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ETO Technology News - June 2006 edition
It's all in the Game
Naughty America, the adult movie entertainment network, had their SIMSesqe game allegedly banned from the LA E3 expo that took place in May. The cunningly entitled 'Naughty America: The Game' lets players create their own game characters by filling out a profile, send them on virtual dates with other online game users and push the bounds of good taste at a virtual location of their choice. It features live in-game chat and Sentry's background age verification services, which 'allow for a safe gaming experience'.
Naughty America spokesman Dusty Lillo had this to say about the supposed ban, "Naughty America has built its reputation as an adult entertainment network, which provides a line up of TV-like programming, similar to that of a mainstream television network. We're now expanding this high-quality entertainment into an area that's long overdue, that of online gaming and social networking. Mind you, the game will not replace adult films or self-satisfaction. But it does offer the opportunity for all adults, women and men alike, to engage in an online game without being tech-savvy - it's fun and simple!"
Noah Dudley, President of Eight Legs -the firm overseeing the design and development of the Naughty America game- also expressed his thoughts on the so-called banishment from the world's biggest annual games expo. "We were very disappointed to learn of E3's stance toward Naughty America: The Game. It's the next step in social networking and online matchmaking. It's certainly not intended for everyone, but then again neither are a number of the titles featured at the show."
It was also claimed that E3 banned the game because its adult content did not fit in with the show. Vitually shooting, torturing and running over people remains quite acceptable in 18+ rated titles though… However, Wired magazine's resident sex expert, Regina Lynn, claims in her blog that Eight Legs missed the deadline to apply for a booth at E3, and that Noah Dudley never actually contacted anyone at the ESA (Entertainment Software Association) about the appropriateness of Naughty America. He just assumed it would be banned. Whatever the truth, ironically (or perhaps not) the media coverage produced by the (non?)ban may yet boost sales of the game rather than depressing them. This isn't the first adult game, and won't be the last, so for either the games or adult industry to ignore the potential for successful crossover products would be just burying their heads in the sand.
Indeed, there's a 'Sex In Videogames(.com)' event in San Francisco on the 8th and 9th of June. Here you can learn how integrate the adult and game markets, how videogame sex happens online and which laws apply to this sector of adult entertainment.
Mobile porn at the BBC? Err, no.
Red Bee Media, formerly called BBC Broadcast, was bought by the Macquarie Capital Alliance Group of Australia in 2005 and has been awarded the contact to tailor hardcore porn for mobile phones in the UK. Amusingly, although Red Bee is no longer a part of the BBC, it still does much contract work for them and is based at the BBC's Broadcasting House in London.
A spokeswoman for Macquarie Bank in London said just one person in a temporary position in a firm that employs 1400 staff would handle the pornographic content, on behalf of an unnamed telecoms company. "We don't create the content and have no real input to what the content is," she added. "It just passes through Red Bee on the way through." In accordance with a rule that prevents 'Aunty' being involved with explicit content, the contract work will not take place in the BBC building.
It's Spam Jim, but not as we know it.
A new series of hentai (animated Japanese porn) PSP games from UnWired that allow adult companies to advertise within the storylines has been revealed. 'Saucy' Jo & The 7 Babes on UMD will be followed by a monthly new release. UnWired director David Penava said, "These games will be innovative in the sense that if the gamer plays online using the Wi-Fi capability of the machine, he will be able to see advertising on billboards, clips on a TV screen, read magazine articles, and see a different logo on a character's T-shirt throughout the game. He can automatically get directed into any predefined website through the game. These parts will be dynamically updated in the game itself while the user is playing."
In addition, players will be able to send personalised 'porn greetings' to mobile phones. Eventually. Unlicensed by Sony, the games take advantage of Sony's open-source policy for the PSP's browser.
Penava added, "We're talking technology convergence and viral marketing here. We can assume that anything that helps to sell [their] portable device -and we know that sex sells- will look good to Sony, even if they don't want to endorse it officially."
HDTV - a curse in disguise?
Bigger's always better and a sharper picture is what consumer's want, or so you may think. But US firm DIRECTV has dropped the Spice HD channel from their programming. A leading satellite service in the states, they'd aired the channel after midnight at weekends for two years before dropping it, "in order to reclaim capacity for other programming - a variety of sports, events and movies," according to DIRECTV spokesman Robert Mercer.
High-Definition TV requires several times as much capacity as 'traditional' NTSC (540 lines, 30 frames per second) or PAL (640 lines, 25 fps) broadcasting, meaning more channels can be shown over the bandwidth used by a HDTV show. Another issue is the ultra-realistic picture, as some have questioned whether porn fans want to see facial (and other) flaws on their favourite performers. Makeup can only cover so much.
DIRECTV launched their adult HD channel mere hours after Super Bowl XXXVIII in 2004. Sold in three-hour chunks for $14.99 per chunk, the channel offered films from Spice and its parent company, Playboy TV. DIRECTV continue to offer several channels of 'low-res' adult programming, including Spice Wild.
The death of the chat room. Hooray!
If you've ever used one, you'll know the limits of chat rooms. You might as well be texting each other. In May, Utherverse Inc. announced they'd turned on the first adults-only MMO (Massively Multi-user Online) community. It's specifically designed to appeal to 21-49 year old women who want a safe, social fantasy experience. By creating a 3D virtual reality space at RedlightCenter.com, populated with the avatars of 'real' people, the company hopes to attract millions of users who'll chat (by IM and voice) and interact with each other in a hedonistic, yet realistic way.
