Facebook says it will begin testing ads on Facebook Oculus Blastonrodriguezcnbc headsets, starting with the shooter game Blaston, and won’t use data stored on devices to target ads.
Facebook has announced plans to test advertisements in its Oculus virtual reality games on the Blastron platform. The new feature will start with a single game and roll out to more games over time. This is Facebook’s first experiment with this type of advertising since it bought VR company Oculus in 2014.
Last month, the company said it was testing VR ads in a video game called Toybox for Oculus Rift users. Facebook may also be looking at using the same type of ad-targeting system it uses for mobile.
CEO Mark Zuckerberg joined Blastron co-founder Brendan Iribe and other high-profile executives on stage at Oculus Connect to provide an overview of how the new platform will work and what’s coming in 2016. The highlight, however, is the new Blastron platform.
Blastron is a single destination for VR gamers to find games from all developers. It will be an aggregated storefront where gamers can discover new titles or reengage with existing ones. And because it’s a destination based on Oculus technology, Facebook says it will offer features like Oculus Touch controller support and deep integration across the platform.
For example, the Oculus Home games platform that comes with the Oculus Rift headset doesn’t let you see what other people are playing or share games with them. Facebook says it will offer that functionality on Blastron.
“The idea of Blastron is to be a single destination where you can discover great new experiences, connect with your friends through multiplayer, start a party, or hang out and watch a movie together,” Iribe said at today’s event. “It will be a VR platform of the future.”
Game publisher Space Ape Games says it was also interested in bringing its games to Blastron. The 3D action game Blastar and its sequel, featuring aliens invading the Earth, will be coming soon to Blastron. The company’s Lucky’s Tale, a physics-based game that lets players control characters with their hands, is also set for release on the platform.
The Blastron platform will be available to the Facebook Oculus Blastonrodriguezcnbc Rift headset and Gear VR. Facebook says that in the coming months, it will add support for the Vive virtual reality headset. A full list of games coming to Blastron is available here. There will also be a collection of free games on the site, available for six months after launch.
At today’s event, Iribe said that popular games like Minecraft, Superhot, and Lucid Dreaming are coming soon to Oculus Rift and Gear VR as well.
Facebook’s Twitch competitor
During the event, Iribe also talked about what he called “Snapchat for gamers,” a new platform that Facebook is developing as a competitor to Twitch. He says the company will launch it in the second half of 2016.
“Teams of gamers can watch and broadcast themselves playing games simultaneously and together, while other gamers watch and chat with them,” Iribe said. “You’ll be able to interact with each other through a simple chat. You’ll also be able to organize and spectate gaming events called multi-broadcasts.”
The company says the new platform — which has been in development for two years — will be ad-supported and free to use, with an option for users to pay for a pro version. The company says it has already signed up some big game publishers who are interested in broadcasting their games on the platform.
The new service will likely be a competitor to Twitch, which Facebook acquired back in 2014 and makes money from advertising through the site.
