Porn stars have turned to video games as a new way to build their brands online – streaming their play sessions to the world.
Adult actresses are using mainstream sites like Google’s YouTube and Amazon’s Twitch to broadcast their antics on hit games like “Fortnite”, “Overwatch” and “World of Warcraft.”
Huge industry names like Mia Khalifa, Rahyndee James and Riley Reid have begun streaming games online.
It’s no surprise, either – just last year, video gaming site Twitch racked up 355 billion minutes watched, across more than 124 million clips.
So why are porn stars suddenly filming themselves playing video games, fully clothed?
“First, remember that porn stars have a lot of free time – like athletes,” British XXX-actress and game streamer Harriet Sugarcookie told The Sun.
“They get paid a lot of money for a relatively short amount of work,” she continued.
“They end up with a lot of free time. Video games are a great way to kill that time.”
Sugarcookie is a 22-year-old from London who gained online fame for her saucy antics on camera.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BmlWUsNgSDU/But she also spends time streaming video games and has racked up more than a thousand followers on streaming site Twitch.
She told The Sun that moving to game streaming “is natural” for porn stars: “They’re used to being on camera, used to being on films.”
Sugarcookie says she plays “for fun” and doesn’t monetize her channel: “I do it because I really like playing video games.”
That’s not the case for all streamers – popular Twitch gamers can make millions from viewer donations and advertising.
“Hot girls are very popular on stream,” explains Sugarcookie.
“It is an independent form of revenue, but like any entertaining job, whether camming or streaming, to get donations you simply have to be skilled.
“You can’t expect to just go on as a big-name star or having giant breasts. You have to be good and entertain people.”
Like many, porn stars have realized gaming is a seriously big business.
In fact, hit video game “Fortnite” has already spawned two porn parodies of its own featuring adult stars April O’Neil and Susy Gala.
“Fortnut” features XXX-star Missy Martinez as a game streamer who gets hot and heavy with her Fortnite teammates.
Banking on the success of games like “Fortnite” – which has more than 125 million players worldwide – is an easy way for adult film stars to build their brand.
But stars have to be skilled entertainers and gamers, too.
“Big porn stars already have a big fan base, some of that does transfer to streaming,” Sugarcookie reveals.
“They also have other forms of marketing like Instagram and Twitter, so it’s easy to say ‘Hey, I’m on stream now.’
“However I think they can’t rely on that. They can’t make big money on stream unless they’re genuinely entertaining.
“Lots of girls that like video games jump on and try it. Viewers aren’t dumb – they’ll see very quickly if a girl genuinely enjoys playing or not.
“That genuine feeling is what drives it.”
One of the most popular porn stars who took up game streaming is Mia Rose.
The 31-year-old’s Twitch channel has more than 80,000 followers who regularly tune in to watch her play “World of Warcraft” and “PUBG,” a Fortnite rival.
Another adult actress named Eva Lovia has also built a successful gaming brand on Twitch, where she’s earned over 30,000 followers.
Sugarcookie says it’s a way for porn stars to move beyond their adult backgrounds and build a more mainstream following.
“There’s a lot of stigma against the sex industry, and a lot of misconceptions about who porn stars are, and how they are as people,” the Londoner told The Sun.
“It’s a great way of showing that they’re humans, people with the same hobbies and interests as everyone else.
“Everyone thinks porn is very glamorous, but when the industry is so stigmatized, it can feel lonely and you can be targeted.
“It can feel like the public hates you. So for porn stars, it’s nice to feel like people like you.”