In a controversial move, Facebook has acquired the yet-to-be-released virtual reality headset Oculus Rift for $2 billion.  The headset has been featured prominently in tech news as an innovative gadget that stood ready to revolutionize video games in a way that hasn’t been seen since the introduction of dedicated consoles.

Following an E3 prototype demonstration in 2012, the company turned to Kickstarter and raised their goal of $250,000 in just four hours, and ended with $2.4 million.  In early 2013 Oculus Rift had shipped out developer kits to significant backers and the headsets were met with an outpouring of acclaim and excitement.   

Now, Facebook has announced their acquisition of Oculus rift, and their intended rebranding of the company.  This initially unexpected move has been met with with nearly universal criticism, including many backers and proponents renouncing their support and canceling deals, including Minecraft creator Markus Persson.  “Facebook is not a company of grass-roots tech enthusiasts.  Facebook is not a game tech company.  Facebook has a history of caring about building user numbers, and nothing but building user numbers,” said Persson.  The spate of comments range from disappointment to sheer outrage, with much of the disapproval stemming from the social media platform’s intended use of the technology.  Facebook’s plan is still somewhat unclear, but it has been speculated to be along the lines of a “new social media experience” and immersive connectivity to friends and work.  This is a far cry from the video game roots of the project, and many Kickstarter backers are angry because a social media machine is not what they had intended to pay for.  

According to Oculus creator Palmer Luckey, the deal makes sense, because “[it] accelerates our vision, allows us to execute on some of our most creative ideas, and take risks that were otherwise impossible.  Most importantly, it means a better Oculus Rift with fewer compromises even faster than we anticipated.”  

Time will tell how this will all play out for Facebook and Oculus Rift.