Porn Worth Paying For: What Makes You Open Your Wallet?

It's no secret that the digital revolution has hit Porn Valley pretty hard: even without piracy, the ease of digital distribution and massive glut of free content has made it harder to convince consumers to shell out for smut.

Which creates a bit of a problem—at least if you're the type of person who sees value in professionally produced porn (like our friends at Digital Playground, who care so much about their work that they've actually trademarked the phrase "Porn worth paying for" and use it as their slogan). If porn companies have no income coming in, it becomes increasingly difficult to fund output going out; and though we doubt that Porn Valley will ever be completely stopped in its tracks, it seems likely that some sort of massive culling of porn companies may soon be upon us.

And so porn companies are finding themselves at a crossroads: if they plan on staying in business, they need to figure out what the future holds for porn—and, more specifically, what future (and current) consumers will be willing to pay for. Being the curious souls that we are, we, too, would like to know what kind of porn you see as spendworthy.

The strategies we've seen seem to break down as follows:

Super feature-packed DVDs: The switch to Blu-Ray is one of the most current incarnations of this strategy, but it's a trend that's been going on for awhile. In order to get consumers to pay for porn DVDs, companies attempt to give them more bang for their buck, as it were: extended BTS, cum shot compilations, the ability to select by position, and so on. The much ballyhooed 3D porn seems to be the next big thing—but will it actually make you pay? [Image courtesy of UndressJess.com]

High-quality feature porn films. The feature itself is hardly a new thing, but some companies are betting that it's the best bet at staying afloat—particularly if it's, say, a parody of a popular sitcom that's sure to get loads of mainstream attention. With its big budget and even bigger marketing campaign, Digital Playground's "Pirates 2" is the most prominent example of this, but smaller features like "Scrubs - A XXX Parody" are still included under the umbrella. [Image from "Pirates 2" courtesy of Digital Playground]

VOD and pay-per-scene. If you had to buy an entire cow every time you wanted a glass of milk, you'd probably become much less interested in ingesting dairy. Some companies are betting that that's how quite a few consumers see porn: why buy a four hour compilation when all you want is that one twenty minute scene? VOD and pay-per-scene offer the ability to buy just the bits you want—without having to pay for the filler. [Image via Big Boobs In Your Face]

Niche content. Pink and White Productions—the geniuses behind the Crash Pad Series and "Champion"—isn't one of Porn Valley's top five studios, but it is a sustainable, profitable company. Ditto Burning Angel, our Supreme Commandress Joanna Angel's hot punk porn company. Providing small, specific groups with something they desperately want—and can't find anywhere else—could be a good way to stay afloat in these troubling times.

Community. Cliche though it may sound, there are in fact people who've joined SuicideGirls, not for the naked pictures, but for the close knit community. Providing an environment in which members can interact with their crush objects (as well as ogling them naked) might just be the extra incentive to get them to pay.

So which of the above—if any—are enough to tug at your wallet strings? Inquiring minds are dying to know! (And if there's something we've forgotten, feel free to tell us in the comments.)