Facebook-Oculus deal sparks anger among mobile developers

They aren't looking for any financial windfalls, but developers were nearly as angry as Kickstarter supporters over Facebook's decision to acquire virtual reality (VR) firm Oculus and what it may mean for mobile VR gaming. 

Facebook spent $2 billion on Oculus, maker of the Oculus Rift VR headset, with CEO Mark Zuckerberg promising the acquisition would be focused on "helping Oculus build out their product and develop partnerships to support more games." Oculus got its start on the Kickstarter crowdfunding site.

Based on how game developers responded, however, Facebook will need more than bags of money to accomplish that. 

Most developers seemed primarily disappointed at what they saw for Oculus Rift's potential, particularly in areas like Android mobile gaming.

Of course, developers are pragmatic people, and it wasn't hard for them to comprehend the motives of the Oculus team. 

Some suggested the deal was a way for Facebook to accelerate its arrival in a segment where it will eventually need traction anyway. 

While they wait to see how this all plays out, some wondered what the acquisition will mean for Oculus--and Facebook--competitors.