Ben
Whether you like (or admit) it or not, people tend to watch a whole lot of porn. That’s why the largest tube sites attract hundreds of millions of unique visitors each month, and do literally billions of pageviews.
For all that attention (and money), it’s a topic that remains taboo in general consumer life. Reaching up to the virtual top shelf has become easier with the Web, but the attitudes to porn consumption and many other facets of sex are still not something most people are comfortable discussing more freely.
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It’s unsurprising then that the 2016 E3 gaming expo, which has the biggest names in VR and the future of gaming present, has just one single ‘adult’ company on the ground. And even then, Naughty America was essentially hidden away in a corner, a spokesperson for the company told AVN.
“They have us off in this tiny little booth in the corner, and we’re rockin’ it. We’ve been busy non-stop.
In fact, last night, security had to come, after they had announced that the convention was closed, and say ‘Okay, you have to leave now,’ because people just kept queuing up. Isn’t that funny?”
It’s not a phenomenon unique to E3 either – even at CES this year, only a few ‘sextech’ or adult companies were represented. Literally just a handful, which can’t – and shouldn’t – be representative of the entire adult industry to consumers.
CES is the place for the ‘latest and greatest’, and it’s the same for E3 in the world of gaming, but the shows don’t seem particularly keen to have the exhibitors there, and ‘adult’ companies seem to mostly keep to their own expos. Two different worlds and ne’er the two shall meet.
Until that changes, adult tech won’t ever be seen as mainstream or ‘for the masses’, despite the fact that a whole bunch of ‘the masses’ are already fully onboard with the idea and excited by the possibilities.
Everyone's getting a taste of our #VR today! Stop by our #E3 booth for a demo! pic.twitter.com/sjX1P3v7BH
— Naughty America ® (@naughtyamerica) June 15, 2016
As the popularity of Naughty America’s booth might suggest, people aren’t as coy as organizers might think.
E3’s dirty little secret is the same as yours: it’s porn. And that’s OK.
Update, June 18: The ESA got back to our request for a statement with the following:
E3 sits squarely at the intersection of entertainment and technology – and freedom of expression. All our exhibitors showcase hardware and software that broaden understanding of how the world interacts with technology in a manner that is respectful of the event’s mature attendees. Regulations and processes are in place to ensure that all exhibitors adhere to code of conduct guidelines and help ensure a positive experience for everyone.” – Entertainment Software Association
