morning, there’s been a lot of buzz surrounding Facebook’s impending billion dollar purchase of the popular photo app Instagram. With its built-in social networking features and easy-to-use interface, such a sale would seem like a no-brainer, but it wasn’t long before my twitter-feed lit up with complaints and negativity in response. Many of them were quick to brag about how they’ve never used the app, claiming that the Facebook acquisition only strengthens their resolve. Perhaps the most annoying tweet I’ve seen on the subject insists Facebook’s purchase proves there’s a market for “pretentious hipster bullshit.”
Over the course of the next few days, Facebook plans to roll out a list of improvements and changes the service designed to increase our privacy. It’s likely the move was made specifically to combat the support garnered by Google+ and its platform of selective sharing. Following their example, Facebook will now make it even easier for users to determine who they want to see their posts, photos, and more without having to wade through their user settings to do so. Instead the options will appear next our their posts, which should cut down on the hassle. On top of that, it looks as though users will now be notified before they’re tagged in a photo by another user, giving them the opportunity to opt out or approve tags before they’re added to your profile. Amazing, right? Unfortunately, many users have already migrated to Google+ and I’ve yet to see anyone bother to look back, which begs the question — are these changes too little, too late? I know many of you keep up with our site through Facebook, I’d love to hear your thoughts on the matter.
Posted by Tim Sheehy on Jul 28, 2011 in Videogames
Bioware recently launched it’s first Facebook game, Dragon Age Legends — a game they claim is the first real game to grace the social network. I’m not really sure how accurate that statement is. I suppose they could mean its the first one to fall outside the realm of casual gaming, but I know some people who take their Farmville pretty seriously. Any way, here’s the launch trailer. Personally, I don’t find myself really impressed with the visuals but then again, I shouldn’t complain too much. The game is free, after all. Features include multiplayer with friends, a full RPG leveling system and character customization. If you want to give it a go, head over to the official Facebook page for more info.
