VANCOUVER, Canada—Fans of virtual reality porn have had a lot to celebrate this year with exciting developments from Brian Shuster of HoloFilm Productions and Ela Darling of VRTube.xxx. And today comes news of the site MetaverseXXX.com, which bills itself as a home for “sex-positive virtual reality porn with a community focus.”
According to a company statement, MetaverseXXX is seeking to revolutionize the adult industry not just with virtual reality content but also in how it treats its talent and engages in revenue sharing. The Vancouver-based company announced today that it has launched MetaverseXXX.com to showcase state-of-the-art VR erotic videos that can be enjoyed on VR platforms from major manufacturers such as Samsung, Oculus and Google.
Describing the MetaverseXXX.com approach as inclusive and sex-positive, founder Markus Edge explained, “We knew from the start that we wanted to be part of building not just a company but a community that celebrates diversity. Being so closely knit into the kink and polyamorous communities allows us to explore all types of porn, including straight, gay, queer, BDSM, trans, and many other types all on one website. We are more concerned with capturing authentic consensual human sexual expression than fitting into a predefined role of what porn or sex should be.”
The MetaverseXXX team prides itself on being involved in Vancouver’s sex-positive culture, embracing “consent, safety, respect, authenticity, acceptance and diversity.”
The company’s approach to financing and profit-sharing is also community-based. Models and crew are not paid up front but rather have an ongoing stake in the revenue of the videos they are involved with. “We like to think of this startup model as a ‘PeopleStarter’ versus a Kickstarter or more traditional investment options,“ said Markus. “Some 35 people are ‘PeopleBackers’ of MetaverseXXX.com, including the models and the team behind the camera, with their contributions being their time, talent, passion, love for what they do and a whole lot of hard work. We believe in community before corporation and people before profit. We really feel that we are onto something special and you can feel that difference while experiencing our VR porn.”
Edge said, “We built our own special VR camera that captures a scene in such away that when viewed via a VR head-mounted display, the wearer feels like they are actually in the room. Until now, watching porn has been like looking through a window. Virtual reality allows you to step through that window and experience the scene as if you were actually there. It is one of those things you can’t really explain. You have to try it yourself to fully appreciate the emotional impact.”
Interest in virtual reality was high in the 1990s but died out when the technology couldn’t keep up with the hype. Now, Edge points out, the technology is stronger and more ubiquitous than ever. For just $20, a regular smartphone can be adapted to show VR movies using a cardboard housing and a free viewer app from Google appropriately named Google Cardboard.
“VR is truly emerging as a viable technology that is about to change the world, and porn,” Edge added. “We are hopeful this new business model and our mission to spread the sex-positive culture will be a success. With Vancouver’s vibrant sex-positive culture, coupled with immersive VR technology, we are thrilled to be a pioneer in the emerging virtual reality domain.”
