Oculus Rift
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Report: Facebook head sought Project Morpheus demo before buying Oculus VR
Prior to spending $2 billion on a recent surprise purchase of Oculus VR, Facebook's boy king Mark Zuckerberg took Sony's Project Morpheus headset for a spin, according to PlayStation executive Guy Longworth. "I wish he bought ours," Longworth said during a presentation at the ongoing Games Marketing Summit. Longworth recalls confusion over why Zuckerberg would request a demo of the Project Morpheus headset, though following the FTC's decision to allow the Oculus VR acquisition, it all makes sense. "All the folks at Oculus have got big smiles on today," he added. Despite missing out on that massive pay day, Longworth claims Sony is still very keen on the future potential of virtual reality. "If you think about VR, not just in terms of gaming, I think wearable technology is a huge trend that's going to continue," Longworth said. "I think that being able to have experiences that are truly deep and immersive - that it somehow makes you feel you are there - is something that people want." "If you could really deliver that in the future, that would be huge," he added, while making no mention of how Sony intends to deliver on this "huge" potential. [Image: Sony]
FTC clears Facebook's purchase of Oculus VR
Facebook has earned U.S. antitrust approval to purchase Oculus VR, clearing the way for its acquisition of the company and its Oculus Rift VR headset technology, Reuters reports. The U.S. Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission approved the acquisition this week. Facebook announced its purchase plans last month, revealing that it will pay $2 billion to acquire Oculus VR and its assets. Oculus VR crowdfunded its headset technology in 2012, later expanding its development team with the addition of former Valve software engineer Tom Forsyth, University of Illinois robotics scientist Steve Lavelle, and id Software co-founder John Carmack. The Oculus Rift headset has sold over 85,000 units to date. [Image: Oculus VR]
US government approves Facebook's purchase of Oculus
We're not sure there was ever much doubt, but the US government has given the thumbs up to Facebook's $2 billion purchase of Oculus VR. The Federal Trade Commission examined the deal and found that it would not violate American antitrust laws. Now with most of the regulatory hurdles cleared, the focus can shift to the practical implications of the deal. Joining the Facebook family clearly puts a vast amount of resources at the disposal of Oculus founders like Palmer Luckey. But many in the development community are worried that the move represents something of a loss of innocence. Notch, the man behind Minecraft, in particular is apparently creeped out by Facebook and what it's business model and culture could mean for the future of the Rift. We can't pretend to know what's coming -- we're not even sure that Mark Zuckerberg or Oculus are sure what the future holds yet. All we can say is that we really hope a VR version of Facebook isn't in the cards.
See the bridge of the USS Voyager with an Oculus Rift
Now that Unreal Engine 4 supports Oculus Rift, any virtual environment built with the platform can easily be pushed right over to the VR headset. Naturally, there's a Star Trek fan using every bit of bleeding-edge technology, so it's no surprise to see that a fan has crafted one of the first environments to take advantage of the feature. Oculus developer Thomas Kadlec has crafted the bridge of the USS Voyager for you to wander around, interact with and generally pretend that you're dodging Borg in the Delta quadrant. It's available to download now, so you can relive all of those moments when you hoped that Voyager would finally become any good, but didn't.
Mortal Online patch will add more blood and Oculus Rift support
Mortal Online is about to both look better and play better with the coming of Patch 1.80.00.00. Wait, is that a patch version or an IP address? Never you mind. The new patch contains a boat-load of tweaks and upgrades, including the switch to an updated Unreal Engine. The dev team has improved the UI, rebuilt the gathering system, added more custom helmet overlays, created a unified options system, and even added support for Oculus Rift rendering and control. And if you worried that Mortal Online might be losing its savage edge, then you'll be glad to read the following patch note: "Tweaked decapitation blood for more... blood." [Thanks to Graham for the tip!]
Daily Roundup: Xperia Z2 review, Oculus VR lets a terminal patient travel and more!
