Shuhei Yoshida, an executive from Sony Computer Entertainment and a renowned video game expert, welcomes acquisition of Oculus VR by Facebook. According to him, this validates feasibility of virtual reality in general as well as work done by Sony’s PlayStation division in particular. “I woke up that morning and saw …
Read More »Next Attenborough nature documentary will work with Oculus Rift
One of the problems the Oculus Rift has had over the past year or so, is that it's been part of the next, great, tech chicken and egg scenario. While there have been some great independent developers making content for it, there hasn't been much in the way of big …
Read More »Xbox’s Ed Fries thinks VR will be a bust, like 3D
There's a lot of talk of Virtual Reality at the moment, with the announcement of Facebook's Oculus acquisition, Sony's debut of the Morpheus prototype and the news that there's a new kid on the block, the next year is looking quite exciting for VR enthusiasts. However, not everyone thinks the …
Read More »Tim Sweeney: Virtual reality will be bigger than smartphones
Tim Sweeney, a legendary game developer, said in an interview that virtual reality technologies will have higher influence on video games than the smartphones had. At present the VR technology is mostly aimed at game developers, researchers, enthusiasts and early adopters, but eventually it will not only appeal to loads …
Read More »Oculus VR hires video game guru Michael Abrash
Oculus VR, which is about to become a subsidiary of Facebook, has hired Michael Abrash, a renowned video game guru. At Oculus VR, Mr. Abrash will serve as the chief scientist, a logical position for a long-time evangelist of virtual reality technologies. What is noteworthy is that the legendary game …
Read More »Founder of Oculus VR: Facebook – a better home than Apple or Microsoft
The acquisition of Oculus VR company by Facebook caught everyone in the industry by surprise. It took just around two years between collecting money for the start-up on Kickstarter and selling it for whopping $2 billion of dollars. Still many gamers and enthusiasts are not happy with the deal. Palmer …
Read More »The Facebook, Oculus deal makes sense for everyone
I know guys. I know. I'm mad too. I'm sad, disappointed, even betrayed, but these are all things I'm feeling and I bet you are too. We're having an emotional reaction to two companies worth multiple billions of dollars doing a business deal and though I can't help but wish …
Read More »Notch cancels Oculus Rift Minecraft after acquisition
It's fair to say that the news about Facebook buying out Oculus, makers of the Rift virtual reality headset, hasn't been great. Kickstarter backers are mad that they kicked in to a tech startup only to watch its creators become mega-millionaires off of their investments, open source proponents are worried …
Read More »Facebook to Acquire Oculus VR for $2 Billion
Facebook on Tuesday announced that it has reached an agreement to acquire Oculus VR, a developer of virtual reality technology, for a total of approximately $2 billion. The move will provide Oculus necessary money to finish development of its Oculus Rift VR headset and start to market it. But what …
Read More »Microsoft: We have been playing with VR technology for quite a while
Microsoft Corp. has been quiet about virtual reality technologies and their support by its new-generation Xbox One console. However, it would be short-sighted to think that the company has not played with the tech. It certainly has. Phil Spencer, the head of Microsoft Game Studios, confirmed this during a conversation …
Read More »Oculus not part part of VR tech alliance
Despite being the founder of modern virtual reality developments and the rekindler of ever childhood fantasy gamers have had for decades, Oculus isn't part of the recently announced Immersive Tech Alliance which is made up of other firms hoping to push the envelope for VR tech and games. “We were a …
Read More »Sony shows off Morpheus Rift competitor
Yesterday Sony made the big splash everyone was waiting for and unveiled its long-in-development, virtual reality headset. Called Project Morpheus, the headset combines headphones and an HD visual display, along with head tracking and compatibility with the PlayStation move controller. Overall, Morpheus is very similar to the Oculus Rift Crystal …
Read More »You can play DotA 2 in the Rift with this virtual ‘cockpit’
Thanks to the Oculus Rift's first person perspective, it often lends itself best to games that are played in the first person. While there are games that do work well in the third person or some other perspective, any game with much of an interface is going to struggle, because …
Read More »Sony to reveal ‘Oculus Rift beating’ VR headset next week
Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE) plans to unveil its virtual reality headset next week at the Game Developers Conference. No details are known in advance, but some game designers who have already tried the device are reported to have said that the upcoming VR helmet is considerably more advanced than Oculus …
Read More »Watch the Game of Thrones cast try the Oculus Rift
South by South West (SXSW) is still ongoing in Austin, Texas and there's a lot of cool stuff coming out of it, one of the most interesting being the implementation of the Oculus Rift headset in a Game of Thrones exhibit. The simulation has you wearing a Rift, standing in …
