The Decade In Porn: Digital Playground Looks Back On 2000-2009

As the first decade of the 2000s draws to a close, Fleshbot's sitting down with adult industry influentials to learn how the business of pleasure has changed over the past ten years. Up first: a talk with Digital Playground.

We spoke with Joone, Digital Playground's founder, and Adella, Digital Playground's Director of Marketing and Sales, who gave us their take on how the industry's evolved over the '00s.

At left: Rocki Roads, Digital Playground's first contract star, and Raven Alexis, one of their newest. Images courtesy of Digital Playground (digitalplayground.com)

Fleshbot: Adult entertainment in 2009 looks a whole lot different than it did in 1999. In your opinion, what's been the single biggest change this decade?

Joone: 1999 was the rise of internet pay sites and the rise of DVD sales. Now 2009 is the fall of DVD sales and pay sites.

Adella: The porn "stereotype" is less obvious today. Porn is no longer taboo and you can't fit it in a neat little box, so it's rarely what you expect. The days of bleach blonde hair, spray on tans, inflated implants, bad scripts, amateur camera men and pizza delivery boys are out. Today's best porn celebrates unique content. Top models show a range of beauty and sex appeal, from natural, brainy and pale, to muscular, athletic and sculpted. The best scripts are thought out, fact checked, and contain elements of comedy, drama or horror. Directors work with top of the line production equipment. Studios employ wardrobe consultants, location scouts and post production staff straight out of Hollywood. There is a definite blending of the entertainment industries; mainstream films show more sex and porn films show more action and storyline.

At left: "Virtual Sex with Jenna," released in 1999—and one of the top selling adult DVDs of all time. Image courtesy of Digital Playground (digitalplayground.com)

Has anything changed about the type of content that Digital Playground shoots? Are there new genres or formats that you've broken into?

Joone: In 1999 we were only producing DVDs, CD-Rom and VHS. Today in 2009 we are producing DVDs, Blu-ray Discs, Mobile content, VOD, Internet, TV, and Toys. We have also increased our budget and production values in 2009 to fit the demands of the consumer.

Adella: In 1999, we had only produced a couple of DVDs, most of our original content was interactive, originally produced for CD-Rom. We released Virtual Sex with Jenna Jameson and Rocki Roads Wet Dreams on DVD in 1999. Our main revenue stream came from licensing digital content from adult studios afraid to invest in the digital medium after both CD-rom and laser disc formats had crashed. Early in 2000, we produced Island Fever and Forbidden Tales, but even then we released on VHS and DVD—VHS sales were still significantly stronger.

At left: "Jesse Jane: Erotique," released in 2003. Image courtesy of Digital Playground (digitalplayground.com)

The internet has obviously had a huge impact on the adult industry. What's been the best change the internet has brought to the adult marketplace? The worst?

Joone: The best change is getting closer to the fans, while the worst is free porn and piracy.

Adella: Autonomy. Piracy.

At left: "Island Fever 3," the first HD pornographic film, released in 2004. Image courtesy of Digital Playground (digitalplayground.com)

Has anything changed about the performers who work in the industry? Is a different kind of talent attracted nowadays?

Joone: Most talent now are just looking at doing gonzo shoots. Getting in and get out. They are not looking at doing features and becoming a star.

Adella: I think brains are the current sexy.

At left: "Babysitters," released in 2007. Image courtesy of Digital Playground (digitalplayground.com)

Has public perception about the adult industry changed much since 2000? Is adult entertainment more accepted, less accepted, or about the same?

Joone: The line between adult entertainment and mainstream entertainment is blurring, and adult is more acceptable now than 10 years ago.

Adella: I think the public perception of porn is changing towards acceptance. Church loses power, while sex gains power—evolution.

At left: "Cheerleaders," released in 2008. Image courtesy of Digital Playground (digitalplayground.com)

Any thoughts on what the industry will look like at the end of the next decade?

Joone: Less producers / studios and better movies.

Adella: Porn will be regulated, centralized and easy to obtain anonymously in any format, on demand. It will lose some of its power and mystique as it becomes more accepted. There will more crossover between sex and non-sex films in every regard.

At left: "Pirates 2," released in 2008—and, to date, the most expensive adult film ever produced. Image courtesy of Digital Playground (digitalplayground.com)