Palmer Luckey's Cover on TIME Sparks Internet Meme Reaction
With the growth of virtual reality technology continuing to make its way into mainstream media, today the internet is buzzing with the reveal of the upcoming cover issue of Time Magazine, featuring Oculus founder, Palmer Luckey, and the Oculus Rift virtual reality headset.
While being featured in Time Magazine should be considered a momentous achievement, the reaction to the cover photo has definitely sparked some criticism amongst fans in the VR community.
Some have expressed that the visual representation of Luckey wearing the Rift headset, while awkwardly floating barefoot over a sandy beach appears too silly, and ridiculous—and could potentially ruin the public’s perception of virtual reality. However, others have found ways to embrace the cover image and have fun with creative memes of their own.
Below are just a few interesting ones by Twitter users:
We are just getting started…. CC @hmltn @oculus @PalmerLuckey @TIME pic.twitter.com/JV5QRRYSrZ
— Robert McGregor (@ID_R_McGregor) August 6, 2015
@therealcliffyb Couldn't resist. 😉 pic.twitter.com/4NQKsHyYT7
— Sean Pelletier (@PellyNV) August 6, 2015
First costume for #LaraCroftGO unveiled! pic.twitter.com/0IteBAixYN
— Square Enix Montréal is hiring (@SquareEnixMtl) August 6, 2015
Being able to explain what virtual reality is like goes beyond just words, visual illustrations, or just by watching videos to people’s reactions to it. In order to truly understand what all the excitement is about, virtual reality is something that needs to be experienced first-hand.
So, while using a VR headset may appear somewhat comical to onlookers from an outside perceptive, it is definitely an awesome experience when you’re actually inside the Rift—you just have to try it for yourself to believe.
The consumer version of the Oculus Rift will be ready to ship in early 2016. No price has been announced yet.