You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
Oculus Rift total sales around 85,000, dev kit 2.0 at 25,000
Oculus Rift told TechCrunch that sales of its second-iteration dev kit are at about 25,000, taking the VR unit's total sales to around 85,000. For the dev kit 2.0, that figure accounts for around a month's worth of sales since pre-orders went live on March 19. The $350 second-generation unit displays in OLED at 960 x 1080 resolution on each eye, and it offers positional head tracking via an external camera. Pre-orders are available now, but the kits aren't expected to ship until July. If you've spent the last month living under a rock, you probably don't care that Facebook bought Oculus recently for the sum of 2 billion dollars (cue Dr Evil laugh). Even a few weeks on it's still a staggering thing to think about, especially when you consider how the device began its journey on Kickstarter just two years ago. [Oculus Rift]
David Attenborough's next documentary aims for Oculus Rift release
Along with traditional video formats, Atlantic Productions has revealed plans to release its upcoming documentary, Conquest of the Skies, in a special edition designed specifically for the Oculus Rift VR headset. "We're now filming for the Oculus Rift, so when we filmed our recent flight in Borneo, we filmed with an eight-camera rig, so you got the full [360 degree] experience," said Atlantic's commercial director John Morris in an interview with Real Screen. Later, Morris described the advent of VR technology as akin to the birth of the film industry. Perhaps even more notable than the Oculus Rift headset, is this film's inclusion of Sir David Attenborough. If you've seen a well-produced nature documentary at any point in the last four decades, odds are very good it was narrated by Attenborough. At this point his name is synonymous with thoughtful, majestic footage of our planet's many natural wonders, and Attenborough's inclusion in this project adds immediate legitimacy to Atlantic's attempt at cracking a new entertainment medium. Conquest of the Skies is currently filming in Borneo, and is slated for a debut broadcast later this year. [Image: Wikimedia Commons]
Grave's dynamic horror landscape shifting on PC, Mac, Linux, Xbox One
Horror games tend to create chilling atmospheres, but the unsettling moments within them are often pre-meditated or scripted. The spooks in Broken Window Studios' Grave may be a bit more freeform than that - the Oculus Rift-compatible trek through an open-world desert environment on PC, Mac, Linux and Xbox One isn't entirely predictable. The layout of Grave's environment shifts with each passing night, making navigation less about checking off rooms on a map and more about exploring and staying prepared for the world's threats. Of course, the night's blanketing darkness hides Grave's danger, a threat that players can fend off with sources of light. Each progressively-generated sunset brings out a variety of enemies, which players can either stand bravely against during evening strolls, or use light-based weaponry to fend off while stowing away in shelters. Supplies are limited though, so shying from valuable exploration time will eventually backfire. Broken Window is currently seeking funding to make Grave possible, with $8,751 out of the requested $30,000 gathered at the time of this writing. Should the project clear its goal, the creatures in Grave's everchanging world will start stalking players in early 2015, with backers that chip in $60 or more getting access to a beta before then. If you're willing to wait until Grave is finished, contributing $15 gets you the story version, with $20 earning an endless "Survive The Night" mode. If you're still uncertain, an early PC demo of Grave is available on the project's Kickstarter page. [Image: Broken Window Studios]
Virtuix Omni virtual reality treadmill ships in July for early adopters
Virtuix's Omni treadmill, a virtual reality platform that allows users to run and walk in any direction in games using their real-life legs, will begin shipping in July for those that already pre-ordered one. The $500 package includes the treadmill unit, a pair of shoes, a support harness, mini-game and tracking software and hardware. The cost doesn't include shipping, but it does come with a one-year warranty. Those that decide to pre-order a unit now will receive it in September, according to Eurogamer. Virtuix began taking pre-orders for the omnidirectional treadmill in August 2013 following a wildly successful Kickstarter campaign that ended in July. The VR hardware developer raised $1.1 million on the crowdfunding platform, and pushed well past its $150,000 goal in its first day. We've seen videos of early demos of the Omni in action, including one accompanied by the Oculus Rift and Team Fortress 2. [Image: Virtuix]
CCP's Valkyrie eyeing 'a really big transformation in how games are built and played'
Eurogamer recent talked to CCP chief marketing guru David Reid about the company's place at the forefront of the fledgling virtual reality movement. EVE Valkryie was the first title to be publicly played on both the Oculus Rift (PC) and Sony's Morpheus (PS4), which puts CCP in the driver's seat in terms of VR game development. "There aren't a lot of white papers and APIs and ways of doing these things yet," Reid explained. "We want to be a flagship game. We're on the cusp, potentially, of a really big transformation in how games are built and played, but we have to do our part to make sure that's worthwhile for everybody." Reid also talks up Valkryie's connection to the economies in DUST 514 and EVE Online as well as its "rock/scissors/paper" game mechanics. "As I go into a battle and I earn skill points and I earn currency, I can translate those to having the capabilities to fly bigger, better different ships and can kit them differently," Reid says. "It's a fundamental mechanic of the EVE universe, in EVE Online and in DUST, and it'll be coming to Valkyrie as well."
Landmark's Georgeson 'hugely interested' in VR, Project Morpheus
EverQuest franchise director Dave Georgeson is "hugely interested" in Sony's Project Morpheus VR headset, according to IGN. While Georgeson said that the PC pedigree of EverQuest Next and Landmark prevent the company from currently embracing the PS4-only Project Morpheus, he also said that he sees VR as "the future of gaming." "We need to build the game, and then we can talk about virtual reality and stuff beyond that," Georgeson explained.
Oculus VR picks up Valve's Aaron Nicholls
We like to imagine that there's some fantastical conveyance – a giant slide or a catapult, perhaps – that connects the Bellevue, Washington offices of Valve and Oculus VR. It might help explain the number of Valve employees that keep making the jump (launch?) to Oculus' camp. The latest Valver to slide on over to Oculus is Aaron Nicholls who, according to his Linkedin profile (login required), researched virtual reality for two years with Valve. Specifically, said research included "a wide range of perceptual and physical considerations necessary for delivering presence in VR." Nicholls will be working as a scientist alongside other former Valvers, including Michael Abrash, now Oculus VR's Chief Scientist, and Chief Architect, Atman Binstock. [Image: Oculus VR]
Roberts praises Oculus-Facebook deal, says Star Citizen will remain independent
Star Citizen topped $41 million in crowdfunding yesterday, and Cloud Imperium boss Chris Roberts penned a new Letter from the Chairman as a result. The latest stretch goal unlocked the procedural generation R&D team, but perhaps more notably it served as an opportunity for Roberts to weigh in on the Oculus-Facebook debate and reassure Star Citizen fans of the game's independence. Roberts explained how Facebook's investment will help defer the obscene manufacturing and supply chain costs involved in bringing new hardware to the mass market. He also pointed out that Star Citizen features none of those costs, so there's no desire to sell to a larger firm. "We don't need to go to anyone with deep pockets to make our dream a reality," Roberts wrote. "Luckily our ships are digital so we have hardly any cost of goods, just the cost of developing the universe of Star Citizen and running servers that Star Citizen's universe will be simulated on. Thanks to the generosity of the Star Citizen community we have these two things covered."
