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Oculus Rift Kickstarter Backers Get Consumer Version Free
When Facebook purchased Oculus in 2013, a number of Kickstarter backers felt like their faith in the startup was betrayed. Today, on the eve of Rift pre-orders launching, the company is extending a show of gratitude to its earliest patrons.
While those backers did receive everything they were promised and weren’t entitled to anything beyond that, Oculus is giving thanks to those who bought in during the 2012 campaign. The company has announced that everyone that backed the initial Kickstarter campaign at the development kit level ($300) or higher will be receiving a consumer Rift.
Those that qualify will receive a survey via Kickstarter before February 1. The Kickstarter Edition Oculus Rift will include Lucky’s Tale and the EVE Valkyrie pre-order pack-in.
Rift will be launching in 20 countries, but Oculus is making arrangements to get kits to those qualifying backers outside of those territories. Pre-orders for everyone else open at 8 a.m. Pacific / 11 a.m. Eastern on Wednesday, January 6. No price for the Rift has yet been announced.
Our Take
This is a lovely gesture for Kickstarter backers, but there’s wisdom in it, too. This seeds an eager pool of adopters who are likely to serve as evangelists for Rift and virtual reality technology on the whole.
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