This article was published on March 27, 2014

Oculus VR’s directors initially urged it to remain independent when Facebook deal loomed


Oculus VR’s directors initially urged it to remain independent when Facebook deal loomed

Developers, Kickstarter backers and others fans of Oculus VR aren’t the only ones whose initial response to the company’s acquisition by Facebook was concern. The company’s own directors wished it to remain independent when a deal with Facebook was on the table.

That’s according to the Wall Street Journal, which includes the following nugget in its profile of the virtual reality company:

The sale to Facebook came as a surprise. [Oculus VR CEO] Mr. Iribe said he initially was unsure of the deal. Oculus directors also initially disapproved, urging the executive team to remain an independent company.

Iribe tells the Journal that video games executives have been “largely supportive” of the deal, though one notable exception is Minecraft creator Markus Persson who canceled plans for an Oculus version of his title because Facebook “creeps” him out.

Despite the inevitable backlash, the deal to let Oculus grow independently with access to Facebook’s resources is an intriguing one — assuming both sides stick to their promises, of course.

➤ How Oculus Goggles Became More Than a Virtual Reality [Wall Street Journal]

Related: Selling to Facebook is no longer ‘selling out’ — but you can still expect a backlash

Image via ROBYN BECK/AFP/Getty Images

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