Leading adult Android app creators and distributors MiKandi have released the first app to combine game mechanics and explicit content. Despite my usual lowered expectations for porn (but happiness for male-female adult content startup cofounder teams), I think the Femjoy Android App also happens to be tasteful and smart.
When Apple unexpectedly purged over 5,000 previously-approved “naughty” apps last year (likely fueled by The Parent’s Television Council’s Apple app ‘cleanup’ campaign), they did more than rip the rug out from under developers whose income streams disappeared overnight. Android’s Market became a place where racy and adult apps could swim, sink, or flourish.
MiKandi reacted to the purge with an open call to devs, posting this offer to its company blog: “We look forward to working with any developer who has been displaced by Apple in recent weeks. Don’t worry, developers - MiKandi supports you and your sexy apps. Come to the dark side. We have cookies.”
MiKandi quickly became the leading Android adult app provider. The company’s open view on censorship has garnered a tremendous amount of global press and continues to gain support from the Android user community. (Developers can register at developer.mikandi.com.)
It’s pronounced like “my candy” and I assure you that their apps provide more than a sugar high. I’m confortable saying outright that I like good porn, and I’m more than persnickety when it comes to porn content delivery systems. And by now, you all know that I’ll make fun of cliche startup apps in a red-hot second, so let me explain what stands out about this app. Other than the obvious, wonderfully jiggly bits known to stand out most.
MiKandi just released The Femjoy Pure Nude Android App (link is NSFW). It cleverly combines the game mechanics of Foursquare, the openness of Android and the sexiness of Victoria’s Secret. It’s an all-girl model-fest with women so drop-dead gorgeous - which is Femjoy’s hallmark.
In case you’re unfamiliar with the porn space, there have been a lot of genre changes, especially in the “babe” market. Prior to widespread Internet distribution, consumers had little choice about what they could choose from to turn them (and their partners) on.
A significant number of consumers wanted tasteful, pretty porn shot by photographers that were artists, with models that look more like high-class lingerie models (think Agent Provocateur) - except they wanted the women to go all the way.
The leaders in this new porn space disrupted the likes of Playboy, Hustler and UK lad’s mags. Commercial domestic porn mired itself while struggling with new technologies and distribution channels they couldn’t control - or optimize.
So it made sense to me to see one of the leading high-class adult sites, Femjoy, team up with MiKandi to do something exciting in the Android app space. You may innovate your own double-entendres as you like.
The app pulls from Femjoy.com’s (site oh so very NSFW!) array of 750 models, 180 contributing artists, HD photos and videos, and - unlike other sites that regurgitate content as daily updates, they actually have new content every day.
The app utilizes MiKandi’s in-app billing API, wherein customers unlock premium photosets and videos on demand.
If Foursquare established gamification as one of the top user-engagement innovations for mobile apps, then the merge of gamification and adult content for apps was certainly inevitable. What I wanted to know was how the game integration into adult content could be more than any other startup saying, “we’re going to be the Foursquare of XXX.”
I found out that MiKandi’s developers and partners seem determined not to waste users’ time with things they’ve seen before.
MiKandi co-founder Jennifer McEwen tells me,
Regarding the game mechanics, I want to give some background on some of the initial discussions we had with the Femjoy team. We talked a lot about how we’re in a middle of a user experience revolution and how gaming has completely changed our expectations around content and entertainment.
However, due to piracy and dying business models, most adult studios have generally become risk-adverse or have not embraced these new trends, contradicting the “porn leads technology” reputation that we’ve all experienced.
Femjoy decided to take the opposite approach. From the beginning they understood that it’s not just about re-purposing your content for smaller screens, but embracing new technologies, new designs and business models.
Gamification wasn’t just about making adult games, but designing a new system to delivering the best personalized customer service and in a super fun way.
Virtual award badges and game-like contests are layered throughout the application to motivate user action and provide visual progress of a customer’s achievements.
Actually, coming up with creative ways to earn badges was the best part of the process. I don’t want to give away too much, but some badges will randomly reward MiKandi gold, so it’s sort of like buried treasure/lottery effect.
Lead developer Christopher Lewicki added,
It’s by far the first adult app to combine social gaming mechanics with the type of byte sized transactions which users want.
How far the gamification went, for me, could make or break the tastefulness of the whole idea, and users of non-porn gamified sites and apps are increasingly feeling like they’re the ones being played. I asked Jen about these issues and she explained,
“Femjoy fans are very passionate about the brand and the models, so there will be an opportunity for the fans to earn recognition and awards for most devotion and contribution.
The Femjoy App rewards its users with a wide variety of virtual badges and prizes. These badges and prizes are earned by browsing, purchasing and participating in games such as a weekly mystery model contest or a time-based ‘Photo Challenge’ game.
This is really an on-going learning experience for both Femjoy and MiKandi, so we’re all looking forward to everyone’s feedback and improving the service for the users.
Android users can purchase the Femjoy application in the MiKandi App Market for a limited-time introductory offer of 299 Gold (roughly $3 USD).
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