Is this the new direction for Kink.com?
From the new content being produced it seems like it is, for the most part, no longer produced in house by kink.com. It looks like it has these characteristics.
1) for the most part, it is now made by independent producers and then distributed by you.
2) It seems to be much heavier on gay and ts content compared to past years.
3) The "backbone" of kink.com, Training of O, Device Bondage, Hogtied, Sex and Submission, Public Disgrace, and Electroslut have all been discontinued or taken a huge step backward.
4) There is nothing new on the scale of, for example, the live shoots directed by Cyd with Sarah Jane Ceylon or Julie Night or other real pain enthusiasts. It seems that you are no longer capable or interested in finding or shooting something at this level. Is this correct?
5) Where is the next Madison Young? Sarah Jane Ceylon? Juliette March? For that matter, the next JP? James Mogul? What was once abundance has become scarcity.
If what kink.com is doing now is having a great back catalog and managing the long downward spiral, please tell us. If you really have plans for a renaissance, please tell us those plans.
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Official comment
Thank you for writing - I appreciate the opportunity to answer your questions and hopefully address your concerns.
I’ll start by answering your questions directly:
- In 2017-2018, we transitioned from employing directors who produced our content in-house (or in-Armory, as it were) to purchasing content from independent production studios headed by many of those same directors. This change happened for a number of reasons, and we’re proud to support our trusted cadre of directors now that they’re running their own businesses. You can always see a complete list of directors with whom we are working here: https://www.kink.com/directors.
- Yes, we’ve certainly invested in gay and Trans content due to its popularity with our diverse member base. We are very excited about it and look forward to presenting the kinkiest and most inclusive content available in the 21st century.
- Over the years, we’ve started new channels, put some on hiatus, and discontinued others - including some of the iconic Kink brands - based on their performance, the ever-changing landscape of the industry, and the creative evolution of our directors. I’m sorry to hear that you’re unhappy with some of those changes. We take member feedback like yours very seriously and appreciate you sharing it so that we can incorporate it into future decisions.
- At this time, we’re working hard to create a variety of content and live experiences to add even greater range to the material we currently offer, both on the heavier and lighter ends of the BDSM spectrum.
- The names you mentioned represent a unique time and place for the industry and Kink. I agree with you that what was once in abundance is now in scarcity. The adult industry is in a completely different place than it was just a few years ago. One significant example of the change is that talented models are able to make a name for themselves without ever having to step foot inside a studio. We are always on the lookout for new talent and we maintain an internal process that regularly reviews member talent suggestions from shoot comments, our FAQ Community section, and emails directly to our support team.
Kink by no means plans to rest on its laurels and ride our back catalog into oblivion. That said, like many in our industry, we’re doing our best to adjust to the changing landscape of the adult industry as a whole. Revenue is down across the entire adult industry due to the proliferation of piracy and tube sites, which make their money through advertising and click-bait sales. With few exceptions, most of the content on tube sites is stolen and the adult entertainment industry doesn’t have the political ability to fight property theft the way that the music industry was able to when it faced a similar threat. As a result, while production costs have steadily increased, revenues fall, bringing the overall amount of production down.
This decline in production also affects performers and the kinds of content they are able to create; models are no longer able to sustain themselves by only shooting one specific type of content. Shoots involving heavy impact play become difficult to deliver as every model in the current production economy needs to be agile enough to pursue additional opportunities as they are presented. The end result of this is simply that there are a greater number of models requesting they leave our sets with no marks or bruising so they can continue to perform outside of the scope of BDSM and kink for other productions. We respect our models' limits and understand their needs as professionals in the industry.
Our goal at Kink is to make the best content we possibly can, even in the face of a rapidly changing industry. As a leader in extreme BDSM content for over 20 years, we’ve seen many competitors come and go because they were not able to develop or maintain the ethical and safety standards that we have established. We face ever-increasing hurdles put up by piracy and unfair legislation, such as SESTA/FOSTA, which have a great impact on the content we can produce and the liability our credit card processors are willing to take. Please be assured that your concerns are being taken seriously and that Kink is committed to finding the best path forward for the industry and dedicated fans such as yourself as we navigate this new era together.
Thank you
Mickey Mod
Creative Director
Comment actions -
"The end result of this is simply that there are a greater number of models requesting they leave our sets with no marks or bruising so they can continue to perform outside of the scope of BDSM and kink for other productions."
I was wondering if that was the case these days given that there is a lot less hard whipping and such. Makes sense for these models since they do so much filming these and don't/can't afford to take the time to let bruises fade. Sucks for the bdsm sites and us fans, but like you said Mickey, it is the changing landscape of the industry.
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