Players step into Hef’s PJs for Playboy video game

LOS ANGELES - It can be difficult to look past the scantily clad women and the erudite articles to recognize that running Playboy Enterprises is big business. But that undeniable fact is the premise behind "Playboy: The Mansion," a video game from Arush Entertainment and Groove Games that will be released Jan. 25.

The deal also suited Playboy, which always is interested in maximizing the value of its intellectual property library of movies, television, images and written material.

"It was natural for us to think of the future and what's happening in the entertainment world," said Alex Vaickus, Playboy Enterprises president of global licensing. "This deal marks Playboy's entry into the video game category and is a significant breakthrough for us as we expand the licensing of our brand in the entertainment arena."

He said that Playboy readers spent more than US$300 million on video games in 2002 - the last year for which figures are available - with more than 3.1 million readers owning a video game system, according to a Mediamark Research International report.

Players assume the role of Hugh Hefner, complete with the pajamas known as his favorite attire, and must judiciously allot their time and money to start from nothing and create the magazine, direct photo shoots, construct the iconic mansion and socialize. "Playboy is truly an aspirational lifestyle brand," Vaickus said, "and we are going to allow new and existing Playboy brand users to live the lifestyle and build the empire."

Just like in real life, advertising revenues are the bedrock of the budget, and paying for the best writers means having less left over for top models and photographers. Players can access genuine covers and other content from the magazine's long run as they balance their books.

Contributing to the realism are hundreds of celebrities who add their luster to the magazine and to the famous parties, some of which are imaginary but many of which are digitized versions of real people including Carmen Elektra, Melissa Joan Hart, Tom Arnold and dozens of actual Playmates. "There is nudity and adult interaction, but it is M-rated and tasteful within the Playboy tradition," Arush CEO Jim Perkins said.

Playboy collaborated with Arush to ensure authenticity and brand integrity. "One of the assets we bring to the table is we do have various levels of expertise about how the brand extends into other categories," Vaickus said. "I think that the end product is quite involved and fairly sophisticated and will keep the user entertained. That says a lot about the brand."

Perkins said that Playboy's was invaluable. "The Playboy license has been valuable for 50 years, but the ultracritical part is to make a good game - and a game that is true to the license," he said.

Hefner had ultimate approval, particularly over his own image. "We showed him his character and the characters he interacts with, and he added a lot to it," Perkins said. "He was articulate about what he would and would not do."

Arush used photos and on-site measurements to re-create several of the mansion's best-known features, including the pool and grotto, back lawn area, tennis courts, game room, garage, aviary and zoo. Players can build their own fantasy residence from these and other elements, or they can choose to re-create Hefner's.

Additionally, to fill the brief technical pauses for scene changes, Playboy and Arush worked together to research and write hundreds of trivia questions related to the Playboy empire.

- REUTERS/HOLLYWOOD REPORTER