| Type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Pornography |
| Founded | 1993 |
| Founder(s) | Joone |
| Headquarters | Van Nuys, Los Angeles, California, USA |
| Area served | Worldwide |
| Key people | Samantha Lewis (vice president) |
| Products | Pornographic films |
| Owner(s) | Joone |
| Website | digitalplayground.com |
Digital Playground Inc. is an American pornographic movie studio, headquartered in Van Nuys, California. It has been called one of the five biggest porn studios, and in 2006 was described by Reuters as one of the handful of studios that dominate the U.S. porn industry.[1] The studio has been at the forefront of introducing new communications technology, as it emerges, into porn.
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Adult director Joone founded the company in 1993, originally making adult CD-ROM computer games.[2] Commenting on the transition of the pornography industry from the underground economy to mainstream corporate acceptance, the company's founder said: "I look at the porn business where Vegas and gambling was in the 70's". "Vegas was still mob-owned and they were making the transition between these small groups of people to being corporate owned". "I feel the same exact thing is going to happen with adult".[3] The company became an innovator in making pornography available on personal computers.[4] In 2003 DP began working with a company specializing in hologram technology, with the aim of bringing the actress "into the viewer's living room".[2] DP began filming in high-definition in 2005.[5] In January 2006 the company chose Blu-ray Disc over rival format HD DVD because Joone felt Blu-ray Disc was more future-proofed.[4] DP initially had difficulty finding a company prepared to produce its films in the Blu-ray Disc format, as companies that replicated DVDs were reluctant to deal with the pornography industry.[4]
The Digital playground studios have been labeled as "trailblazers" for iPads, HD and three-dimension technology for cinema and television into the porn industry.[6] Digital's chief executive Samantha Lewis, who also produces and/or directs DP films, has claimed that "many technology brands [have] used the adult industry [and DP, in particular,] to test new markets" because of "the sheer scale of the [porn] industry"[6].
The following is a non-exhaustive list of DP's current stars: Adrianna Lynn, Alexis Texas, Angelina Armani, Audrey Bitoni, Austyn Moore, Belladonna, BiBi Jones, Brianna Love, Carmen Luvana, Devon, Gabriella Fox, Gina Lynn, Jana Cova, Janie Summers, Janine, Jenaveve Jolie, Jenna Haze, Jesse Jane, Julia Ann, Kagney Linn Karter, Katsuni, Kayden Kross, Mckenzie Lee, Lacie Heart, Nikki Benz, Raven Alexis, Riley Steele, Rocki Roads, Sasha Grey, Selena Rose, Shay Jordan, Shyla Stylez, Sophia Santi, Stoya, Teagan Presley, Tera Patrick, Veronica Rayne, and others.
Digital Playground pioneered the top-selling virtual sex genre of CD-ROMs and DVDs, in which the viewer can "command" a famous pornographic actress by selecting from a menu of explicit scenes.[7][2] The first film in the series was released in 1998.[2] In the series the actress looks directly at the camera, and appears to talk directly to the viewer.[2] According to Joone, "It's the closest you'll ever get to having sex with our girls without really having sex with them". "When you're watching a regular porn movie, you're watching it in the third person". "You're basically a voyeur". "This way it's a first-person experience". "If the girl is in the missionary position, the camera is looking down at her as you would be if you were actually there with her". "You're the god of your world at that moment".[2] Virtual Sex with Jenna Jameson is one of the top-selling adult DVDs of all time according to adultdvdempire.com sales charts. The viewer is able to choose the camera angles, the sexual position of the selected actress and her demeanor – either "innocent" or "nasty".[2]
In 2004, Digital Playground produced the first HD pornographic film, Island Fever 3, shot on location in Tahiti and Bora Bora.
In 2005, the company released Pirates, a film that bills itself[8] as "offering all of the production values of any Hollywood box office film" and a "monumental step towards the eminent [sic] merging of the entertainment industries". RogReviews called it "the most talked about adult movie of the year".[9]
In 2008, the company hired industry veteran Farley Cahen to head its New Media efforts. Cahen started his career 9 years earlier at AVN and has a successful background in business development, licensing along with developing AVNads and the world's 1st Adult Domain Auction.
Digital Playground's production team is led by director Robby D. and producer/directors Samantha Lewis and Joone. Joone directed the Virtual Sex series.[2]
Studio Awards
The following is a non-exhaustive list of porn industry awards that DP films have won: