Facebook just announced that it has purchased Oculus VR, a maker of virtual reality headset for an estimated price of $2 billion in cash and stocks.
Oculus VR makes “Oculus Rift”, a device that looks like a headset with a mask that enables virtual reality experience for video games. Zuckerberg says that their efforts with Oculus will continue to focus on gaming initially, and that the company will continue to operate independently of Facebook. But after gaming, Zuckerberg says, they’re going to expand into a variety of other arenas.
“After games, we’re going to make Oculus a platform for many other experiences. Imagine enjoying a court side seat at a game, studying in a classroom of students and teachers all over the world or consulting with a doctor face-to-face — just by putting on goggles in your home,” he says. “This is really a new communication platform. By feeling truly present, you can share unbounded spaces and experiences with the people in your life. Imagine sharing not just moments with your friends online, but entire experiences and adventures.”
Gaming and online betting websited have played a big role in the development of many web technologies and internet in general. But it is not quite clear why Facebook would pay $2 billion for a VR company when most of their users access Facebook through mobile and they realized albeit somewhat slowly that mobile is where their future lies. People are unlikely to carry a bulky gadget with them all the time, so unlike Google glass, Oculus is more for your living room or game room. Whether many Facebook users will pay something like $300 for such a gadget is another question.
But first mobile phones were bulky tand expensive too..Over the time headsets could also become thinner and lighter and even cheap enough for mass market penetration. This could enable companies to conduct videoconferencing which offers richer experience that that is possible currently and could help Facebook to penetrate corporate market…Or people to attend a friend’s wedding on another part of the planet remotely and virtually!