Wonder if anyone\'s caught wind of this yet? It could be good, but for Playboy: The Mansion to be more than another BMX XXX, it\'ll require some solid gameplay to accompany the token breast shots.
Here\'s a column I wrote for our local paper:
Imagine this. There’s a Playboy game in the works, and early indications suggest it might actually be worth more than a cheap, virtual thrill. That is, if you’re old enough to play.
Co-publishers Groove Games and ARUSH Entertainment have just announced that “Playboy: The Mansion”, published under license from Playboy Enterprises, will be available for PlayStation 2 and Xbox this holiday season.
Gamers hoping for a little leg in their Christmas stocking can look forward to this one.
Donald Case, marketing manager for ARUSH Entertainment, said, “There will be some level of nudity, but we are working very closely with the (Entertainment Software Ratings Board) to ensure the game falls within the proper guidelines of an M (for Mature) rating, which is our target rating.”
The limits of the M rating have already been tested with the topless women of Acclaim’s “BMX XXX”, and one can expect “Playboy: The Mansion” to keep its nudity within that realm.
Developer Cyberlore Studios has borrowed from established titles such as EA’s “The Sims” and mixed in new ideas of its own to create a promising simulation game that will hopefully be more than just a gimmicky, voyeuristic waste of money.
The game will feature two main modes - empire and campaign – and both will rely on the same mix of gameplay elements.
In empire mode, players take the role of Playboy mogul Hugh Hefner and work for a period of months or years to achieve different levels of fame, magazine circulation and luxury at the Playboy mansion.
Campaign mode is more structured. Players choose from a dozen scenarios that aim to chronicle Hugh Hefner and the mansion’s rise to international fame.
To keep the game open-ended, players will have a number of options at any given time. As Hefner wanders leisurely through his mansion, players can construct new areas such as tennis courts, game houses, aviaries and the famous mansion grotto.
With a beautiful mansion as bait, players can lure celebrities, politicians and beautiful women to party in style while arranging interviews and photo shoots to mold each issue of Playboy to the changing tastes of its readers.
“There are both actual celebs and game-created celebs for you to invite to the mansion,” Case said. Unfortunately, the list of real-life celebrities is still under wraps.
For photo shoots, players take control of the camera, shoot models for magazine covers and pick and choose the best overall theme for each issue.
Once the work is finished, or even if it’s not, players will be free to roam the mansion, spending time poolside with a bevy of beautiful women, dancing with chart-topping artists and schmoozing politicians and athletes.
Ideas such as a theater room might get old after a while, but if Cyberlore adds an arcade room for players to enjoy, “Playboy: The Mansion” could serve up a well-rounded experience, complete with mini-games for extended replay value.
“Playboy: The Mansion” will be Playboy’s first foray into the console market when it is released in November, and ARUSH Entertainment seems determined to make it a worthwhile, M-rated title.
An Adults Only rating is typically reserved for games depicting sexual intercourse. These games are virtually non-existent on home consoles, and popular retail stores do not carry them. AO-rated games are usually glorified pornography films and are not something supplied at video game retail outlets.
No screens are available yet, just a logo. I\'ve taken the liberty of putting the logo under a pic of Hef and some blondes.
To wrap up, it\'s like a watered down Sims with boobies. It could be fun if they apply themselves.
-Dan
