*Images and content are potentially NSFW*
We are in the early days of Virtual Reality being readily available in the home, but there is no question that one of the first applications would be in the world of pornography. I don’t state this with any chagrin, personally I am a fan of this step. There are few human motivations as powerful as the one to reproduce. And this desire finds expression in many regions of sexuality that are not even expressly for the purpose of reproduction itself. So pornography can be used to move a technology forward, as we have seen in the past. One fascinating new application of pornography in this new VR world was reported today over at Rolling Stone.
From the article:
Virtual Sexology, a 180-degree video experience, stars 2015 AVN Cutest Newcomer August Ames, and can be viewed with anything from the mobile Google Cardboard or Samsung Gear VR to the high-end HTC Vive or Oculus Rift. It’s been designed with the help of a real sex therapist, using methodology that is practiced around the world. Standing in the bedroom with the user, Ames guides you through a series of short, hands-on demonstrations – including breathing techniques to help focus on more pleasurable sexual intercourse and Kegel exercises to extend an erection or help prevent premature ejaculation.
Another interesting development discussed in the article is that, even though the primary demographic that this is aimed for is men, there are some distinct benefits for women. Not only will the user be much more educated and capable with adequate instructions. But also because the male in the scene has to be the avatar of the user at home, the female (in this case August Aimes) during the filming has almost all the control. The adult film industry has made many strides in the last few decades regarding female empowerment, and this is yet another step in that direction.
I’m a fan of this move for two reasons. The first reason is that this is good PR for the industry. Frankly we still live in a world, especially in certain countries, where pornography is demonized. And to use this new emergent technology to provide a perceived benefit will allow defenders to say, “But look over here.” However, that is not the only reason I’m a fan. The other reason is that it can be a genuine benefit to people. I’m less than fond of the argument that pornography is a net evil or that there are even many cases of genuine porn addiction. Many things that are positive parts of modern society (prescription drugs for example) can be abused. But one disadvantage to porn is that it teaches you many things, but not the actual interaction with your partner. Also most people are sadly under-educated about sex and sexuality. This can help bridge the gap between watching porn and actually interacting with another person, and also to fill in some of the gaps that a standard education leaves.
One major VR developer is left out of this press article, and for good reason. For as much as the internet, and we here at Operation Rainfall, bag on Nintendo for their censorship (and quite justifiably in my opinion), they are not the only company who censors or prevents certain content from reaching their systems. Both of the other two console developers also engage in this practice, just to a slightly lesser degree. So the chances that we will see this on PS VR is slim to none. It’s possible that if they open up the PS VR to a streaming video type application that you may be able to use it for these applications. However, if they need to interface with some sort of UI or Operating System, then you will need to certify it to work for your device. And Sony is not going to do this. It will be rather tragic to leave the system behind that will likely have the largest install base. But until the console manufactures lift their mommy controls, it’s not going to change. There is a small amount of hope, depending on whether it’s software or video related, but don’t let your hopes get too high.
Check out the very well written and interesting piece over at Rolling Stone for more news on the development of Virtual Sexology, and stay tuned at Operation Rainfall for more VR news.
