Minecraft Creator Cancels VR Port in Wake of Facebook Deal
By Jamie Feltham	 On Mar 26, 2014
Minecraft creator Markus 'Notch' Persson has cancelled a possible port of the popular videogame to the Oculus Rift virtual reality (VR) headset. The decision was made following the news that Facebook would be buying the headset's makers, Oculus VR. The project was reportedly only in the discussion stages, having stemmed from Persson's visit to Oculus VR a few weeks ago, but will no longer be releasing. The developer cited a lack of trust in Facebook's operations as reasoning for the cancellation.
Persson explained as much in a blog that appeared shortly after news of the acquisition went live.
"Facebook is not a company of grass-roots tech enthusiasts," the famed developer said. "Facebook is not a game tech company. Facebook has a history of caring about building user numbers, and nothing but building user numbers. People have made games for Facebook platforms before, and while it worked great for a while, they were stuck in a very unfortunate position when Facebook eventually changed the platform to better fit the social experience they were trying to build."
He went on to admit that there could be certain social benefits to Oculus teaming with Facebook, including applications where users meet face-to-face in a virtual environment. That said, Persson concluded that he simply didn't want to work for Facebook and would now likely be opting for Oculus' competitors.
"I have the greatest respect for the talented engineers and developers at Oculus," he wrote. "It's been a long time since I met a more dedicated and talented group of people. I understand this is purely a business deal, and I'd like to congratulate both Facebook and the Oculus owners. But this is where we part ways."
It was announced yesterday that Facebook would be buying Oculus VR for some $2 billion USD. Fans of the Oculus Rift have been split down the middle by the news, with some unusual responses to the deal already out there. VRFocus will continue to follow every detail surrounding the acquisition and bring them to you.
Markus PerssonMinecraftOculus RiftOculus VRVirtual RealityVRFocus