Playboy: The Mansion

February 4,2005 - Let's be frank: boobs sell games. This comes as no surprise, since sexuality sells everything from video games to beer to, yes, magazines too. The only shock regarding the development of Playboy: The Mansion is that it hadn't already been created. The bad news, of course, is that the game doesn't do anything to dispel the curse of licensed games in the way Chronicles of Riddick did. The good news, aside from the aforementioned boobies, is that The Mansion could have been a lot worse. It may not possess the charm of The Sims, its obvious inspiration, and may have missed an opportunity to have some silly, over-the-top fun with its source material, but it is still an easygoing good time, if a bit more bland than one would hope from a game featuring so much cleavage. If you don't mind the lackluster production and the somewhat simplistic gameplay, you may actually enjoy a bit of time with Cyberlore's title, assuming you didn't buy it to supplement your collection of items shipped in plain brown paper.

Who hasn't wanted to be Hugh Hefner? Well, at least, who hasn't wanted to be surrounded by hot babes like the ones that hang with Hef? Well, now you can, although being a professional dirty old man has its share of challenges: putting out a magazine, throwing lavish parties, developing personal and professional relationships, and hobnobbing with minor celebrities amongst them. Playboy: The Mansion puts you in control of Playboy's founder, and in this economic/life simulator, lets you set your own adult industry goals in either mission play or freeform mode. The core gameplay resembles The Sims in many ways: you move Hef around the mansion, interacting with various objects and people, and exploring social options while expanding your friends' circle. These aspects are hardly as deep or as fascinating as we have become used to in Maxis' masterpieces, but there are a few interesting additions to the play, not the least of which is that you now have a business to run.

The business, of course, is Playboy Magazine, and your main source of income. Sadly, most of the magazine-building is rather mundane, since it involves just asking a celebrity or other acquaintance to write an article, give an interview, and other simple point-and-click tasks. The fun part is in choosing a model and taking some nifty photos in various costumes ' or sans said costumes (shh ' don't tell your mom). Choose a backdrop, stick your model in front of it, and snap your shutter until your roll of film is full. Then, use any of your shots as a Playboy cover photo or Centerfold, and send the mag off to press. Your success is based on the quality of the content, which is marked with a star rating next to each feature. It would have been nice to create personal essay titles, or had more control over the cover or layout; as it is, you only see the titles of the articles, your centerfold, and your cover. It's a great idea that only half-succeeds.

Of course, taking pictures and writing articles means hiring staff, so you have to get Bunnies, Playmates, journalists, and photographers on board to make it all work. You also need celebs on hand for theme issues and other high-quality content, and they work in a total of nine professions, from actor to musician. None of these famous folks are real-life celebrities, although some of their names have obvious resemblances to actual personalities; having real athletes and models certainly would have been a lot more interesting, but this just one more way in which the license has been watered down when there was real potential. Expanding your inner circle is important, since not only does meeting more famous celebrities let you sell more magazines, but it increases your opportunities for social interactions. Your closest friends will drop by unannounced or come over if invited without Hef needing to throw a party ' and you can even grab a girlfriend or three.

You still need to throw the parties, though, since it's the only way you can meet new and unexciting acquaintances. Once you choose who you wish to invite, the invitations go out, and anyone that thinks you are famous enough will pop on by. Each individual has his own likes and dislikes (so don't try to talk about tennis to someone who hates sports, or his happiness halo will turn red), and three stats: physique, intellect, and charm. Being conscious of these quirks can work to your advantage, since you can introduce your guests to each other ' and happy guests means a happy Hef, and healthy Playboy sales. If you have guests that dislike each other, lure one out of the room and introduce him to someone else, lest he never want to return.

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