????Facebook首席執(zhí)行官馬克?扎克伯格認(rèn)為虛擬現(xiàn)實(shí)是“下一個(gè)平臺(tái)”。為了證明自己所言非虛,，F(xiàn)acebook近日以20億美元天價(jià)收購(gòu)了創(chuàng)業(yè)公司Oculus VR,，在沉寂多年的虛擬現(xiàn)實(shí)界掀起驚濤駭浪。

????Oculus位于加州門羅帕克市,，此次收購(gòu)無(wú)疑使這家公司成為三維數(shù)字虛擬技術(shù)領(lǐng)域的佼佼者,。但喧囂之后，我們不禁還是要問(wèn)幾個(gè)關(guān)鍵的問(wèn)題：虛擬現(xiàn)實(shí)技術(shù)在Oculus公司21歲的首席執(zhí)行官帕爾默?勒奇出生之前就已經(jīng)誕生了,，為什么一直發(fā)展到今天仍然沒(méi)有成熟,？從Facebook方面來(lái)看，扎克伯格對(duì)虛擬現(xiàn)實(shí)的格外高看是否正確,？收購(gòu)Oculus會(huì)成為他在收購(gòu)方面的又一次滑鐵盧嗎,？

????虛擬現(xiàn)實(shí)技術(shù)過(guò)去三十年停滯不前的主要原因有三個(gè)。時(shí)至今日,，虛擬現(xiàn)實(shí)仍然是計(jì)算資源密集型技術(shù),，平常家用的PC機(jī)、手機(jī)和游戲機(jī)完全無(wú)法應(yīng)對(duì),。所以,，這項(xiàng)技術(shù)欠缺移動(dòng)性。而且,，這項(xiàng)技術(shù)本身發(fā)展也曾舉步維艱,，由于缺乏高分辨率顯示技術(shù)和精確的頭戴式追蹤設(shè)備，虛擬現(xiàn)實(shí)技術(shù)難以創(chuàng)造栩栩如生的虛擬體驗(yàn)。

????不過(guò),，近年來(lái)隨著高性能微處理器的突破,，移動(dòng)寬帶技術(shù)的爆炸式發(fā)展和移動(dòng)傳感技術(shù)的進(jìn)步，虛擬現(xiàn)實(shí)技術(shù)正在大踏步前進(jìn),。

????斯坦福大學(xué)虛擬人類接觸實(shí)驗(yàn)室（Virtual Human Interaction Lab）主任杰瑞米?拜倫森說(shuō)：“就在兩年前,，虛擬現(xiàn)實(shí)技術(shù)還在以龜速前進(jìn)。從技術(shù)角度而言,，硬件設(shè)備的重量越來(lái)越輕,，效果更逼真，造價(jià)更便宜,。從軟件角度而言，我們已跨過(guò)了轉(zhuǎn)折點(diǎn),?！?/p>

????那么，Oculus——或者規(guī)模比它大得多的競(jìng)爭(zhēng)對(duì)手索尼（Sony）——為什么還不能確定什么時(shí)候推出可堪大用的虛擬現(xiàn)實(shí)平臺(tái),？拜倫森稱,，部分原因在于性能和價(jià)格之間的權(quán)衡。

????拜倫森說(shuō)：“包括索尼和Oculus在內(nèi),，幾十家顯示公司都在競(jìng)爭(zhēng),，希望成為業(yè)界的標(biāo)桿?！倍瞬袷召?gòu)Oculus的幾周前曾與他碰面,，他送了一本自己的大作《無(wú)限現(xiàn)實(shí)》給扎克伯格，這本書(shū)正是寫給本科生和初學(xué)者的虛擬現(xiàn)實(shí)入門教材,。拜倫森還補(bǔ)充說(shuō)：“我認(rèn)為虛擬現(xiàn)實(shí)有可能改變教育,、預(yù)防醫(yī)學(xué)，以及幾乎所有能想到的領(lǐng)域,?！?/p>

????虛擬現(xiàn)實(shí)技術(shù)有無(wú)數(shù)應(yīng)用——軍事訓(xùn)練、醫(yī)療保健等等——但最直接的潛力在于價(jià)值千億美元的游戲產(chǎn)業(yè),，玩家們十分樂(lè)意以新奇的方式體驗(yàn)游戲,。

????這也許是Facebook對(duì)Oculus感興趣的最主要原因。作為一家社交網(wǎng)站,，F(xiàn)acebook利用自己的平臺(tái)在休閑游戲領(lǐng)域大獲成功,，同時(shí)還催生了數(shù)家大型游戲公司，星佳（Zynga）就是其中之一,。難道扎克伯格認(rèn)為虛擬現(xiàn)實(shí)是下一個(gè)大勢(shì)所趨,？????

????Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg describes virtual reality as the "platform of tomorrow." To back that assertion up, his company in March bought the small firm Oculus VR for $2 billion, sparking a frenzy around VR that hasn't been seen in years.

????There's no arguing that the purchase puts the Menlo Park, Calif.-based company at the forefront of the technology, which digitally simulates a three-dimensional world. But several key questions remain despite the buzz over the deal: Why is it that, after being in development longer than Oculus's 21-year-old CEO Palmer Luckey has been alive, VR technology is still not ready for prime time? And on Facebook's (FB) part, is Zuckerberg even right in targeting VR as the next big technology to watch -- or is he just setting himself up for another disappointing purchase?

????There are three primary reasons for VR's arrested development over the past three decades. Until recently, virtual reality technology has always needed more computational power than was readily available on home PCs, mobile phones, and gaming consoles. For that same reason, it lacked mobility. And the technology itself has lagged somewhat, lacking sufficient resolution and head-tracking capabilities to create a truly convincing virtual experience.

????Technologists have largely overcome these obstacles in the last few years, thanks to faster microchips, an explosion in broadband infrastructure, and a proliferation in the use of sensors in mobile devices.

????"The technology has been moving at a crawl up until two years ago," says Jeremy Bailenson, director of Stanford University's Virtual Human Interaction Lab. "From a technological standpoint, the hardware is becoming lighter, more realistic, and cheaper. From a software standpoint, we have passed the tipping point."

????So why won't Oculus -- or Sony (SNE), its much larger competitor -- commit to a release date for a VR platform that is ready for prime time? The trade-off between performance and price may be partly to blame, Bailenson says.

????"There are dozens of display companies, including Sony and Oculus, who are racing to be the standard," he says. Bailenson says he met with Zuckerberg a few weeks before he bought Oculus and gave the billionaire a copy of his book Infinite Reality, a VR primer for undergraduates and novices. "I think VR has the potential to transform education, preventative medicine, and just about every domain imaginable," he adds.

????There are myriad applications for the technology -- military training, health care, etc. -- but the most immediate potential lies in the $100 billion video game industry, where consumers are welcoming of a novel, new way to experience titles.

????This is perhaps the strongest reason underscoring Facebook's interest in Oculus. The social company has seen great success in using its platform for simple gaming, and has given birth to several large companies -- Zynga (ZNGA) among them -- because of it. Does Zuckerberg think that VR is the next wave?????