Children's entertainment: how virtual reality transforms the industry of XXX
The perspective and immersive effect radically change the rules of the game.
(Warning: This article discusses content that Russian law does not consider suitable for minors. Please remove children from screens, monitors, and displays.)
When in 2015, Omerus Rift inventor Palmer Lucky was asked if pornographic content would be blocked for his VR headset , he answered unequivocally: no. “Rift is an open platform. We (Oculus VR company) do not control which software will run on it, ”said the young entrepreneur.
Lucky Lucky’s views are no secret to anyone, but in this case the core of the issue is buried much deeper than a superficial understanding of personal freedoms. Pornographers always master new technologies very quickly and adapt them to their needs, simultaneously helping to push technical progress forward.
Naturally, one should not unconditionally believe the evangelical sermons about how brave adult entertainment workers struggle with luddites and prudes in the name of progress and human happiness - this is not true and exaggeration. But in the case of virtual reality, pornographic content begins to conquer a very impressive and ever-expanding niche.
Virtual Porn Shooting Technologies
From the moment of the announcement, Lucky a little more than a year passed, and the number of companies creating adult content specifically for VR headsets went up by several dozen. And these are only fairly well-known or large studios that are already shooting VR pornography; it is impossible to estimate the number of those who are just going and not overcoming technological difficulties.
Shooting for virtual reality requires a fundamentally different approach than ordinary pornography. Choosing the right camera is important, and there are no definitive solutions. For example, a panoramic head mount for a dozen GoPro HERO cameras, according to the head of the studio VRTube.XXX, does not provide the desired three-dimensional effect for close-ups. As a result, one has to sacrifice convenience and use bulky designs on tripods.
Interestingly, manufacturers' mistakes are compensated by operators using the DIY approach - more high-tech than before. A good old electrical tape replaces the 3D printer: on pornographic film sets, you can often see custom-made camera mounts.
The camera lens literally replaces the viewer's eyes, so choosing the right angle is critical. Overly artistic and cinematic lenses are at risk of disorienting, so that simpler options are generally preferable. Prolonged use of VR headsets causes headaches and symptoms of motion sickness, which the fisheye will only aggravate.
Porn actors also have to significantly change their approach due to technological difficulties. If during normal surveys they need to remember which side the operator is from, then in order to record three-dimensional video, they have to adjust their poses so that their bodies fall into the field of view of the camera at the right distance and angle.
The latter is especially true for pornoactresses: in the tradition of filming that has already taken shape, it is up to them to be responsible for the action itself. The look of the actress remains constantly chained to the camera to preserve the effect of presence.
In such circumstances, the interaction with a partner is seriously complicated. In addition, he often has to stand still in the course of the whole shooting, and in fact serve as a living props. Sometimes the "prop" begins to moan, as in ordinary porn movies, which greatly annoys viewers.
In addition, the use of camera mounts instead of tripods greatly distracts the performers from the process. It is desirable to shoot such videos “in the Scorsese style” with one duplicate in order to minimize the number of glueing: therefore the number of unsuccessful duplicates grows exponentially.
Gadgets as a tool of the proletariat
The overwhelming majority of pornographic clips are filmed in a “first-person” perspective - in this regard, VR porn is a direct heir to the already existing genre of the same name. Thanks to the headsets, a previously inaccessible effect of presence is achieved, causing delight among the audience; on the other hand, the video remains a video.
Some porn companies are trying to implement more interactive forms of adult entertainment, and, for example, integrate teledildoniku in VR-porn. A funny word refers to technology for realizing sex at a distance, but so far no one has taken seriously gadgets of this kind (except for rare enthusiasts like Russian science fiction writer Sergey Lukyanenko, who once described this idea in a cycle of novels about virtual reality).
Studio Virtual Real Porn was one of the first to synchronize their VR videos with a pair of sex toys, a vibrator and an artificial vagina. Both gadgets are turned on at given moments of the video, interacting with VR headsets via Bluetooth.
A no less ambitious project was launched in 2015 by PornHub and Topco Sales. Accessory Twerking Butt for virtual reality glasses CyberSkin made in the form of separated from the body of the female buttocks and vibrates in time with the music and videos, simulating the movement of the dance twerking.
The Japanese company Tenga has gone even further: its tactile suit of virtual reality Illusion VR completely covers the body, imitating human touch. Wearable device cost $ 400 and was instantly sold out at the beginning of this year.
If we talk about teledildonics, the VR headsets themselves deserve special attention. In a sense, at the moment they are the most important sex toys, because without them, VR-porn, of course, would not exist.
