Playboy knows boobs will never get old, regardless of medium. But it hasn't been behind the wheel of a videogame just yet. That's about to change this year, as Playboy magazine has announced plans to launch its own games label. It has also revealed a partnership with Bigpoint Games, an MMOG distributor, as well as the first fruits of the budding relationship, a Grand Theft Auto knock-off called Poisonville.
Playboy has become rather active in our little neck of the woods of late. 2K Games' Mafia II prominently features in-game Playboy magazines that you can view at your leisure. Capcom's upcoming Dead Rising 2 has magazines as well, though they have more of a utilitarian purpose as they provide stat boosts similar to the books in the original Dead Rising.
Consider these appearances first steps to the full-on sponsorship that has been revealed today. But don't necessarily believe this is Playboy''s expression of a passion to make solid games. The Playboy marketing gurus coolly remind us in the announcement press release that this new label is all about "meeting the needs" the magazine's demographic based on feedback received.
I think this is where you buy guns in Poisonville. Maybe. == TEASER ==And while it's unspecified if this new label will only be a browser-based MMOG front for the magazine, Playboy is willing to divulge that "more high quality, development partnerships [will be announced] in the coming months."
You can view a trailer for Poisonville just below. It's an MMOG that drops you in a battered metropolis, riddled with the taint of gangs and violence. You'll be asked to be a nice guy and do missions in "order to counteract corruption," gain respect, and "rebuild" reputations. Driving is confirmed, as well as PVP and gang warfare. Also, huge explosions and "Playboy-caliber women."
The game is supposedly in open beta, and I suppose you could access said beta through Playboy's website, a page that also currently offers live nude chats and all sorts of NSFW stuff. Knock yourself out.
I don't care if it's supposed to be hardcore, softcore, or not pornographic at all. If it's even supposed to be MILDLY titillating, those models and animations are way too far down the uncanny valley to be appealing.
I don't see the point in associating this with Playboy. Granted, the association is loose at best, but it doesn't seem like the sort of thing that will get them more subscribers.
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