Playboy forays into online games

Adult entertainment company Playboy has decided to step into the video gaming scene, says TechTree.

Fiercely popular for its adult-content centric magazines, Web sites and videos, Playboy is going to introduce a video game label later this year.

Paul Lee, Playboy's managing director for new digital ventures, told paidContent this game label is a part of the wider digital strategy to make the Playboy brand a more mainstream concept. The company has currently tied up with German online games developer Bigpoint.

Football pools firm Sportech said betting games released during the World Cup attracted 12 000 new online players as it stepped up the turnaround of the re-branded Littlewoods and Vernons business, writes Google News.

The Liverpool-based firm said fixture betting games Super Six and Score 3 had been extended into the current football season in a bid to pull in a new type of punter and boost prospects for its New Football Pools operation.

The World Cup boost came at the end of a six-month period which saw Sportech report pre-tax profits of £5.8 million, down from £6.9 million a year earlier, and revenues of £28.6 million, down from £32.4 million.

Bringing what is said to be the ultimate set list to furious finger-fretting rockaholics around the world this September, Activision revealed the entire Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock on-disc line-up, reveals Gaming Excellence.

It includes 90-plus tracks focusing on guitar shredding hits, Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock is headlined by some of the largest bands in rock and features original tracks written and composed by AAA talent, special re-records by famous artists, and bands that are making their Guitar Hero debut.

The track list includes the likes of Black Sabbath, Muse and The White Stripes.