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E3: Naughty Dog co-founder joins Facebook's Oculus VR | E3: Naughty Dog co-founder joins Facebook's Oculus VR |
(about 7 hours later) | |
Jason Rubin, co-founder of the PlayStation games developer Naughty Dog, has joined Facebook's Oculus VR virtual reality unit. | Jason Rubin, co-founder of the PlayStation games developer Naughty Dog, has joined Facebook's Oculus VR virtual reality unit. |
Mr Rubin helped create the Crash Bandicoot franchise, and later served as president of another developer, THQ, before it collapsed last year. | Mr Rubin helped create the Crash Bandicoot franchise, and later served as president of another developer, THQ, before it collapsed last year. |
He joins another games icon, Doom-creator John Carmack, at the business. | He joins another games icon, Doom-creator John Carmack, at the business. |
The appointment coincides with the E3 games expo, where both Oculus VR and Sony are showing off rival VR kit. | The appointment coincides with the E3 games expo, where both Oculus VR and Sony are showing off rival VR kit. |
"The awe-inspiring tech Oculus is building is a portal into an incredible world that my daughter will one day consider to be normal, said Mr Rubin in a statement. | "The awe-inspiring tech Oculus is building is a portal into an incredible world that my daughter will one day consider to be normal, said Mr Rubin in a statement. |
"The moment I put it on, I wanted to help define that future." | "The moment I put it on, I wanted to help define that future." |
The Oculus headset works by filling nearly all a wearer's field of view with a video game powered by a connected computer, and then changing the viewpoint according to the way the player tilts their head. | The Oculus headset works by filling nearly all a wearer's field of view with a video game powered by a connected computer, and then changing the viewpoint according to the way the player tilts their head. |
The firm currently sells a test version of the hardware for $350 (£210). | The firm currently sells a test version of the hardware for $350 (£210). |
In-house games | In-house games |
Oculus VR said Mr Rubin would head up its internal content creation initiatives, which will be based at five different locations in the US. | Oculus VR said Mr Rubin would head up its internal content creation initiatives, which will be based at five different locations in the US. |
Programmers discussing the news on Oculus' own developer forums speculated that Oculus VR needed to make the move to jump start the sector. | Programmers discussing the news on Oculus' own developer forums speculated that Oculus VR needed to make the move to jump start the sector. |
"What is happening is that Oculus VR is playing it slow in order to create an ecosystem, not just the headset," wrote Arni Arent, a Reykjavik-based programmer who owns a copy of the machine. | "What is happening is that Oculus VR is playing it slow in order to create an ecosystem, not just the headset," wrote Arni Arent, a Reykjavik-based programmer who owns a copy of the machine. |
"I don't think they're just waiting for 'content' to be made (a chicken and an egg problem) but they want to go much further in order to kick off the VR revolution." | "I don't think they're just waiting for 'content' to be made (a chicken and an egg problem) but they want to go much further in order to kick off the VR revolution." |
Christine Arrington, senior games analyst at the IHS Technology consultancy agreed with this view. | Christine Arrington, senior games analyst at the IHS Technology consultancy agreed with this view. |
"The investments that Oculus has got from Facebook give the business time," she explained. | "The investments that Oculus has got from Facebook give the business time," she explained. |
"Virtual reality isn't something you want to launch with bad technology and no games - that's been tried many, many times before and it's always failed. Having the right technology and as many good games will be critical." | "Virtual reality isn't something you want to launch with bad technology and no games - that's been tried many, many times before and it's always failed. Having the right technology and as many good games will be critical." |
Facebook agreed to acquire Oculus VR in March for about $2bn. | Facebook agreed to acquire Oculus VR in March for about $2bn. |
Project Morpheus | Project Morpheus |
The Facebook team got a further boost at E3 with news that Sega's forthcoming Alien: Isolation - a title based on Ridley Scott's sci-fi movie - is being developed with the Oculus Rift headset in mind. | The Facebook team got a further boost at E3 with news that Sega's forthcoming Alien: Isolation - a title based on Ridley Scott's sci-fi movie - is being developed with the Oculus Rift headset in mind. |
Attendees at the show are able to try out part of the game on the headset. | |
Other third-party titles on show for the machine include Playful Corp's Lucky's Tale, a third-person platformer, and Superhot, a first-person shooter funded by a Kickstarter campaign. | Other third-party titles on show for the machine include Playful Corp's Lucky's Tale, a third-person platformer, and Superhot, a first-person shooter funded by a Kickstarter campaign. |
In addition, Oculus has teamed up with Icelandic developer CCP to create the space shooter Eve: Valkyrie, which is also being previewed at E3. | In addition, Oculus has teamed up with Icelandic developer CCP to create the space shooter Eve: Valkyrie, which is also being previewed at E3. |
Sony is also allowing invitees to try out three demos on its Project Morpheus headset at the expo: | Sony is also allowing invitees to try out three demos on its Project Morpheus headset at the expo: |
Sony's machine features three processors of its own to supplement the power of the PlayStation 4, for which it is destined to be sold as an add-on. | Sony's machine features three processors of its own to supplement the power of the PlayStation 4, for which it is destined to be sold as an add-on. |
"There are creative teams around the world working with us to define the future of gaming and entertainment," said Sony Computer Entertainment chief Andrew House about the hardware on Monday. | "There are creative teams around the world working with us to define the future of gaming and entertainment," said Sony Computer Entertainment chief Andrew House about the hardware on Monday. |
However, like Oculus VR, the Japanese firm has yet to announce a release date or price. | However, like Oculus VR, the Japanese firm has yet to announce a release date or price. |
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