While the gaming community is up in arms over Facebook’s purchase of Oculus, the company behind the virtual reality based Oculus Rift, someone has to look on the bright side. Sure, it’s hard to think positively when the perceived notion regarding the Rift is doom and gloom, but there can be a silver lining.
I understand that at its core, this is a gaming device we’re talking about. Still, we shouldn't underestimate the possibilities of social interaction. Miiverse is a wonderful example of just that. The community and connecting Wii U owners have done has been one of the brightest sparks of an overall dim light regarding Nintendo’s console. Like it or not, that social interaction isn’t exactly going anywhere. Miiverse has expanded since its debut on the Wii U, and is now available on the 3DS, PC, and mobile devices.
Nintendo isn’t alone in this regard. Remember Sony’s foray into the virtual living space with PlayStation Home? Me neither, but imagine how cool it could be to visit someone’s personalized space with a VR kit. With proper execution (hello, Animal Crossing), this could be a serious thing.
So where does Facebook fit in with all this? Well, they are one of the leading social media sites on the internet. They know a thing or two about creating virtual social gatherings. They also know a thing or two about making a profit at our expenses, so it’s easy to see where the concerns are coming from. They also have a habit of hosting games designed to torture our lives with constant notifications from friends. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to understand why people are afraid of the future concerning Oculus. But there’s a saying: don’t judge a book by its cover.
Remember when we all wrote off Far Cry 3 as nothing? Look how wrong we were. Recall when we shrugged at the revival of Final Fantasy XIV? Yeah, that turned out to be pretty damn good. While I understand that gamers want their gaming devices to be used for gaming, the opportunity to turn on outside parties for possible social interactions could prove to be incredibly beneficial for the Oculus Rift. Is there the possibility for constant ad placement and cow milking? Absolutely; but there could be some pretty neat applications as well.
I understand the reasoning for the rage, but again, let’s not judge a book by its cover.
