Essentially the kickstarter backers feel cheated when the founders sell out? Didn't they know this could happen? That in the case of Oculus VR it was probably bound to happen?
Minecraft creator says he’s canceled talks for Oculus Rift version
251–260 of 369 posts
Re: Minecraft creator says he’s canceled talks for Oculus Rift version
#252Earlier quoted context omitted.
"this ... lays bare the sheer stupidity inherent in kickstarter..." I'm sorry, but where is the stupidity? Kickstarter is a specific tool available to founders/innovators/creatives that allows us to reach a community of supporters quickly and efficiently. Like all tools, it has a specific way that it operates, and to keep such a new thing from spinning out of control, it is relatively simple and has few rules. Fortun…
I think what's stupid is participating in a Kickstarter campaign and then getting bent out of shape when the company doesn't do what you want. When you contribute -- note contribute , but invest -- to a Kickstarter campaign, you're buying into the perk you get and pretty much nothing else. I can understand being upset that the company didn't do what you hoped, but considering it an investment is a bit of an overestim…
I don't think that's stupid. Kickstarter contributions are investments, they just don't have financial payoffs. The payoff should be that, if successful, a certain desirable piece of technology or art is created. If a company shifts focus away from the aims and goals they used to attract Kickstarter funding, then they have essentially acted dishonestly. There is no legal recourse, so the best thing to do is complain and make them look bad. The behaviour you think of as stupid is really the only way contributors can put pressure on Kickstarter companies to act in good faith.
Re: Minecraft creator says he’s canceled talks for Oculus Rift version
#253Earlier quoted context omitted.
It's emotional, but common, what is the proper reaction if one of the greats thing is bought by one of the worst? The only scenario worse than this i can image is Oracle. How would you feel if SpaceX, if you invested in it's technology, would have been bought by John Deere? This is more tragic than the acquisition of Bell Labs by Alcatel.
As an investor I would be overjoyed.
As a investor who get's the money, i'd be that too. But if you bought a dev kit and invested money and time to develop for that platform this is about the worst possible news.
Re: Minecraft creator says he’s canceled talks for Oculus Rift version
#254Earlier quoted context omitted.
nah, all the angst is because far too many nerds like to think they "own" up and coming cool technology even if they are not even involved beyond having read about it. When it goes to company that the clique no longer favors, usually after incredible success or the unwashed masses show up, then they act as if the world collapses. It happens so often many of us just laugh if not smirk the whole time we watch the famil…
Oculus was funded by a kickstarter. I think Notch personally contributed. Having given money to help a company develop their core technology is a little different to "not even involved beyond having read about it".
But that isn't what a Kickstarter buys you. You get rewards and you get to help fund the initial vision. (up to the scope of the Kickstarter, fulfilment of rewards, etc.)
In any case, if making awesome VR a reality was Oculus' vision, they can make a pretty good case for that vision being well served by the resources of Facebook.
At the end of the day, what are people afraid of? That the newest action games won't be playable on Rift? I just don't see how people figure Facebook might ruin this product.
Re: Minecraft creator says he’s canceled talks for Oculus Rift version
#255Earlier quoted context omitted.
Yes. All of us who hate this development are irrational. That's the only explanation for this groundswell. I can't think of a single reason to be cynical about Facebook or about this deal.
Snark aside, people tend to lose all sense of perspective and objectivity anytime Facebook is mentioned. Especially the crowd around here. I really, really don't understand the pathological and irrational hate for Facebook and/or ads.
Nothing pathological or irrational here. Facebook has a track record of trying to trick its users into revealing more information about themselves than they want. Sneaky TOS changes, anyone?
More facebook in the lives of everybody = road to dystopia.
Unless of course, you think privacy is bullshit. Then I'd recommend a book on European history (1850 to now).
Re: Minecraft creator says he’s canceled talks for Oculus Rift version
#256Earlier quoted context omitted.
The best thing? There is really no other company you could think of who would be a better partner? Like google? Or Microsoft?
Google would buy Oculus to integrate it with existing product lines, either Android or wearables. Microsoft would buy it for the Xbox. Apple would buy it to make it part of the iOS line. Facebook by far seems like the weirdest of the possible major buyers, because they have by far the fewest obvious complements to Oculus, but by the same token, that makes them the most likely company to be buying Oculus to expand int…
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Re: Minecraft creator says he’s canceled talks for Oculus Rift version
#257"And I did not chip in ten grand to seed a first investment round to build value for a Facebook acquisition." I'm guessing that pretty much sums up the reaction of everyone who backed the initial kickstarter. Sounds like a serious lapse of "dance with the one who brung ya" to me.
Isn't that a bit hypocritical?
I bought the minecraft alpha from notch at an early stage because of promises of having a modding API added to it soon.
Instead, lots of small insignificant features were added that I wanted nothing to do with. I felt they were bad for the game and only focused on short term popularity. Still, it seemed, they were beneficial for the long term growth of mojang, which was the main response to such criticism.
So now notch is offended by a company he backed partly with the money he got from people like me, whose hopes of having a fully moddable open sandbox game made them invest, changing its strategy to allow them to reach a bigger market.
I can directly relate to that, but I cannot say that I sympathize. This is what happens, when you invest in something when it's still in an early stage of finding itself. Bad luck, move on.
Re: Minecraft creator says he’s canceled talks for Oculus Rift version
#258Earlier quoted context omitted.
The backlash is a bit silly, though I also find the acquisition surprising. I suspect that companies with any sort of capital investment in a rift-based-game will continue development. That being said, Oculus owned by Facebook is a different sort of animal than independent Oculus. Previously, they had to sell the public on a $2-300 VR gaming headset or die. Now they have a lot more wiggle room. Personally, I feel mor…
Yay! Now I can have a unit for $70... so long as I finally sign up to Facebook to be able to use it! Uh. I think I'd rather pay $1000 than do that.
$70, blue colour only with white trim, have to sign-in to Facebook to use, programmable only using Hack language, shows targeted ads in peripheral vision area.
Re: Minecraft creator says he’s canceled talks for Oculus Rift version
#259Earlier quoted context omitted.
And ridiculous.
And over in a few days/weeks. It's a trend that comes from a gut feeling more than rationalization. I really believe people will change their mind about Facebook now that Facebook is not just the social network but also Instagram, WhatsApp and Oculus.
The graveyard got bigger.
Re: Minecraft creator says he’s canceled talks for Oculus Rift version
#260What company isn't creepy these days? Google, Facebook and Amazon are a few companies of many that come to mind when I think of all the user data they hold, what they know and what they could use it for. Thems the breaks unfortunately. I admire Notch standing up for what he believes in, but I just can't see how Facebook is creepier than anything else or affects the acquisition of Oculus. It's not like the gaming devi…
Notch didn't say Facebook acquiring Oculus was creepy. Notch said Facebook is creepy. Besides tighter integration with Facebook, what has changed in Instagram since it was acquired by Facebook? Nothing. You just pointed out exactly what changed with Instagram, and what everyone is afraid of changing with the Oculus. "Log in to your Facebook account to continue playing."
Hardly been owned long enough to make a judgement on that yet