Home

 › 

Articles

 › 

Proof That Going Viral is ALWAYS a Good Thing!

Proof That Going Viral is ALWAYS a Good Thing!

Did you see the latest cover of Time magazine? Even if your instinct is to say no, you probably have. The cover story was on virtual reality and the Oculus Rift, and it went viral, but not because it was good. How often does that happen? No, Time and virtual reality are trending because the cover photo was lame.

Time went with the most ridiculous cover photo possible for the article. A barefoot man is leaping from the sand on a beach, arms flying and head turned toward the sky. It isn’t an accurate depiction of any sort of virtual reality experience. It’s just silly. The sight makes you want to cringe. Who would want to use a virtual reality device if it makes you look like that?

Here’s the thing. The cover sucks. Time certainly didn’t intend to get the reaction it did. After all, it’s largely negative. Do you know anyone who likes how it makes virtual reality appear? However, it did accomplish a more important goal. Time got people talking. This crazy image has gone viral.

Have you been on Twitter since the Time cover was released? Everyone broke out Photoshop and is having a ball. The Virtual Reality Guy, in reality Oculus Rift founder Palmer Luckey, is everywhere. He’s riding giraffes, skateboarding with Tony Hawk, channeling his inner Cyclops, and jumping on trampolines. People may not love the original cover, but they love the fanfare surrounding it.

Proof That Going Viral is ALWAYS a Good Thing!

It’s a critical part of the internet, and even gaming, as we know it. We pay attention when things go viral. Everyone’s been talking about that guy who beat Fallout 3 as a baby. When someone makes a Mario Kart nursery for a kid, we want to know. Square Enix even saw this and hopped on the bandwagon in hopes the Time cover’s “success” could help sell Lara Croft Go .

People may want to say how horrible and damaging Time ‘s cover is to the Oculus Rift and virtual reality as a whole. It’s understandable, and yes, could end up turning some people off of the technology. But, it’s reaching the people who matter due to its viral nature. Those who are aware know how ridiculous this is and are running with the joke. That distribution is ensuring the sort of notoriety no one could ever have expected, perhaps making a bad cover more efficient than a good one could ever have been.

To top