It turns out that the Playboy brand appearances in "Dead Rising 2" weren't enough to satisfy the company's hunger for gaming exposure. They've partnered up with a German company called Bigpoint to start up their own yet-to-be-named game publishing label, and their first title will be a "Saints Row"-ish MMOG called "Poisonville."
"We're looking for quality developers and the time I spent looking at Bigpoint showed me that they fit the bill for what we needed to get started," Playboys Enterprises' managing director for new digital ventures Paul H. Lee told paidContent.org. "Previously, Playboy's gaming interests included a few licensing deals and some editorial in the form of gaming reviews. But there was no clear, over-arching strategy in place. With Bigpoint, we've established a clear path in terms of where we want to go."
According to the "Poisonville" trailer's page on Playboy.com, the MMO will be about wiping out corruption while regaining respect and reputations in "full-3D." Female characters with guns will be featured, as will browser-based "competitions designed to stimulate gang warfare."
"One of our core competencies involves using our brand to present quality content," Lee explained. "Gaming is a growing, mainstream area. And part of our plan is to extend Playboy's brand into the mainstream."
Their first game just got out of beta, but Lee expects Playboy's new label to have a full launch by the end of 2010. It's tough to gage much about "Poisonville" based just on the trailer, so it may be another month or two before we see how this endeavor is really shaping up.
Would you participate in a Playboy broweser-based MMO? What are your first impressions of "Poisonville"? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.