Oculus VR exits E3 2013 with $16 million in funding for consumer Rift release

By Adam Rosenberg Published May 29, 2014

Image used with permission by copyright holder

There’s no hard release date set for the consumer version of the Oculus Rift headset, but the innovative tech is closer now than it was before E3 2013 thanks to $16 million in newly secured funding for Oculus VR. The investment comes from two sources: Spark Capital and Matrix Partners. The fresh influx of cash also comes with some names attached, as Spark founder Santo Politi and Matrix general partner Antonio Rodriguez join the Oculus board of directors. The money “will be used to accelerate the development of virtual reality hardware, software and services, ultimately creating a full virtual reality platform for consumers,” a press release confirms.

Oculus VR just wrapped a successful week at E3, where founder Palmer Luckey and his team came bearing an HD version of the Oculus Rift. Dev kits that Kickstarter backers and subsequent customers could purchase topped out at a resolution of 720p, a number that is then cut in half due to the dual display requirements of the headset. The early version of the 1080p rig brings a necessary leap forward in quality, as we learned during our sitdown demo.

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All that remains now is for Oculus to finalize the commercial design of its virtual reality headset and put it into production for anyone to buy. There’s a long-term plan to establish the tech as a platform unto itself, complete with specialized VR interface inputs that enhance the sensation that you’ve stepped into a virtual world, but such a feature is not likely to be seen with the first widely available model of the headset.

“Oculus began with a single mission: to put players inside the game,” Luckey said in a prepared statement. “This investment allows us to deliver immersive and affordable virtual reality to players everywhere.”

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Previously, Adam worked in the games press as a freelance writer and critic for a range of outlets, including Digital Trends…

Gaming

Here’s what E3 2023 could look like without Sony, Nintendo, and Microsoft

Playstation character wall at E3 2018

Let's start with the good news: E3 2023 will be held in its in-person format once again after three long years of digital events necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic, this time with ReedPop at the helm. The bad news is that Sony, Xbox, and Nintendo -- gaming's "Big 3" -- may not show up at the industry’s biggest convention this summer.

This is according to a report from IGN citing multiple sources, who claimed the companies won’t be a part of the show or make appearances on the floor at the Los Angeles Convention Center in any way. Their absence from this year’s E3, especially Nintendo’s, may come as a shock to the gaming community, but it's not such a surprise when looking at the past few iterations of E3. Even before the pandemic locked everyone down in 2020, Sony and Xbox had been hosting their own E3-style livestreams, so it was more likely they would do it again this year anyway. Nintendo, on the other hand, managed to show off its upcoming games via Nintendo Direct streams and at its booth, console kiosks and all.

Gaming

Summer Game Fest returns just before E3 2023 next June

The official artwork confirming Summer Game Fest's return on June 8, 2023.

Geoff Keighley has confirmed when Summer Game Fest will return in June 2023. It will begin with a live kickoff show on June 8, 2023, placing Keighley's game announcement alternative less than a week before E3's grand (intended) 2023 return.
Unlike past years, Summer Game Fest Live Kickoff 2023 will feature a live audience, like Geoff Keighley's The Game Awards. It will take place in the YouTube Theater at Hollywood Park, with tickets going on sale in early 2023. It will still be livestreamed across platforms like YouTube and Twitch, though. It's currently unknown who's participating, how long Summer Game Fest will run afterward, or if it will feature a Summer Game Fest Play Days-like element for fans. Still, Keighley says all of that info will be revealed ahead of the event next year, teasing what people can expect.
"In keeping with tradition, we'll have tons of exciting announcements from the developers that are pushing the games industry forward, and will once again highlight other publisher digital events, demos, and more surprises to be announced in the coming months," Keighley says in a press release.
That June 8 start date, and the other Summer Game Fest events likely to follow, put Keighley's show just ahead of E3 2023. The ESA and ReedPop plan to bring E3 back between June 13 and June 16, 2023. With five days of lead time on E3, Summer Game Fest can coexist with the long-running gaming conference and encompass the plethora of publisher showcases that tend to precede E3.
Geoff Keighley made it clear that he wants Summer Game Fest and E3 to coexist for a while. "We've had extensive conversations with ReedPop about E3," he said in an interview with Epic Games Store. "I think it'll kind of fit together and flow kind of from what we're doing into what they're doing and stuff. E3, to me, is this kind of master brand that represents gaming news in June."
With the start date of Summer Game Fest confirmed, the coexistence of these two summer gaming events is a reality. Summer Game Fest returns on June 8, 2023.

Gaming

E3 2023 returns in June with separate business and consumer days

E3 2023 will return as an in-person event from June 13 to June 16, 2023, as announced by ReedPop today.

The Entertainment Software Association (ESA) already revealed that E3 will return in 2023, but now we know exactly when the event will take place, along with several other key details. E3 will once again take place at the Los Angeles Convention Center after a four-year hiatus, but will incorporate separate days for industry professionals and general consumers.