games

'Mafia II' to reveal centerfolds

2K Games has signed a license agreement with Playboy magazine for a unique in-game integration to use more than 50 of their vintage covers and centerfolds in 'Mafia II', the mobster game for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Windows PC.

Set in the 1940s and 1950s American urban cityscape of Empire Bay, 'Mafia II' will enable players to collect virtual copies of the iconic magazine, which has been around since December 1953.

“While most mob-inspired games’ emphasis is solely on action, 'Mafia II' features a deep and compelling narrative that is embellished with a sophisticated, era-evoking atmosphere,” said Christoph Hartmann, president of 2K. “In partnering with Playboy, we are able to add a unique element of authenticity to the game by using vintage images from the magazine that illustrate the power of Playboy’s influence on the attitudes and culture of that generation.”

'Mafia II' is a look into the dark and unforgiving world of the Mafia where clothing, cars, music and advertising are created to replicate an American city in the ‘40s and ‘50s. The game creates a "cinematic, Hollywood-style experience with strong, believable characters in a living, breathing city that transports players to a time when rock-n-roll first strummed its guitar and chrome-plated hot rods roared down boulevards", according to 2K.

"For more than 55 years, Playboy has been a part of America’s pop culture landscape, engaging its readers with insightful features, interviews and fashion spreads, as well as pictorials of some of the world’s most beautiful women,” said Playboy magazine’s Jimmy Jellinek. “'Mafia II' is set when Playboy first came into vogue and features characters whose style and attitudes mirror content from our early issues.”