Long gone are the days of VHS porn tapes and trying to sneak home a Playboy magazine. Since 1994, when the first adult entertainment website sex.com was registered (by Gary Kremen who later sold sex.com for $12 million and then founded match.com), people have been able to gain access to adult entertainment at the click of a button.
Fast forward now to 2017 and the adult entertainment industry makes around $97 billion a year! With all types of adult films being made and in a fast-changing technological climate, companies have to move fast too; Virtual reality (VR) porn is now one of the latest innovations to hit the industry.
One of the leading virtual reality adult entertainment websites is RealityLovers.com, which first started overseas in Slovakia and has now expanded into America via its founder Rene Pour.
The Levity Ball spoke to Rene, who owns Smart Media Star (which runs RealityLovers.com) about his company/website and how he uses the latest in technology to engage a user’s experience and make them feel as if they are actually in the porn video themselves, and about how VR in general is the future…
As the founder and CEO of Smart Media Star, when did you first know you wanted to run your own company in mobile web & app development?
In 2007 – 2008, we were working in the sphere of mobile payments and it turned out that this market has potential and will continue to grow, so that was the trigger for us to found a company which would operate in the field of mobile webpages.
Your company is based in Slovakia… how has the American people and media been treating you thus far with your expansion into this marketplace?
The welcome was unexpectedly warm, not just from the media, but people at the AVN [Adult Video News] exhibition show have received us extremely positively. The reactions we encounter are always full of emotion and shock at how realistic the picture we offer is. The second try is usually accompanied by amazement… people’s most frequent reaction is: “but that is me, I am in the frame – that is superb!”
You have just introduced Reality Lovers to America… why do you feel America needs your new virtual reality adult entertainment platform?
The Reality Lovers product has been on the market for almost a year. We celebrate our first birthday next month. The American market is among our largest markets – although our entre has not been that intense so far in terms of PR and marketing activities. We are currently trying to strengthen our presence in the US, in order to familiarize people with our product and expand brand-awareness of Reality Lovers on the US marketplace, since we feel that Americans are interested in and fascinated by our product.
What new technologies have been integrated into the Reality Lovers system?
Our biggest pride at the moment is the new technology which we recently introduced on our webpage, realitylovers.com, namely; the Green Screen technology, which has tremendous potential and we are planning to use it to bring our clients a brand new dimension of porn-experience, not yet known to mankind. It is crucial for us to act like innovators and market-leaders, to do new things, to differ from our competitors; I would mention here for instance the shooting of a scene from two different angles; POV and voyeur, which allows our client to download a scene from the perspective of an observant or an active participant.
Do you feel Virtual Reality is the future… not only for porn, but for other types of entertainment?
Absolutely yes. People nowadays are looking for a way to connect to VR. VR is a revolution, because it has the power to significantly alter the entertainment system in the long-run in ways which are difficult to even imagine today. We see VR as a massive opportunity which has the ability to bring people unique and new experiences which will transfer them into a different universe. This new world does not limit your imagination, your fantasies; it gives you freedom often lacking in real life. VR is a relaxation means for many of us, through which we can temporarily shut off the real world, often filled with worries and responsibilities.
You recently won a Venus Award for the Most Innovative Product… what new product innovations are you working on for 2017 and beyond?
We have already introduced two new technologies this year – the aforementioned Green Screen and POV and voyeur – 2 angles scenes. We plan to build on these technologies and continually improve them. We have several ideas where to direct our product development, but we do not want to reveal these at this point in time.
Brett Rossi is an American who is featured on your website videos… how did you connect with her and get her involved?
Because the US market is our largest, we knew that we simply had to shoot in the US and we contacted Brett Rossi in particular, because we felt that she would be a great pull for the US market. We approached her in a very standard professional manner, via her agency. The co-operation itself was fabulous, she has a very playful way of interacting with the camera, we did not have to re-shoot a single scene – she managed the first shot perfectly without hesitation or mistakes. You should not take my word for it – check out her video on our website – it is most definitely worth it! She is a professional and working with her was pure joy. In general, we have selected faces in the US, famous and less so, where we saw potential. We are definitely planning more shooting in the US.
What does it cost for someone to fully enjoy Reality Lovers? Do they need a VR headset to enjoy?
A VR headset is a necessity, yes; you cannot watch VR without it. The initial cost depends on which system the user opts for. In general, there are two choices. The first is a smartphone + headset, which costs a few dozens of dollars. The second alternative is more pricy and consists of a console and a very powerful computer, connected to an oculus. This alternative applies to users who wish to utilize VR in other spheres as well, gamers for instance. On our webpage membership starts from 19.99 USD.
Where do you see the porn industry heading in five years from now?
I am convinced, VR content will be leading the market of adult entertainment. We are on the verge of a big revolution with virtual reality taking on a crucial role in the history of media. I also believe virtual sex will become more prominent in our sex lives with various stimulators enhancing the experience or perhaps in some cases, replacing a partner. Constant technological advances bear witness to this prediction, and we are super excited to be able to leverage the opportunity of a new technology trend entering our lives. We are taking the role of being pioneers of VR porn very seriously and will do all it takes to continue satisfying needs and desires of our clients.
And final question: What do you personally want to be remembered for?
I would love to be among the pioneers, who helped apply VR into real life and contributed towards awareness of its existence. We try to educate people, teach them what VR is about and make sure that VR becomes a common part of everyday life.
