Page 56 - AVN January 2016

FEATURE
But while most of the newer VR material features actual humans, another AEE
exhibitor, Holodexxx, has gone in a different direction, taking its cues from the
gaming industry.
“We’re looking at doing something that’s more true VR where you’re going to
be able to interact with the models as opposed to just watching video in a 360
platform,” said Holodexxx’s Chris Abell. “So it’s different in the sense that you’re
actually going to be in a world with one of these models where they’re going to
react to your movements; they’re going to talk to you, they’re going to feel you,
which is different from 360 video where you’re just a voyeur watching as opposed
to being a part of the action. You’ll have the opportunity to tell these models
exactly what you want from them.”
One of the company’s first models was popular XXX performer Lexi Belle,
whom they flew to their home base in Toronto and used her image to create a
photo-realistic avatar.
“What you’re able to do with her is basically put her into various positions
and augment everything from her body to hair color,” Abell explained. “You’re
basically going to buy a model and then it’ll come with a range of actions and
positions and things you can do with her—or him—and afterwards you can
buy add-ons, so it’s going to be additional audio packs, additional positions,
animations, clothing—there’s going to be an endless supply of what you can
purchase from our store, which is online, and it all gets downloaded to your home
computer.”
Also exhibiting at AEE was a relatively new company, VR Sexperience, whose
products went online for the first time last November. The booth was manned by
the company’s main engineer, Magik Jurewicz, who was reluctant to talk about
the company’s proprietary technology other than to say that, “It’s a camera system
that actually re-creates the immersive environment that you need to experience
the virtual environment which your iPhone or your Android device or any device,
present or future, will deliver. ... We had competitors actually come in with their
engineer, that flew in their engineer just to see my booth, and trying to re-create
the technology so I was really proud of my little baby.”
The Montreal-based company has about 30 VR scenes online now, using mostly
Canadian actresses, which according to Jurewicz can either be downloaded to a
phone for viewing or streamed right from the computer using an Oculus Rift, HTC
Vive or similar HMD.
All of the companies above are, of course, primarily catering to viewers
interested either in VR featuring solo girl, girl/girl, boy/girl or combinations of
those, but what’s available for transgender fans? Well, take heart, because one of
the world’s largest transgender-friendly companies, Grooby Productions, is about
to move into the VR field—but it’s been slow going.
“I’m a child of the ’70s and virtual reality was only something that we’d see
in sci-fi,” said Grooby owner Steven Grooby in February. “When I got to try
the latest VR headsets a few months ago, I was absolutely blown away by the
technology advancements and how immersive and seamless it was to use. Virtual
reality should be for experiencing something that we wouldn’t in our own ‘reality’
of life, and for most people, they’re never going to meet and have sexual contact
with the hottest transsexual stars—but GroobyVR will be the next best thing.”
Grooby himself was in L.A. in early May to finalize plans for the launch of
GroobyVR, and he’s enlisted multi-award-winning photographer Blacula as his
go-to shooter for the content—and since Grooby has connections with trans
communities all over the world (see his interview in AVN’s April 2016 issue),
finding performers for those upcoming VR scenes should be a piece of cake.
“I believe only Grooby has the brand awareness and the access to transgender
models and studios worldwide to bring the best VR to the consumer,” he stated.
“We’re testing current technology right now, with an aim to have finished content
online in the near future and we’re interested in hearing from anybody that would
want to work with us on this either in a technological, production or performing
capacity.”
But GroobyVR won’t be the only access to transgender VR, as at least one
transgender performer, award-winning Kelly Klaymour, is also striking out into VR
territory on her own with KlaymourVR.com.
Klaymour appears to have just four VR scenes currently available on
her site, with action including a POV BJ, a trans with cis-girl scene, a
shower scene and a foot fetish one, and the site offers subscribers one-
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say that equalizing
the expectations of
the audience with
the abilities of the
technology and
educating consumers
are among the main
obstacles to virtual
reality dominating
the marketplace at
the moment. The tech
has come a long way
already and the pace of
“Of course, VR blogs or
technology-focused websites
are making a killing with their
traffic right now. The takeaway
is that VR converts very well,
but it’s a very shallow market
as of today.”
—Brian Shuster, CEO, HoloFilm Productions
innovation is accelerating
as the price of entry
continues to drop. But that ‘a-ha moment’ that Steve Jobs delivered for mobile
hasn’t been expressed yet in the virtual reality vertical. That may seem a daunting
task to some, but to others in adult it represents the chance to express it effectively
before anyone else can capture the imagination of millions of new fans.
When asked what else is holding VR back at the moment, Spaits offered three
simple answers from Yanks VR: “Wider penetration of headsets, a willingness within
mainstream to allow channel access on some level and some truly innovative third-
party solutions within the adult industry, because most third-party providers have
been resting on their laurels and extracting money from the survivors of the last
financial crisis and tubes. The money is here again. Bring us great products again
and we will spend. That is an important part of adult leading tech innovation as
well.”
What gives adult a distinct advantage is the long history of living in a rapidly
changing adapt-or-die industry where we are all used to discovering solutions
to problems that have not yet been answered elsewhere. “Our achievements on
the content front have as much to do with determination as they do with having a
kickass production team,” said Glider. “With VR, there is no instruction manual; it’s
learning while doing. I could ask my content manager to create a ‘Dummies’ guide
to shooting stereoscopic 3D VR, and if you were coming to it cold, you’d be hard-
Brett Rossi and Samantha Mack at the HoloGirlsVR.com booth at AEE. Photo by JFK/FUBARWebmasters.com
Google Play, as well as our Oculus Player;
pressed to pull it off in a way that would satisfy the consumer. Hell, if she gave me
that ‘Dummies’ guide, I’d be in the same boat. It takes a lot of time, a lot of hands-on
experimentation to make it work. From a tech perspective, I’m certainly proud of our
native app players in the App Store and likewise, our mobile web player is exciting to the utmost and at each of those steps
along the way, BaDoink is blazing a path where others might follow.”
“The importance of brand” needs to be considered strongly, according to
Spaits. “The last washout of the industry significantly reduced the numbers
of true brands and content producers in the market,” Spaits said. “The
remaining brands, big or small, are in the driver’s seat with VR. They have