VANCOUVER — Vancouver-based MetaverseXXX.com has announced the launch of their official website, with videos that can be viewed on VR platforms from manufacturers such as Samsung, Oculus and Google.
“We knew from the start that we wanted to be part of building not just a company, but a community that celebrates diversity," said Markus Edge, MetaverseXXX.com founder. "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,” he added.
The MetaverseXXX team says it is "heavily involved" in Vancouver’s sex-positive culture, which emphasizes "consent, safety, respect, authenticity, acceptance and diversity, all of which have formed the basis of MetaverseXXX.com."
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 Edge. “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," he continued. "We really feel that we are onto something special and you can feel that difference while experiencing our VR porn.
"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," elaborated Edge. "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," he said. "This time, however, 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,” concludes Edge. “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.”
MetaverseXXX.com was conceived in 2013, and by mid-2014 they had developed their first VR camera and have been shooting ever since.
