Oculus Rift began life as a Kickstarter campaign back in 2012, eventually gainging over $2 million from 9,522 backers. Those original units were a far cry from the device that will go on sale tomorrow for the first time, but the backers have nothing to fear. Oculus has announced that everyone who backed the original Kickstarter campaign at the development kit level will receive a free “Kickstarter Edition” of the final Oculus Rift.
This news likely comes as a big surprise and a huge relief to these people, as many had questioned Oculus VR’s dedication to their fans after years of waiting on the final version to release. The company’s sale to Facebook also brought some mixed feelings to the table, with many wondering if they’re initial investment was just used to get more money from Facebook.
Those doubts were likely quickly abandoned with this news, as it was totally unnecessary for Oculus to go to this length. However, as their update showed, they really wanted the original Kickstarter backers to understand how much they appreciated the help when the company was first starting out.
“As one of the early supporters of Oculus, you helped make this revolution happen. And before we open Rift pre-orders to the world, we wanted to share one more special update with you, our Kickstarter community.
“As a small token of our appreciation for your support, all Kickstarter backers who pledged for a Rift development kit will get a free Kickstarter Edition Oculus Rift! And like all Rift pre-order purchasers, you’ll receive a bundled copy of Lucky’s Tale and EVE: Valkyrie.”
The response to this news was immediate and hugely appreciative. Many comments expressed their thanks, and felt that this was going above and beyond what was required of Oculus. However, as the company points out, none of this would have happened without the support of these Kickstarter backers. It’s great to see that that support is being repaid by Oculus now.
