It is no secret that the adult entertainment industry rakes in more money than Hollywood. So could it play a major role in influencing which side will win the HD format war?

Previously HD DVD-exclusive adult distributor Digital Playground will go dual-format with the Blu-ray release of 'Pirates' in early January.

As we've previously reported, Digital Playground made headlines earlier this year when one-named auteur Joone (the company's founder) was quoted as saying that his company was forced to change HD allegiances after all Blu-ray Disc copying facilities in the United States refused to accept his business.

Said Joone at the time, "Sony wants me to publish my films on HD DVD."

Though the Blu-ray Disc Association denied a coordinated effort to block the release of adult titles on the format (and indeed Vivid Entertainment went on to release its first Blu-ray title this spring), Digitial Playground has issued more than half a dozen titles on HD DVD exclusively.

All of that will change this January, however, when the distributor will unleash its very first Blu-ray release, the adult extravaganza 'Pirates". (The same title hit HD DVD in February of 2007).

In explaining his company's move to dual-format support, Joone told CEPro that "A lot of people were emailing that bought a PlayStation and they were basically saying, 'When are you guys going to release Blu-ray?'"

Scheduled to ship in January 4th, the Blu-ray release of 'Pirates' will contain the full-length film and a bucket-load of extras (including behind-the-scenes footage, bloopers, casting videos and trailers), all in high definition. The supplemental package on the previously-released HD DVD was presented in standard-def only.

Digital Playground claims to have an 80% share of the market for HD porn, with HD releases now accounting for about one-third of the publisher?s video shipments.