Page 49 - AVN July 2017

FEELING
IS BELIEVING
The promise of interactive content
way VHS, DVDs and downloads have been eclipsed by online streaming
via mobile devices. Is the hype around VR porn, teledildonics, haptic
devices, holograms and the other forms of futuristic adult entertainment
INIn the eyes of some, the 2D porn era is on its way out, much the same
justified, or will it fade out as quickly as it has sparked interest?
There is no doubt that these areas are currently creating a lot of heat,
but what savvy business owners want to know is whether there is real
money to be made from all these cool new toys.
“I think some of it is hype and some of isn’t,” said Paul Samuels,
director of marketing for UFeel.tv, a site that calls itself “the first
ever interactive adult channel” and offers content that syncs with the
Vstroker, Kiiroo and Fleshlight Launch. “Also, when you are talking
about VR porn, teledildonics, haptic devices and holograms, you are
talking about really completely different things. Customers who like VR
porn, for example, may very well have no interest in interactive sex toys.
The margins on the interactive devices are generally pretty slim, so the
majority of the money is going to be made on the content.”
For some the rise of these new markets is already happening and
the profits from them are considerable. “The Fleshlight Launch has
already proven to be a game-changer for us in the world of interactive
devices,” explained Kristen Kaye of Fleshlight. “Based on the nature of
our business—manufacturing and selling products—we see it as a highly
viable new market with the ability to sync content offerings including live
entertainment to create new revenue streams above and beyond the sale
value of the devices themselves. Giving people the ability to fulfill their
fantasies with something like the Interactive Fleshlight Launch is proving
to generate real revenue in our market right now while some of the other
VR and AI segments continue to struggle with gaining wider adoption
of headsets that seem to require the cost of production to drop before
consumers will be able to acquire them at a desirable price point. People
will eventually understand how amazing and easily accessible this type of
entertainment can be, but it does seem that device sales will still need to
outpace content adoption for a while to come.”
Those who were among the first to act on the live VR trend are
already seeing real rewards. “At this point, I think VR is a successful,
proven sector of the adult market,” said Ela Darling of CAM4VR. “Even
though the VR market is still new, there are several companies already
making a lot of money and amassing a dedicated fan base. VR headset
sales doubled between 2016 and 2017 and are expected to double
again between 2017 and 2018. Headsets are getting cheaper, better,
and more accessible while CAM4VR is seeing more VR users and more
engagement in virtual reality every month. There is already real money
in teledildonics—just ask a camgirl. Kiiroo, Lovense, and other similar
devices are also giving cam performers an edge by allowing users a
greater degree of connection and sexual reciprocity.”
Terpon is a company that is tightly focused on leading the way toward
faster acquisition of VR headsets and webcam devices by consumers. The
company sees hardware and content as a “chicken and egg” equation.
Too little content makes selling hardware a challenge and not enough
hardware distribution makes selling content more difficult. To solve the
paradox, Terpon believes companies will have to address both elements
at the same time.
FEATURE
CONTROLLING METADATA
AND USING APIs WILL GIVE
BETTER PROTECTION TO
PRODUCERS WHO WANT
TO BENEFIT FROM XXX 2.0
WITHOUT THE PIRACY
OBSTACLES THAT SOURED
MANY IN AN EARLIER ERA.
—JEAN-CLAUDE ARTONNE, TERPON
“Adult entertainment is about content and hardware,” explained Jean-Claude
Artonne, CEO of Terpon. “New technologies require specific hardware (smart
toys, haptics, glasses, new cameras), which creates new opportunities for
hardware and distribution companies. However those devices will all require
enriched content with metadata to take advantage of the new possibilities the
hardware provides. Terpon is joining together with companies like Kiiroo to
build technical standards for device communication in the industry. As always,
standards do take time but companies with vision understand that cooperating to
develop these foundational elements of the nascent market is critical. Controlling
the metadata and using APIs for the toys and other devices will require licenses
(free or not), and will give better protection to content producers who want to
benefit from XXX 2.0 without the same kinds of piracy obstacles that soured
many in an earlier era.”
Still, many worry that even if VR and AI do reach a point of critical mass in
the future the way mobile has in the recent past, it will quickly be dominated
by “mainstream” interests as well. Mobile has been a big growth area for porn,
but nothing remotely close to the kind of growth seen by app stores like iTunes
and Google Play. So, if the pie does get considerably larger thanks to these new
technologies, can business owners safely invest in them without worry that their
gains will quickly be taken over or restricted by monolithic companies from
mainstream?
>
FEATURE | By Stewart Tongue
7.17 | AVN.com | 49