After all this time, what’s a little more waiting when it comes to owning an Oculus Rift? Moments after the virtual reality headset went on sale this morning, the website crashed dampening excitement over the $599 device.
The Facebook-owned company says it will begin shipping in April and the hefty price tag doesn’t include taxes or free shipping. Early adopters will get an Xbox One Controller, a copy of the video game Eve: Valkyrie and the more family friendly “mind blowing” game Lucky’s Tale.
So far, the launch is off to a rocky start.
After the countdown clock ticked toward 11 a.m. ET, Oculus’ homepage pointed people toward the checkout page that displayed a blank screen for many, who tweeted their annoyance toward Oculus founder Palmer Luckey:
Luckey tweeted that Oculus is “experiencing insanely high load,” adding that “Credit card processing is trying to stay [live] under load from mass script kiddie fraud attempts.” He promised that there was “no chance” of the Rift selling out.
The page is back online, though it’s loading slowly. Those who have been able to get on haven’t been thrilled with the $599 price tag, a touch higher than the rumored $350 to $450 price that had been floating around:
$600 for the Oculus Rift lol they can keep it
— ITANI (@Itani) January 6, 2016
An Oculus Rift VR headset can transport you to unbelievable fictional worlds, like a world were people will spend $599 on an Oculus Rift — CEO Kaz Hirai (@KazHiraiCEO) January 6, 2016
I CALLED IT! $599 OCULUS RIFT. (I am very sad to be right, because that’s too rich for my blood right now)
— Ryan McCaffrey (@DMC_Ryan) January 6, 2016
Well, perhaps the $99 Samsung Gear VR might be of interest to them.
-
‘The world of either is behind us’: Marketers predict the future of events will be a hybrid of online, in-person
Hybrid events, combining in-person programming with an online experience, are likely to become the norm as the vaccine rollout and general return to life continues.
-
Member ExclusiveMarketing Briefing: With Cannes Lions once again virtual, the ‘networking and dealmaking is likely the biggest casualty’
The promise of another virtual event when many execs are Zoomed out and feel like it’s impossible to unplug from daily work for a virtual event has some questioning what attendance or networking will be like.
-
Cheat Sheet: Pinterest’s new rules hold creators accountable for posting brand-safe content
Pinterest's "Creator Code" mandatory content policy guidelines will keep its content creators in check, ensuring Story Pins adhere to the tone and brand-safe messaging Pinterest wants to market.
-
SponsoredDeep Dive: How AI steered The Ad Council’s campaigns during crisis
The past year transformed the way audiences respond to advertising. The pandemic, quarantine and social unrest radically altered consumers’ sensitivities, and real-time news cycles made every campaign message fraught with potential pitfalls. As NPR reported in 2020, organizations raced to keep up with the public’s changing perceptions of marketing and what resonated — or fell […]
-
This Gen Z agency ‘eliminates the learning curve’ to connect brands with its generation
CarsonDoyle is an agency built by Gen Zers and is pitching clients on working with them to authentically connect with their generation.
-
‘Seeing the shift’: As theaters open up, studios are starting to promote theatrical movie marketing again
Some agency execs, who work with major movie studios, are bullish about a return to theaters as well as a resurgence of marketing of the theatrical experience.
