Facebook Oculus Quest Ads Will No Longer Be Tested in Blaston: Developer

Isabella James, Tech Times 21 June 2021, 10:06 pm

Facebook's Oculus Quest virtual reality ads will no longer be tested in "Blaston," according to the game's developer.

Tommy Palm, CEO of Resolution Games, said in a statement shared with The Verge that they "no longer plan to implement the test" in their game.

The CEO also adds that the company is appreciative of all the feedback it has received regarding the Oculus ad testing planned by Facebook.

The statement follows an online backlash directed towards Resolution Games after Facebook revealed that "Blaston" will test its Oculus Quest ads.

In a tweet posted by the official "Blaston" account, the company further stated that "After listening to player feedback, we realize that 'Blaston' isn't the best fit for this type of advertising test."

A follow up tweet adds that the company is looking into testing the VR ads on its free game, "Bait!", instead.

Facebook's Oculus Quest: What is It?

(Photo : Pexels/Jessica Lewis)
Oculus Quest update

Facebook has dived deep into the world of virtual reality with Oculus Quest, a virtual reality headset. It was developed by Oculus, a brand owned by the social media giant, as a standalone system.

A recent update for the standalone system includes a multitasking interface that lets users put apps side by side and wireless headset connection.

Games playable on Oculus Quest include "Blaston," The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners," "Onward," and "Job Simulator."

Oculus Quest 2, Oculus' newest VR headset, was announced and released to the market in 2020. Its features include 6GB RAM for advanced processing, redesigned Oculus Touch controllers with hand-tracking, and a mobile app for easy setup.

VR Advertising Efforts Criticized

Facebook has been met with criticism ever since the company's announcement that it plans to bring advertising into Oculus Quest.

TechCrunch reports that critics of the VR ads aren't "thrilled about Facebook's broader struggles with balancing advertising efforts with user privacy." Users are also said to be "annoyed" by the idea of ads popping into games they have previously purchased.

With Resolution Games pulling "Blaston" out of the list of games that will test the VR ads, it remains to be seen what Facebook's next steps for their ad testing will be.

Blaston: A Background

(Photo : Official Blaston Webpage)

"Blaston" is a dueling shooter virtual reality game published by Resolution Games. The game is playable on both Oculus Quest and Steam.

"Blaston" lets players duel one another in real-time as well as participate in official game tournaments. Players also have to level up in the game in order to collect quality weapons to use.

Its most recent update, which is referred to as the "Crackdown Update," includes a new arena, Scrapper's Market and a single player campaign. New social features have also been added, such as the Ozo Lounge, where players can socialize with one another and even play arcade games.

Also Read: Oculus Quest 3 Release Date, Price and Details Leaked: Will VR Headset Get a New Refresh Rate and Chipset?

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Written by Isabella James