Read More »Valve’s VR specialist moves to Oculus VR
Oculus VR this week revealed that Atman Binstock became the new chief architect at the company. Mr. Binstock is a well-known virtual reality specialist, who will join the already exceptionally strong team of Oculus VR. Atman Binstock was one of the lead engineers and driving forces behind Valve’s VR project, …
Read More »Tabletop Simulator could be a perfect Rift experience
One of the joys of real world board gaming, is that you get to sit across from your buddy and mess with them. Not in a game mechanics sense, or by actually talking to them – what are you, social? – but you can knock his stuff over, whether it's …
Read More »Radical Heroes is a great looking 8bit Oculus Rift game
Most of the games and demos produced for the Oculus Rift to date have been first person experiences. That makes total sense too, as it makes it easier to give the game a feeling of immersion and if done well it can create a really realistic feeling world, but that's …
Read More »Oculus Rift sales suspended due to component shortage
More than 50,000 Oculus Rift development kits have been sold but the company is currently unable to create more thanks to a shortage in the components that the Rift uses, an Oculus VR Community Manager has confirmed on the company's Sub Reddit. Community Manager, Andres Hernandez, wrote: “Certain components used in …
Read More »Somebody made an Oculus Rift Flappy Bird
With the recent news ‘sensation' surrounding the developer of hugely popular casual gaming app, Flappy Bird and how he took it down from the app stores because of multiple claimed reasons, it's no wonder people have been making tribute games. In-fact, as part of “Flappy Jam,” a game jam that …
Read More »Experience a Tate Modern fashion show with the Oculus Rift
The Oculus Rift might be a fantastic gaming device, but it has a lot of other uses besides making you go ‘wow' at Half Life 2 again. High street clothes retailer Top Shop is holding a catwalk fashion show later this year at the Tate Modern, but don't worry about …
Read More »Oculus is co publishing Eve: Valkyrie
One of the most impressive Oculus Rift demos that's been showcased to date, is Eve: Valyrie, a first person, cockpit, space-shooter based in the Eve universe, but Rift support was an after thought – or at least that's what we thought. In-fact, as it turns out, Oculus and Eve developer CCP Games …
Read More »John Carmack explains why he left id Software
When id Software founder and Doom programmer, John Carmack, originally left his former studio late last year to work on the Oculus Rift, the studio's parent company, Zenimax, merely said that Carmack was interested in “focusing on things other than game development at id.”, but it turns out that there's a …
Read More »Sony hints at virtual reality helmet for PlayStation 4
The first rumours about a virtual reality helmet for the PlayStation 4 emerged well before the announcement of the console last February, however, they did not look really credible since nothing particular was known about the system. However, since then they have not only re-emerged, but have now even been …
Read More »Head back to the arcade with the Oculus Rift
The Oculus Rift has a lot to live up to when it's commercially released later this year (most likely) and one of the things some people are quite excited about, is the potential for large scale simulators, using make-shift cockpits, or hydraulic chairs to offer an experience you just can't …
Read More »Oculus Rift to be wireless at launch?
The Oculus Rift is already available in devkit form for those that want to drop a couple of hundred pounds on something that's still very unfinished, with only a few full gameplay experiences available. But later this year the consumer version looks likely to hit the shelves, bringing with it …
Read More »Valve adds experimental support for VR headsets to Steam
Valve Software has added experimental support for Oculus Rift and other virtual reality (VR) headsets to Steam digital video game distribution platform. Owners of the VR gear can discover games that support virtual reality helmets in Big Picture VR mode. While at present the support poses interest only to select …
Read More »Oculus CEO talks VR game premium pricing
Oculus has a big year ahead of it. Its Rift is likely to pass from excitable curiosity, to even more impressive technical product, to a real piece of consumer hardware before the end of the year. Its launch could usher in a new medium of entertainment and new gameplay experiences …
Read More »Microsoft is not worried about Steam Machines, Oculus Rift
Microsoft Corp.’s Windows operating system has long been a darling of gamers thanks to its compatibility with a broad selection of hardware, software, application programming interfaces (APIs) and so on. Likewise, the Xbox consoles are admired by core gamers. However, powerful new platforms designed for video games are incoming and …
Read More »Valve to release virtual reality SDK in ‘days’
One of the big problems with virtual reality headsets like the Oculus Rift at the moment, is the same one that's plagued every other bit of revolutionary tech ever made – the chicken and egg scenario. In this instance, you don't want to develop a game for hardware that not …
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