Said to be the Internet's most sophisticated adult virtual reality world, the online erotic community offers visitors highly detailed nightclubs, bars, movie theatres, hotels and stores to explore. The environment will also feature community events, including parties, educational elements, private 'meeting' rooms, real live music with unreal dancing and art-gallery launches. These events are 'broadcast' within the online setting. In addition to these 'organised' events, users can put on their own shows to audiences of other users in the theatres. These events can include podcasts, self-made films, book readings, comedy acts, band performances, classes and more. So much more. At the time of writing RedLightCenter.com is restricted to a limited number of users as it's in a pre-beta phase.
President of RedLightCenter.com, Ray Schwartz, said, "We are excited to be offering the Internet's most unique social experience to adults who are open-minded and interested in exploring their sexuality. Women -and men- can live out any of their fantasies in an empowering and safe environment. Exploring RedLightCenter.com, users can have fun dancing to live music, viewing some of the world's most erotic art, or watching a show; or for a completely different experience, women can live out fantasies such as being an erotic dancer in The Night Candy Gentlemen's Club. Visitors to RedLightCenter.com can also conveniently and anonymously browse for sex toys, sexy lingerie and other adult products. They can even 'try' various sex toys or try-on new outfits to see how they look on their personalised 3D avatar before deciding whether to purchase. Our users can view thousands of top-studio erotic and XXX films or safely participate in unrestricted sexual activity -- all risk-free. If someone's imagination can conceive it, it can be fulfilled in our unprecedented sexual universe!" Quite a claim, especially if you have a thing for one-legged midgets with unnaturally long thumbs.
Chantal Jongeleen-Heijnen (user name 'Dutch Angel') who's a Community Protector at RedLightCenter.com said, "For open-minded women who don't always want to hassle with everything from putting themselves together, to fighting traffic going out, RedLightCenter.com is a must! It's a liberating and exhilarating space. Words don't do it justice, it really has to be experienced to be believed."
MMO Communities have been popular with gamers for years, many of them fighting warlocks and hiding from Goblins on the mysterious lost city of P'tinqgty - or something. But teenage geeks grow up and their idea of a fun fantasy setting changes, so there's every chance this site will catch on, and if it does advertising space within it will be at a premium. Sadly, 95% of the 'women' in the RLC universe will still be men pretending to be lesbians.
Premium Hate Texts?
ICSTIS, the UK's premium rate telecom services enforcer, is battling with the issue of premium rate text charges to users of 0871 services. Apparently the idea is that 0871 users should have a rough idea of costs, but by joining a chat service via one and then being smothered by £1.50 premium rate texts, it becomes far harder to estimate the actual costs. Mobile Broadband Group (MBG) approached ICSTIS with a view to making the process of receiving premium texts more transparent, but as yet ICSTIS are unconvinced and the ban on this type of service remains in place.
Yet ICSTIS don't yet have the remit from Ofcom to supervise all adult content over telecoms services. That comes into play in 2008. In the meantime some mobile content suppliers are bypassing restrictions by making content free initially. In a very British move, ICSTIS provides a leaflet that contains tips to protect you from common Internet, telephone and mobile scams.
It's reported that ICSTIS provided an anecdote concerning a woman who'd rung a premium rate number because she'd scratched and found three cherries on a promotional card. The prize she'd won was a necklace. However, she called a further 346 times hoping to win a different prize - a car. Obviously she racked up an enormous bill, but the promoter dutifully posted her 347 necklaces.
In related news, MX Telecom Ltd. was fined £40,000 by ICSTIS for an advert placed in Loaded Magazine. Content provider FTXT advertised various reverse-billed SMS services, including downloads of adult images and 'live sex text', which risked misleading consumers. ICSTIS said the Ts&Cs for FTXT's services, as printed in the March issue of the magazine, were practically illegible. The type was too small and the background colour of the ad was too dark, rendering important information about costs and unsubscribing barely legible. "Tantamount to [it] being omitted," wrote ICSTIS.
More hustle from Hustler TV
Last month LFP Broadcasting, Hustler TV's parent company announced a global exclusive, long-term agreement with Defiance Films and sister company Torrid Entertainment to use their large back catalogue of films on Hustler TV's PPV and VOD services. Defiance Films have a strong fan base and have numerous titles across all adult genres, while Torrid have a softer, female-friendly edge, with their starlets directing many of their movies.
Michael H. Klein, President of LFP Broadcasting said, "We are delighted to add Defiance Films and Torrid Entertainment to our ever expanding product that is only available on Hustler TV. This agreement continues our unprecedented commitment to offering our customers the most popular and profitable titles available."
Head of Sales for Defiance Films and Torrid Entertainment, Anthony Simone, added, "Now that VOD has become more widely demanded by viewers worldwide, we are extremely happy to work with Hustler TV, the most recognised brand in the adult entertainment sector. Our unique, highly appealing programming is just what operator's are looking for to drive revenues and maximise viewer satisfaction."
The deal with Defiance Films and Torrid Entertainment follows on from a similar one struck with Jules Jordan Films in April to show their content on Hustler TVs VOD and PPV service.
If you have a story or press release you think should be included in a future Technology News feature, please contact our Technology Editor, Paul Smith via Paul@EroticTradeOnly.com.