John Carmack on Facebook buy of Oculus: 'they get the Big Picture'
John Carmack, co-founder of id Software and current CTO of Oculus, has weighed in on the Internet's ... shall we say "mixed" reaction to the news of Facebook purchasing the virtual reality-oriented company. Carmack responded to a post titled "Wrong and Right Reasons To Be Upset About Oculus" on Anamanaguchi lead songwriter Peter Berkman's Tumblr page, noting that, while he was not involved in the negotiations with Facebook, he has "reason to believe that they get the Big Picture as I see it, and will be a powerful force towards making it happen." That being said, even Carmack seems surprised by the acquisition. "Honestly, I wasn't expecting Facebook (or this soon). I have zero personal background with them, and I could think of other companies that would have more obvious synergies," Carmack wrote. Many have expressed concern over Facebook's policies regarding private information, but Carmack doesn't share those worries. "I'm not a 'privacy is gone, get over it' sort of person, and I fully support people that want [to] remain unobserved, but that means disengaging from many opportunities. The idea that companies are supposed to interact with you and not pay attention has never seemed sane to me," he wrote in a separate comment. "I have never felt harmed by data mining, and I rather like the recommendations that Amazon gives me on each visit." [Image: Oculus]
Valve R&D head Michael Abrash joins Oculus as chief scientist
Michael Abrash, the leader of Valve's Research and Development team, joined Oculus VR as chief scientist today. The news follows Oculus' recent acquisition by Facebook to the tune of $2 billion, which Abrash addressed, in a blog post on Oculus VR's site, as a promise that virtual reality "is going to happen in all its glory." "The resources and long-term commitment that Facebook brings gives Oculus the runway it needs to solve the hard problems of VR – and some of them are hard indeed," Abrash wrote. "I now fully expect to spend the rest of my career pushing VR as far ahead as I can." As of January, Abrash was at the forefront of Valve's efforts to work with Oculus to develop in-home virtual reality solutions. Valve's VR leader, Atman Binstock, joined Oculus earlier this month to lead a new Seattle-based team as chief architect. Abrash described his "unlikely" journey to Valve and now Oculus VR in the blog and his work with John Carmack, who joined Oculus in August as the company's CTO. Oculus' own path from a $2.5 million Kickstarter project to a $2 billion sale is equally remarkable, to be sure. [Image: Oculus VR]
Oculus Rift: From $2.4 million Kickstarter to $2 billion sale
Facebook's acquisition of Oculus VR stunned the game industry. In less than two years, Oculus VR and its Oculus Rift virtual reality headset have gone from (literal) overnight Kickstarter success to subsidiary of a social networking giant. To put it another way: John Carmack, one of the principal creative forces behind the original Doom, is now a Facebook employee. Wild. The transition of Oculus VR from a $2.4 million dollar Kickstarter to a $2 billion dollar acquisition seems unreal. To put things in perspective, and for the benefit of anyone who hasn't kept up with Oculus VR's meteoric rise, we've decided to retrace the company's story all the way from its humble beginnings in 2012.
Oculus Rift launch date unaffected by Facebook acquisition, Luckey says
Facebook's $2 billion acquisition of Oculus VR won't speed up the Rift's development or push forward a launch date, Oculus co-founder Palmer Luckey told Game Informer. "There are things that are fixed in time that need to happen that no amount of money or partnership can move," Luckey said. Facebook's buyout was a sudden shock to the industry at large, and it happened almost as quickly on the inside, right in Oculus headquarters after Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg tried the hardware for himself, Oculus VR co-founder Brendan Iribe told the site.
Daily Roundup: the future of Oculus Rift, Turkey drops Twitter ban and more!
You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
Investors unfriend Facebook stock, Candy Crush dev IPO not so sweet
Facebook's current status after the $2 billion acquisition of virtual reality outfit Oculus yesterday? It's complicated. The social media company's stock didn't rally on the news today, dropping nearly seven percent to $60.38/share (-4.51). Reaction within the games industry has been strong to the purchase. Markus "Notch" Persson swiftly cancelled a planned Minecraft port for Oculus noting "Facebook creeps [him] out." Candy Crush Saga developer King also had its initial price offering on the New York Stock Exchange today and swiped away 15.5 percent of its value, down $3.50 to $19. Bloomberg points out the drop is one of the largest in recent memory for a new stock. No word yet if King is trying to trademark failure. Tomorrow is another day.
