Facebook News Update 2014: Facebook To Acquire Virtual Reality Headset Company Oculus For $2 Billion

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Facebook News Update 2014: Facebook Inc. announced Tuesday afternoon that it 'will acquire two-year-old Oculus VR Inc, a maker of virtual-reality glasses for gaming, for $2 billion, buying its way into the fast-growing wearable devices arena with its first-ever hardware deal,' report quoted from Reuters.

This marks Facebook's second major purchase of the year, following its chartbuster $19 billion for WhatsApp, a social messaging app.

Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg said in a statement, "Mobile is the platform of today, and now we're also getting ready for the platforms of tomorrow. Oculus has the chance to create the most social platform ever, and change the way we work, play, and communicate. Imagine sharing not just moments with your friends online, but entire experiences and adventures."

"After games, we're going to make Oculus a platform for many other experiences. Imagine enjoying a court side seat at a game, studying in a classroom of students and teachers all over the world or consulting with a doctor face-to-face -- just by putting on goggles in your home," he added.

Yahoo Tech reported that Oculus makes the Rift gaming headset. It is a 3D headpiece you fasten over your eyes and link to a computer to engage yourself in a game. The Rift has won rave reviews from critics and early adopters even it is only available to developers. A consumer version is expected later this year.

'The Oculus Rift made its public debut at the 2012 Electronic Entertainment Expo, the video game industry's largest trade show. That summer the company launched a wildly successful Kickstarter campaign in which it eclipsed its $250,000 funding goal nearly ten times over. Interest in the device has risen steadily since then, with the company raising more than $90 million in venture funding over the last two years. 75,000 people have ordered developer kits in order to test the device and begin making software for it. And owners of the device can already use an Oculus Rift to play PC games, enter the world of Game of Thrones or even visit a supermarket. However, the company has not yet released a version of its headset for sale to the general public. Zuckerberg did not provide a timetable for when that might happen,' Time stated.

Zuckerberg said "We feel like we should be looking ahead and thinking about what the next platforms are going to be. We think vision is going to be the next really big platform."

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