Back in the Game

I watched the new HBO Sport’s Series “24/7 Pens & Caps” that followed the road to the 2011 Winter Classic.

In response to criticism over their recent losing streak the Caps GM George McPhee said “If they knew anything about the game, they’d be playing it.”

This quote has become my mantra for 2011.

“If they knew anything about the game, they’d be playing it.”

The landscape of the Adult Industry is changing at such a rapid pace right now that it’s difficult to know what steps to take next. Yet at the same time, being stagnant – doing nothing – would be akin to suicide.

There’s a lot of posturing in the Porn game right now. Everyone think’s they have it figured out and many are quick to offer their unsolicited advice on the “next big thing”.

As annoying as it is, it’s happening because the ‘Porn Industry’ is based on trends and how quickly company’s can respond to them. Like Hollywood, there aren’t too many original idea’s floating around Porn Valley. In the early days of internet porn, all you could see was Glamour Shots and ‘Pretty Girl’ pictures of teens in cheerleader costumes. As connection speeds increased, and video became prevalent the waves of look-a-like content came in. Everyone couldn’t wait to get on the “Gag The Girl” bandwagon, or the “MILF” train. Alexis Golden was filling that niche before anyone knew it even was a niche. But that’s how ‘Porn’ has done business since day one, and for a long time it made a lot of people a lot of money.

Then the internet changed everything. It leveled the playing field, allowing pretty much anyone with a camera to set up shop as a pornographer. Now, 10 years or so into the ‘internet age’ you can find ANYTHING you want with a click of your mouse. Literally. Anything you can think of. It’s right there. And most of it’s free.

‘Trends’ don’t really apply anymore. Everyone knows how to do a web search, and everyone’s comfortable with online payments, and everyone’s plugging into the web on everything from their phones to the television in their living room.

If you’re not already doing something unique, controlling your own content and serving your own audience – it’s too late for you.

There’s always going to be a demand for big budget vanilla porn that appeals to the widest possible audience, so the ‘Top 6 Studios’ will always be around, but the rest of them… well, we’re already seeing mass exits. Stars retiring, company’s closing up shop.

“If they knew anything about the game, they’d be playing it.”

Fucking exactly.

Here we go. 2011 marks my 12th year in the game, with the last 10 working exclusively for what is now Maddy G Productions.

All the suffering we went thru in 2010 was worth it, leaving us a leaner and meaner company with a very solid distribution network and over 2.5 Million viewers. No regrets there.

- Mark