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| Facebook increases its presence in virtual reality |
In the past two years, Facebook has acquired several virtual reality game studios and acquired BigBox VR on Friday, adding one to its roster.
Population: BigBox VR, the number one manufacturer, has joined Oculus Studios.
“Population: Just nine months ago someone broke into the VR scene,” Mike Verdo, Vice President of Content at Facebook Reality Labs, wrote in a blog post. It remains among the best performing games on the Oculus platform, allowing up to 24 people to come together at the same time to connect, play and compete in a virtual world.
He added, “Although social media has brought players to the population: first, the sense of humor, constant updates and sheer fun of the environment keep them coming back time and time again. We have even seen that players take the time to meet in-game to participate in social activities.”
People: One of them was a huge hit and made over $10 million on the Oculus store a few months later.
People: One is a very simple Fortnite clone that replicates many of the major gaming technologies while adapting them to unique VR sports and introducing the studio's tradition and art style.
Facebook and Virtual Reality:
The game is available on Oculus and Steam stores and continues to support all of its current platforms. BigBox VR announced on its website that it will continue to receive regular updates. However, it is not yet clear what substantial changes could result from this acquisition.
BigBox VR has an ambitious plan for the future of residents: both projects. But he is not ready to share the details yet.
BigBox VR joins several other virtual reality studios that Facebook has acquired over the past two years.
The company acquired developer Onward Downpour Interactive in April, developer Lone Echo Ready at Dawn in June, developer Asgard's Wrath Sanzaru Games in February 2020, and developer Beat Games Beat Saber in November 2019.
It's a trend for console gamers to build their own network of studios. However, in the world of virtual reality, the situation looks a little different, as Facebook has few real competitors.