Wow, what a coup! Instant and absolute legitimacy. They are in for the long haul. This is going to be real stuff. As a fanatic of 360 photography and video, this is simply fantastic to see. The oculus has the potential to challenge what we have known as TV for half a century.
I would have my doubts about 3D revolutionising TV, as TV makers and content creators don't seem to be getting the reaction they'd hoped for from consumers. A lot of 3D movies are gimmicky, and some heavyweight directors like Christopher Nolan and Michael Scorsese have said it doesn't add anything to the storytelling nature of movies (unlike say IMAX). Gaming, on the other hand, will be simply amazing on the Rift, es…
It's a way different experience than watching a 3D TV is, where you just get that fun little bit of pop. Just like when playing a rift game, you feel as though you're physically present in the world, and it's incredible. The thing they're missing is the ability to move your head around in the video -- it's a little bit disorienting to have to look where the recorder looked.
I'm aware of a few ways to marry traditional video entertainment and videogames with rift support (there may be more):
1 - 360 degree video with free head movement 2 - Extremely linear, story-driven games without cut-scenes 3 - Re-living movies or TV shows by being placed within them (a la in Ready Player One)
We're very close to having 2, and 3 is very similar to that but it's in the distance still. 1 is something we're not really doing yet, but I think it'll be a pretty big deal when it hits. Videogame replays and streaming are already a big deal, and they're growing fast. Being placed within them and given the ability to look around will be fantastic.