Hugh Heffner was the undisputed king of adult entertainment and his Playboy Mansion, an over-18s Disneyland. So, it should come as no shock that the Playboy brand has decided to build a replica mansion in the Metaverse.
The mansion will be the centerpiece of Playboy’s Metaverse ambitions which include NFTs based on the iconic Playboy bunny and a new virtual platform, Centerfold, an adult-only social media space. As with many Metaverse projects, the details of the virtual Playboy Mansion are scarce, but access to it is expected to come as part of Playboy’s Metaverse membership scheme.
So, why is this significant? Ultimately, it opens the floor to discussions around adult entertainment, how users consume it, and most importantly, how regulators manage it. Playboy might represent the softer side of the industry, but there are far darker and more dangerous elements.
Porn: A Driving force of Web 1.0
Although not the sole driver of internet traffic, adult content has always had a strong influence. There are varying statistics regarding the percentage of the pornography-based web, and these statistics change depending on the period you look at.
However, overall, adult content has played a significant part in the development of internet technologies. For example, pornography drove demand for higher speeds, reliable connections, e-payment methods, video streaming, digital photography, and more.
Yet, despite the successes that the popularity of adult content has brought, you can’t ignore the downsides. Internet pornography has developed in an unregulated environment.
As well as many legitimate websites, many bad actors exploit both the adult performers and the customers paying for the content. The Metaverse doesn’t have to be this way.
An Opportunity for an Empowered Adult Entertainment Space
The Metaverse isn’t complete. So, as consumers and interested economic parties, we are in a unique position to determine how it happens. There’s an opportunity to do things better at this early stage of Metaverse-hosted adult entertainment.
Right now, as companies take tentative steps into developing adult entertainment facilities in the Metaverse, the groundwork can be rolled out to ensure exploitation is made obsolete. There is an opportunity for accountability, and a moment where we can ensure that pornography in the Metaverse doesn’t become the Wild West it was with Web 1.0.
Performers could ensure they receive fair compensation transparently on the blockchain. Authorization methods could make exploitation far more difficult. Regulatory compliance could put measures in place to preserve consumers’ privacy. And adult entertainers could expect to work in an open profession free from stigma.
Fundamentally, what makes this possible, is the early interest and contributions from well-known, big tech organizations. This heavyweight backing forces recognition and transparency and makes it fundamentally more difficult for bad actors to gain a stronghold. It provides a level playing field and, crucially, the freedom and funds to imagine something new.
Beyond Entertainment
This opportunity for a revised approach to adult services doesn’t stop at adult entertainment. There are other areas too, where users can operate more comfortably and safely.
Take digital dating. In the Metaverse, a virtual Tinder app could display an easily accessible, immutable record of a person’s conduct. Users could better set their minds at ease by meeting face to face virtually before a physical date. And comprehensive authentication could remove fake profiles.
Even when it comes to pursuits that users wish to carry out anonymously, whatever they may be, a commitment to certain standards could make these experiences far safer. Platforms could ensure that communities are protected at this early stage through enforceable codes of conduct and comprehensive monitoring.
New methods to protect vulnerable people who could be affected by certain experiences could be deployed. Perhaps a virtual administrator will ask you to fill out a questionnaire before entering a certain space. Or, maybe a series of opt-in/out measures agreed to at the beginning of your interactions with a Metaverse platform will prohibit you from unintentionally stumbling across something that offends or upsets you.
Want to compete in the Metaverse? Subscribe to the My Metaverse Minute Channel:
