Scott Velvet From VR Pimp
1. Can you tell us a little bit about yourself, and how you got into the industry?I am a Gen Xer from a small town in Upstate NY so my background reads more like an average Joe and not so much a tech enthusiast. I certainly have an interest in technology and I recognized the potential of virtual reality the moment I first tried it. After a bit of research, I decided to create a business involved with VR.
2. Can you tell us something about VR Pimp and how it started?Once I started my research into virtual reality, it quickly became obvious that the 2 main applications for VR were gaming and porn. And since I hadn’t owned a gaming console since the 1980’s, it was an easy choice to focus my coverage of VR on adult entertainment. I also had some prior experience in the industry so I felt comfortable going in that direction. I wanted to create a recognizable name and character for my business so I eventually settled on VR Pimp – Sex Tech Purveyor Extraordinaire. The content on my website and podcast has been mostly about VR porn up to this point, but I am planning to cover many more aspects of sex tech in 2017.
3. Are you satisfied with the state of the Sex-Tech industry as of 2016?I have seen many significant improvements over the past year so I am quite satisfied with where the industry is right now. I can honestly say that I would rather not have things happen too quickly and it’s not due to the fact that it would mean less content for my website. It’s because I understand the development process and I really enjoy following along and trying to predict where the future might take us.
4. In your opinion, what kind of challenges does Sex-Tech face, inside and outside the industry?
There always seems to be difficulties between the major players in any industry when it comes to agreeing on a platform for connecting different devices and content. I expect it will be an issue in the sex tech world as well, but perhaps to a lesser extent given the cooperative culture, I have observed within the industry lately. The outside pressures will be many and will undoubtedly involve an attack on how sex tech is impacting human behavior and personal relationships.
5. How does Sex-Tech benefit sexual health and personal development?This is a tough question as it seems to me that the benefits (or drawbacks) will vary for each user. I can see how sex tech could help certain individuals with their self-confidence and other personal issues. I can also imagine a scenario where it may have the opposite effect. I feel the best way to approach this is to think about how sex tech benefits me personally. I really can’t give you a proper answer at this point, but I promise to keep experimenting until I come up with something good ;)
6. What do you believe is the future of Sex-Tech, and where do you hope it goes from here?I think about this all the time. Interactive devices will definitely be big hit in 2017, but I will be devoting more of my time and energy to researching sex dolls. That seems to be the direction we are heading and the endgame is obvious – fully functional, lifelike robots that the user can customize physically and emotionally. That’s still a little ways off so let’s enjoy the journey getting there
7. Do you have any plans to branch out into Augmented Reality at any point?Absolutely. I am sure that AR will be a significant part of sex tech and will open up a whole new world of possibilities. I actually experienced AR a couple of years ago when I tried out the Epson Moverio glasses during a trip to Japan. I was thoroughly impressed with the technology and have been equally surprised by the lack of AR products available in the marketplace. Perhaps 2017 will be the year AR gains some traction.