Back in May, we learned that Netflix was mulling over a bigger push into the video game industry and was looking to hire experienced industry veterans to help. Now, it seems that Netflix has made its first big gaming hire, putting former Oculus exec, Mike Verdu, as VP of game …
Read More »Developer backtracks after agreeing to test Facebook’s VR ads
Earlier this month, Facebook announced plans to begin testing advertisements inside Oculus Quest apps. These new in-VR ads would be tested across a few different apps and games, leading to a wave of negative reviews for certain titles and forcing at least on developer to reconsider. Facebook's VR ads won't …
Read More »Facebook will now insert ads into Oculus apps
Facebook’s acquisition of Oculus back in 2014 brought with it a number of benefits, but also a number of concerns. Facebook’s status as a tech giant has allowed for great strides in the VR platform to be made, with Oculus continually innovating. However, it has also tied the platform closer …
Read More »Air Link is coming to the Oculus Quest 1
Air Link was a recent addition to the Oculus Quest 2 which allowed for VR users to connect wirelessly to their PC, allowing for Quest 2 users to play PC VR games wirelessly. At the time, this feature was made exclusive to the Oculus Quest 2, with no support for …
Read More »EU and UK begin antitrust investigations into Facebook Marketplace
The European Commission and the UK are launching separate investigations into Facebook citing antitrust concerns over the Facebook Marketplace and the company's use of classified advertisements on the platform. In particular, regulators are concerned that Facebook is unfairly using advertising data to distort competition. Speaking on the investigation, the European …
Read More »Oculus acquires Onward developer to bolster first-party VR studios
Oculus has a new first-party developer under its wing, as the company has just acquired Downpour Interactive – the studio responsible for popular VR shooter, Onward. The new acquisition was announced in a blog post, featuring statements from Downpour Interactive. When asked why the studio decided to sell, the company …
Read More »Twitch continues to dominate steaming, with almost 5 times the viewership of YouTube
In the past few years, Twitch has been unmatched when it comes to live streaming platforms, with many competitors coming and going, none of which have been able to compete with the sheer size of Twitch’s audience. This continues to be the case in 2021, with the service’s biggest competitors …
Read More »Oculus co-founder confirms Facebook cancelled Rift 2 shortly before production
As we learned yesterday, the Oculus Rift line of VR headsets is no more. Once current units of the Rift S are gone, there will be no more stock and we're unlikely to see a Rift 2. Interestingly, a Rift 2 had been developed and was nearing production, but Facebook …
Read More »Apple demands thousands of documents from Facebook ahead of Epic Games lawsuit trial
We're just a month away from Epic Games' lawsuit against Apple going to trial. In recent months, Apple has been contacting various companies across industries requesting information that could help its defence. We already know that Valve was forced to hand over data from Steam and it seems that Apple …
Read More »The Oculus Rift S has been discontinued
Shortly after announcing the Oculus Quest 2 last year, Facebook confirmed that the new standalone VR headset would replace the original Quest and eventually, the Rift S too. We're now coming to the end of the Oculus Rift S life cycle, with Facebook confirming that it will no longer be …
Read More »Personal data of 533 million Facebook users leaked online
It looks like Facebook is going to be making headlines for all the wrong reasons again this week, as personal data from 533 million accounts has leaked online. The leak sees accounts from users in 106 countries compromised, including 32 million users in the US and 11 million users from the UK.
Read More »Oculus Quest 2 has outsold all previous Oculus headsets combined
In the lead-up to the launch of the Oculus Quest 2, Facebook made it clear that Quest would be the main focus moving forward, cutting out the Rift and Go headsets. This focus on one headset seems to be paying off already, as the Quest 2 has outsold all other …
Read More »WhatsApp ‘Martinelli’ video message hoax circulating
The WhatsApp ‘Martinelli' scam is back and doing the rounds once again. Users of the app are forwarding a message to their contacts, which claims that a malicious video is going to be sent around with embedded malware. It is causing a bit of a ruckus, but there doesn't appear …
Read More »WhatsApp delays privacy policy update amid concerns over data sharing with Facebook
If you tend to use WhatsApp regularly, then over the last week you've likely encountered a pop-up about the app's new privacy policy. This new policy immediately stirred controversy due to new rules that would allow data sharing between WhatsApp and Facebook. As a result, the introduction of this newly …
Read More »FTC files lawsuit seeking to break up Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp
The US Federal Trade Commission is taking aim at Facebook this week, filing a lawsuit alleging that the company has engaged in systematic anti-competitive behaviour. The lawsuit comes following an cooperative investigation between attorney generals in 46 states. The lawsuit alleges that Facebook's acquisitions of Instagram in 2012 and WhatsApp …
Read More »UK government sets up new unit to regulate tech giants
With tech giants such as Facebook and Google having billions of consumers use their services, an argument has been made that firms such as these have in many ways stifled competition due both to their sheer size as well as their wealth of consumer data. The UK government has now …
Read More »Deleting Facebook now also removes Oculus purchases and account information
The account-linking requirement between Oculus and Facebook has already been causing headaches for some Quest 2 buyers, but there is even more to consider. If you decide to disable your Facebook account for any reason, you will also lose access to all of your purchased content on Oculus devices. As …
Read More »Oculus Quest 2 removes support for Oculus Go apps
At this point, Facebook has made it clear that the Oculus Go and Oculus Rift headsets are on borrowed time, with plans to focus on the Oculus Quest going forward. Unfortunately, that also means backwards compatibility with older apps is also going to become an issue. The original Oculus Quest …
Read More »Oculus Quest 2 buyers finding themselves banned when linking Facebook account
The Oculus Quest 2 has officially released and alongside the new headset, new terms and conditions require users to link their Oculus and Facebook accounts moving forward. Unfortunately, this process is already proving to be a complete mess, with people finding their Oculus and Facebook accounts banned after trying to …
Read More »Facebook account requirement comes to Oculus headsets this week
Oculus's most controversial change to date is officially taking place this week. For the first time, a Facebook account will be required for first-timers to Oculus VR headsets. Since launch, Oculus Rift, Oculus Quest, GearVR and Oculus Go owners have been able to log in using their own separate Oculus …
Read More »Oculus Quest 2 announced, Rift S is being discontinued
Facebook Connect took place last night and just as previously leaked, the Oculus Quest 2 was the big showstopper. The now official headset is coming in October and will completely replace both the original Quest and the PC-focused Oculus Rift line. The Oculus Quest 2 packs a Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 SoC, …
Read More »Oculus VR hardware sales reportedly paused in Germany
Virtual Reality enthusiasts in Germany might have a difficult time getting hold of any Oculus hardware for a little while. This week, it was reported that Facebook is pausing sales of Oculus Hardware in Germany due to ongoing talks with local regulator officials. German outlet, Heise.de, received an official statement …
Read More »Oculus Connect rebranded to Facebook Connect; event date announced
Recently, Oculus announced that use of its VR devices would soon require a Facebook account, in a move intended to bring the Oculus brand and its owner – Facebook – closer together. Now, the VR manufacturer’s annual ‘Oculus Connect’ event has been rebranded to Facebook Connect, with the next event …
Read More »Oculus owners will soon be forced to make a Facebook account
When Facebook acquired Oculus back in 2014, many VR owners expressed concern that the tech giant would force users onto the controversial social media platform. While this hasn't been the case until now, with Oculus operating mostly independently, Oculus owners will soon be forced to create a Facebook account in …
Read More »PlayStation suspends its Facebook advertising in protest campaign
2020 has served as a year of great reflection when it comes to hate speech and general intolerance. While companies such as Twitter and Twitch have started making moves to limit such actions on its platform, Facebook has seemingly done no such thing. As such, a large number of companies …
Read More »Microsoft cuts advertising from Facebook
In an oddly timed move, Microsoft has reportedly stopped all advertising spending on Facebook and Instagram. Given that Microsoft is one of the biggest spenders on Zuckerberg's platforms, this is an important shift, but it comes at an odd time, as Microsoft just partnered with Facebook Gaming following the shutdown …
Read More »Studio behind The Order: 1886 is joining Facebook
With the recent announcement that Facebook is buying Mixer, it is becoming clear that the social media platform is looking to compete in the games industry in a major way. Now, the company has announced that it has acquired Ready At Dawn, the studio responsible for The Order: 1886 and …
Read More »Facebook to acquire Giphy for $400 million
Facebook has made a number of huge acquisitions over the years to maintain its dominance in the social media landscape. From the $19 billion and and $1 billion purchases of WhatsApp and Instagram respectively, to the $2 billion buyout that brought Oculus under Facebook's umbrella. The next frontier appears to …
Read More »Facebook Gaming is Facebook’s answer to YouTube and Twitch
Facebook has just launched the Facebook Gaming app for Android. Originally scheduled for a June release, Facebook has expedited the app's launch given the rise in interest of the gaming and streaming scene during the COVID-19 pandemic. Out of the 2500 million users on Facebook, 700 million engage with Facebook's …
Read More »Oculus Connect 7 will be an all-digital event
Facebook has already had to make changes to one of its annual conferences due to COVID-19 and now, the company's October-bound Oculus Connect is also going to be impacted. Traditionally, Oculus Connect is an in-person event, consisting of a main press conference for hardware and game announcements, and a show …
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