Google Cardboard takes the place of honor of the most popular headset. Together with the smartphone, this device and its other cardboard analogs can be used to view any VR-porn, and to synchronize with Virtual Real Porn toys.
VR Box- Chinese plastic analogue of Google Cardboard. The principle of operation is exactly the same: instead of the screen, a smartphone with a diagonal from 4.7 to 6.1 inches is inserted based on iOS or Android. The second version of the headset is also suitable for applications with augmented reality, as the sliding "curtain" opens the camera.
YesVr is a domestic VR headset for a smartphone, suitable for it devices with diagonals from 3.5 to 6 inches. Foam rubber is used as a lining; the distance between the lenses and to the eyes is adjustable, which should please short-sighted and farsighted viewers of pornography.
Fibrum pro- these virtual reality glasses are suitable for both smartphones on iOS and Android, and for Windows Phone. The device itself is able to track the movement of the user's head, and its design prevents the lenses from misting over. Moreover, the developers have provided a convenient system for fixing the headset on the head.
Samsung Gear VR is a more high-tech version of the “carton” that better isolates the user from the outside world, providing a quality immersive effect. To work, you need a Samsung Galaxy family smartphone. It is this headset that connects to the Illusion VR suit and is one of the most popular devices for viewing pornography.
HTC Vive - a virtual reality helmet from Valve and HTC is primarily designed for gaming, but also suitable for adult films. Built-in displays have a resolution of 1080 by 1200 pixels each, high-quality headphones ensure that sessions are not interrupted by a rough invasion of material reality.
Oculus Rift - Palmer Lucky Platform is open to any pornographic content. Another thing is that a wide range of device capabilities will be redundant and untapped at the celebration of erotic life.
Playstation VR does not officially support virtual pornography, and Sony starters ignore porn companies in the vain hope that they will loosen their grip. However, owners of Playstation 4 can watch forbidden videos through the Internet browser of the console.
The one who controls the spice - controls the universe
Is it enough just to attract the effect of presence to transform all pornography into virtual? It is doubtful. Even the most odious porn propagandists do not talk about the death of the “ordinary, old-fashioned” erotic video. To begin with, the problem is the large size of three-dimensional films: they are measured in gigabytes, which is too cumbersome.
Cost can be called the second serious issue. In recent years, consumers of pornography are accustomed to mindlessly browse the mountains of free content. Even with the cheaper technology of shooting three-dimensional 180-degree and 360-degree video porno studios are hoping to seriously return the subscription to their products.
They already have loyal fans, but the mass user chooses between free pornography on demand and a more complex procedure, including the purchase of a subscription and the use of a VR headset. Portal PornHub launched a free channel with short VR-videos, but other pornographic resources are not particularly eager to share expensive content for free.
A monthly subscription to DaBoinkVr and NaughtyAmerica will cost $ 24.95, the Annual subscription will reduce the price of entertainment to $ 5 per month. The HoloGirl VR service costs $ 19.99 per month and $ 179.99 per year, respectively. PornHub estimates the services of its premium service at $ 9.99 per month.
The high cost (compared to the free sea of pornography on the Internet) is due to considerable costs for the production of content. Swedish producer Erica Last estimates the production of porn at 20,000 €. Large porn companies are seeking to recoup the cost of new equipment at the expense of consumers, but for small indie studios such amounts are absolutely unaffordable.
As a result, existing VR pornography is very “traditional”: these are common cliches and scenarios for heterosexual men. A quick inspection of the PornHub's VR section or the NaughtyGirl portal reveals plumbers and secretaries who have inhabited sexual fantasies of several generations of men.
Western producers sluggishly portray concerns about the lack of “inclusiveness”, but are not in a hurry to flood the Internet with films about brave, paralyzed, homosexual wheelchair users with dark skin. We can safely conclude that in the coming years, virtual pornography will not leave the zone that is safe for the feelings of male viewers.
This fact is not important for the industry, because the wave of VR-porn does not think to stop. You can be skeptical to count it as a simple bubble, another mass hobby. However, interest in the topic is constantly growing, which can be observed on the schedule of search queries and their jumps after each announcement related to virtual reality devices: starting in June 2015, when Oculus showed the world the final version of its headset.
Especially noteworthy is the steady growth in interest in VR pornography throughout 2016. As various companies released their versions of virtual reality helmets and headsets, the main issue was the possibility of using these devices for the most personal purposes. At the end of the year, interest began to decline, since the idea was finally embodied and became a fairly commonplace phenomenon.
Everyday - but causing heightened attention. In June 2016, the Japanese Virtual Pornography Festival in Tokyo attracted thousands of visitors, due to the influx of which the event had to be closed almost immediately after the grand opening. For the future of the industry definitely should not worry.
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