The paradigm of this genre depending on subscriptions is, as you know, a detriment to the quality of the product. The slow grind, for the sake of sub retention, defines structure and defeats the art. The Steam model would be far superior because it allows for quality to define income. I'd gladly pay more for better product and thus look forward to a given developer's work. And that model doesn't destroy the subscription model as developers could still have their own 'clubs' where subscribers could receive the latest work free or at a discount. The difference is that the developer can then produce his/her work according to an artful vision rather than a structured economy.
You say that you expect some growth in the market and, on that point, I'm a little surprised that we haven't seen a real investment from the porn industry at large to see this genre fueled. I see it happening a little... but my sense is that we're on the cusp of something much larger emerging.
I completed the latest version of Penny and have some thoughts to share on it. Female protagonists present a challenge based on their sexuality. You, apparently by nature, want to wrestle with basic ethical and moral arguments. That's understandable when dealing with topics like incest and the social mores associated. (And that's not even diving into the questions related such as the relevant influences in childhood sexual development.) Having said that, with Penny there's a number of issues in the story that are challenging and that illustrate a larger matter with female pro's. Penny appears to be compelled to committed monogamy due to her morals and ethics. That limits, to a large degree, the amount of sexual encounters that fit in the story's development. There are 'hints' thus far in the story of other potential sexual content developments but they are thin, so far, and seemingly extraneous to the main story line. So I am curious to see how that will be developed. And one question of female pro's is how to develop that engaging sexual content (that is required to appeal to the audience these AVNs are directed at) unless she is, for the sake of discussion, a nymphomaniac.... or at least, per some applied lens, appears to be. And it seems, based on the kinds of moral issues you want to address, there is some conundrum of opposing constructs there. I am married to a bisexual woman who, interestingly enough, is only interested in me as far as male encounters are concerned, but who is really horny to have lots of experiences with other women. Consequently, we don't fit very well in the mainstream swinger paradigm, at least not without some challenge, because it is, to large extent, male driven. Since I'm mostly a voyeur my wife and I fit together well, yet have some challenges whereas finding adventures for her. This is relevant as it highlights the difference in female sexuality and relates the general matter of how women characters are perceived. But the point about how to use female pro's in AVNs and keep them 'pervy' is challenging indeed. So, it will be interesting to see how Penny develops.