December 03, 2004 - In the past hour I've had sex with four different women on every piece of soft furniture available. It's not too hard to do it either as long as you master the art of conversation and give plenty of compliments. That's the main lesson that I've learned so far in Playboy: The Mansion the game that lets you inhabit Hef's clothes and screw everything on two legs as you build up a publishing empire. It's good to be the king.

There is such a strong genetic connection between Playboy and The Sims that any judge would laugh at the idea of requiring a blood test. From the graphical design of the game to the similar gibberish speak to the careful selection of just the right chaise lounge that would tie the room together it's all right here. The characters even have a group of motives that need to be fulfilled to keep them happy and willing to get busy in the living room.

Even though the whole life simulation thing has been heavily inspired from EA's title there are still plenty of differences that make the game stand apart besides the huge amount of breasts to be found in the game. Even after just a couple hours we lost count around 23 (one woman was sideways) of boobs that were both virtual and real. But no, forget about the multiple girlfriends and the infinite amount of booze and everyone sucking up to you, the real core of the game is something bigger, something monumental, something about getting those breasts out into the mainstream.

Where The Sims focuses on vague notions of improving one's self and getting a family and a bigger house, Playboy is much more goal-oriented. The magazines need to get made and this involves keeping several different balls in the air at once. Journalists, models, and photographers all need to be hired to get the work done on the production side, but there's much more to it than that. There are also the celebrities that need to be courted with swank parties and promises of romps with Playmates in the grotto.

To make sure that everyone gets along and that the magazines get made, Hef also has to play the role of the happy host. There can be personality conflicts which can ruin a deal so if personalities are mismatched it could mean that the deals get blown. If the interviews, essays, photo shoots and other content aren't up to par, then there will be less of a mass appeal and less money comes into the mansion.

Each of the bits of content gets rated both in terms of overall quality as well as what types of interest they cover. There are several different qualities such as tech, music, politics, etc. and with each piece covering just a couple of areas it's important to balance out the whole issue so that several readers come for the naked women and stay for the writing, just like in real life… sort of.

Just so that you're not worried about losing the girlfriend you just made while screwing around, the magazine part of the game has lots of details without any of them being too overwhelming. So far, there's as much to dig into as you want with the possibility of leaving the rest. Magazines can get shipped out without the maximum appeal and the bachelor pad will stay there, but if you really take care of all the details and schmooze effectively there will be more money for toys to outfit the mansion with.