The reaction within the gaming community to the news that Facebook is buying virtual reality pioneers Oculus VR for $2 billion in cash and stock has been less than positive, to say the least. But what about the enthusiast Oculus developers themselves?

Minecraft creator Marcus ‘Notch’ Persson explosively announced the cancellation of any and all plans to work with Oculus, because Facebook “creeps him out.” Are the legions of indie Oculus developers following suit?

Although there’s a healthy amount of skepticism - “wait and see” attitudes are everywhere - the consensus among independent developers willing to go on the record with IGN remains extremely positive. This is an opinion that's at odds with the widespread backlash among gamers.

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Positive Vibes

“ We are as dedicated as ever.

Aldin Dynamics told IGN.

NexyMedia founder Alan Robinson is deep in development on Oculus-powered survival game Atajrubah. Robinson told IGN that, if anything, the buyout news has made him even more energized. “I am [now] more determined to stick with my development plans for the Rift… For myself and the other team members survival games are just as much about the interactions between players and the experiences they have in the game world.The news that they want to take the Rift beyond just gaming in the future and focus on changing how people interact with each other, the kinds of experiences they have and even how they're educated can only be good news.”

“ There's nothing in the world that can stop me from being excited for the

Titans of Space developer ‘Drash’ is equally bullish. “Despite the shocking news of Oculus being acquired by Facebook, I currently feel more motivated than ever to develop VR software. Having just gotten back from GDC and trying the new "DK2" Oculus Rift development kit (not once, but six times), there's nothing in the world that can stop me from being excited for the Oculus Rift and VR technology as a whole,” he told IGN.

Other developers have a more pragmatic opinion on how this will impact their ability to work on Rift, but remain optimistic.

“A lot of people in the community have reacted by assuming that all VR games magically turned into FarmVille and Candy Crush overnight, but my Rift dev kit works the same today is it did a week ago. So no, this hasn't affected my day-to-day Rift development. I look at the acquisition as positive reinforcement that VR tech is on the cusp of something amazing,” hobbyist Rift developer Holden Link explained to IGN.

Cautiously Optimistic

We spoke to more than 10 independent Oculus Rift game developers, and only one indicated an intention to put Rift development on hold as a result of the Facebook news.

“We already have a working demo for the Oculus Rift, but this is such a big surprise to us and we're not quite sure what it means yet, so development is currently on hold. We need to know what kind of plans and ideas Facebook has for Oculus before making a final decision,” Mediocre co-founder Henrik Johansson, makers of Smash Hit, told IGN.

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That said, there is plenty of caution within the community about what a Facebook-owned Oculus might mean.

“ This could dramatically increase the user base of the Rift much quicker than originally anticipated...

Riftmax Theater developers Michael Armstrong & Devin Itterman explained.

“Maybe [Facebook’s] plans for VR are atrocious, maybe they're amazing. Or somewhere in between… I'm not sure what direction will Oculus with Facebook take, but if there's enough interest in VR gaming, there will be someone to provide the supply of that kind of content, if not Oculus,” SightLine developer Tomas Mariancik said.

Mariancik continued, noting that as long as tinkerer/developers are allowed to continue tinkering, the VR gaming scene will continue to thrive. “If Oculus keeps producing awesome hardware without putting any limitations or forcing developers to do something they don't like, I don't mind at all if Facebook exploits it for social VR, we'll just keep developing what we love and what players love.”

Where Does VR Go From Here?

Oculus is the biggest and most well-known player in the VR space, but they aren’t the only game in town. With Sony’s project Morpheus and other VR startups beginning to make waves, what kind of impact to these developers believe a Facebook-owned Oculus will have on the nascent VR industry as a whole?

“ Oculus are still the best hope for VR, they know they only have one chance to get this right...

Crashland and Ocean Rift developer Llŷr ap Cenydd explained.

One common thread that weaved throughout almost every developer was an excitement that Facebook would have the ability to drive adoption and awareness in a way that an independent Oculus would have had a very difficult time managing.

“This is a very good thing for the VR industry... If Facebook play their cards right and let Oculus do what they've proven they do best, then in the near future we'll all have a platform where the money made isn't on the hardware itself... but on the worlds and experiences that people develop for it,” Robsinson enthused.

Other developers sounded equally enthusiastic about the impact this will have on the overall health of the VR industry.

“ People who looked at [VR] as a niche market have to take it a lot more seriously now.

“VR is an unstoppable force and the current situation represents a tipping point for industry fence sitters. I believe this represents a major opportunity for hardware manufactures to enter into the fray. There will probably be a wide range of options available in a very short time frame and they will each offer unique points of entry into the VR market,” Cloudhead Games President and Creative Director Denny Unger told IGN.

Right now, the developers we spoke with are unwilling to abandon Oculus just because its employees will now get a paycheck with Facebook logo in the corner. If the company continues to do right by its community, and it Oculus continues to operate as an independent business unit, the community will continue its enthusiast developer support.

“In all, we believe the Facebook/Oculus Rift acquisition represents a critical moment in VR…. As an independent developer that was charmed to action by what Oculus started out as, we can only hope that Oculus will do right by the enthusiasts and developers in our situation who share the dream of making good VR a reality, and have already put their money where their mouth is,” Armstrong and Itterman said.For the complete picture on the worlds of tech, games, and entertainment, remember to keep reading IGN. We'll have much more information and analysis on the Oculus Rift soon.

Justin Davis is the second or third best-looking Editor at IGN. You can follow him on Twitter at @ErrorJustin and on IGN