A few days ago TIME magazine released the cover photo for their August 17th issue, which will feature the Oculus Rift and its creator, Palmer Luckey. Reactions quickly shifted from excitement to disbelief as audiences were granted a first glimpse at the cover.
Let’s be clear, this cover is not a joke. This IS the final cover that TIME will release on their August 17th issue, and it is definitely one of the most absurd covers the magazine has had in recent memory. Strangely enough this didn’t seem to bother Oculus Rift creator Palmer Luckey at all.
“People have said, ‘Oh, this is going to set virtual reality back so far.’ I’m like, are you guys really giving that much importance to an old-media cover? It’s insignificant in the scheme of this massive explosion in virtual reality’s popularity. I love the cover; I think it’s great.”
Although the magazine had nothing but positive things to say about the virtual reality machine, the image seems to showcase the Oculus in a rather negative light. Luckey believes that this image won’t impact the reception of VR in its mainstream audience at all.
Fortunately for us, the Internet didn’t just let this image go unanswered. Here are some spectacular memes that turned an already goofy image into something even more ridiculous.
And my personal favorite:
Facebook creator Mark Zuckerberg owns the Oculus Rift, and the first consumer model is set to be released in early 2016. Consumers can expect Oculus to set them back about $1,500 for an all-inclusive set up which includes the Oculus Rift, new computer system, and Xbox One controller.
So what do you think? Is this image offensive to gamers and the community or is this just another example of media blowing something out of proportion? Let us know in the comments!
