At a demonstration event for Mafia II, I found myself barely scraping past a gaggle of 1940s-themed goons by blind firing from the protection of trashcans. That part of the demo made sense, oddly enough. But what the marketing dude said to me while I was hiding behind trash didn’t: he told me that the game had Playboy magazines scattered within its open-world, and one of the mags was close to me.
I found one lying pristine and cover up in the alley, out of place and ridiculous. A menu popped up, allowing me study the centerfold at length; a disconnect. As if the protagonist would give two solids after just engaging in a lengthy chase that culminated in a sober firefight. The dumb magazine wasn't sexy or hip: it was a black eye in a game that supposedly authentically represents post-WWII America. I remember being told at the time it was enhancing the experience. C'mon, 2K Games.
But while the magazines have a practical purpose in Dead Rising 2, they're still stupid. Like 2K Games, Capcom can now spit a bullet-point at press and consumers about having airbrushed blondes in the game, as if it matters or something. But we don't get that fact up front. Capcom director of licensing Seon King says the mags just fit the spirit of the game--a game that features a Las Vegas city knock-off and, most recently, Playboy magazines proudly exclaiming their "Girls of the SEC" spreads.
If Playboy doesn't come up again, fair enough. But c'mon, guys. C'mon.“The Sin City-type environment in Dead Rising 2, Fortune City, is a natural playground for the Playboy Bunnies,” said Seon King, Senior Director of Licensing for Capcom Entertainment, Inc. “We have integrated the Playboy brand throughout the game in ways that bring even more life to Fortune City and add to the user experience.”
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