New subscription-based Playboy app for iOS skirts porn rules by leaving the skirts on
As landmark men's magazine Playboy lands on Apple's iPhone in the form of a new subscription-based app, it will bring a little something extra in its new incarnation: namely, clothes.
The Articles: A major draw according to some Playboy readers.
Late Apple CEO Steve Jobs famously described the iPad and iOS platform as "freedom from porn," which may allow parents to breathe a sigh of relief, but doesn't help magazines like Playboy, which has for more than half a century made its money pushing pictures of scantily clad and nude women. Given Apple's noted vigilance in preventing any pornographic content from making it onto iOS screens through the App Store, the magazine's editors had to take a different route when developing the just-launched iPhone app.
"It forces us to use our imagination to be a little bit more creative," Playboy's Josh Schollmeyer, Director of Digital Content, told USA Today. "I tell all my photographers every picture has to be one of three things. It has to be romantic, whimsical, or sexy."
The resulting, tamer app contains no nudity, with models wearing much more than they otherwise would under the Playboy banner. There are a number of pictorial categories ? including Playmate Redux, God Given Gorgeous, Miss Social, and the celebrity-focused Me In My Place ? but all are decidedly "PG-13" at most, due to Apple's App Store policies.
For those readers who only check the men's monthly for the articles, the new iPhone app carries over much of the editorial content that the magazine has become known for. The app will have monthly exclusive content about The Good Life, as well as in-depth interviews with assorted celebrities. These will be formatted to take advantage of the iPhone's screen and make long-form content easier to read on a small screen.
The new iPhone app isn't Playboy's first go at targeting Apple's platform. In 2011, the company launched an uncensored "iPad app," which was really a digital reproduction of its magazines, formatted for display on Apple's bestselling tablet. That version, though, was just a specialized web page. Hugh Hefner's enterprise had tried to get an iPad app through Apple's approval process, but it was turned down.
Should the new app prove successful, editors say digital users can expect to see more of the magazine on other platforms, as the magazine's editors expect to start rolling out versions for tablets and other smartphones over the next year. However, users might not necessarily wind up seeing more of the models, even when the apps are released outside of Apple's content constraints.
"Just because the (content) controls aren't there on Android," one observer told USA Today, "I wouldn't expect them to go more risqu?."
The Playboy iPhone app is available as a free download in the iTunes App Store. The in-app subscription model has three tiers: $2 for 30-day access to unlimited content and downloads, $11 for six months' access, and $20 for a full year's access.
The 13.2-megabyte app is restricted to users 17 years of age and up. It is compatible with iPhones 3GS and up, third-generation iPod touches and up, and iPads. It requires iOS 5.1 or later.
The Articles: A major draw according to some Playboy readers.
Late Apple CEO Steve Jobs famously described the iPad and iOS platform as "freedom from porn," which may allow parents to breathe a sigh of relief, but doesn't help magazines like Playboy, which has for more than half a century made its money pushing pictures of scantily clad and nude women. Given Apple's noted vigilance in preventing any pornographic content from making it onto iOS screens through the App Store, the magazine's editors had to take a different route when developing the just-launched iPhone app.
"It forces us to use our imagination to be a little bit more creative," Playboy's Josh Schollmeyer, Director of Digital Content, told USA Today. "I tell all my photographers every picture has to be one of three things. It has to be romantic, whimsical, or sexy."
The resulting, tamer app contains no nudity, with models wearing much more than they otherwise would under the Playboy banner. There are a number of pictorial categories ? including Playmate Redux, God Given Gorgeous, Miss Social, and the celebrity-focused Me In My Place ? but all are decidedly "PG-13" at most, due to Apple's App Store policies.
For those readers who only check the men's monthly for the articles, the new iPhone app carries over much of the editorial content that the magazine has become known for. The app will have monthly exclusive content about The Good Life, as well as in-depth interviews with assorted celebrities. These will be formatted to take advantage of the iPhone's screen and make long-form content easier to read on a small screen.
The new iPhone app isn't Playboy's first go at targeting Apple's platform. In 2011, the company launched an uncensored "iPad app," which was really a digital reproduction of its magazines, formatted for display on Apple's bestselling tablet. That version, though, was just a specialized web page. Hugh Hefner's enterprise had tried to get an iPad app through Apple's approval process, but it was turned down.
Should the new app prove successful, editors say digital users can expect to see more of the magazine on other platforms, as the magazine's editors expect to start rolling out versions for tablets and other smartphones over the next year. However, users might not necessarily wind up seeing more of the models, even when the apps are released outside of Apple's content constraints.
"Just because the (content) controls aren't there on Android," one observer told USA Today, "I wouldn't expect them to go more risqu?."
The Playboy iPhone app is available as a free download in the iTunes App Store. The in-app subscription model has three tiers: $2 for 30-day access to unlimited content and downloads, $11 for six months' access, and $20 for a full year's access.
The 13.2-megabyte app is restricted to users 17 years of age and up. It is compatible with iPhones 3GS and up, third-generation iPod touches and up, and iPads. It requires iOS 5.1 or later.
Comments
This is no joke. Very real app.
1st amendment/libertarian/anti-victorian/The-book-of-genesis-was-written-by-a-small-dicked-guys-wife-hiding_her_shame.
I'm finding it slightly more and more troubling as time goes on this stance on nudity and politics. Why the best decision isn't to have a ratings system and leave it at that I cannot figure out, what motivation could they possibly have of outright banning political satire and nudity when a age appropriate rating system would do away with everyones worries and still allow parents to buy iOS devices for their kids without fear.
Because you can fake your age VERY easily. There is no check on age when you set up your account. You can pick any age you want. Then you just click "ok" when the warning comes up for age restriction. This is why Apple and other companies don't allow porn in their apps
Meh, Playboy can hardly be considered porn anyway.
I know, it's about time. The pictures of attractive, scantily clad women were just so distracting.
I notice the same old comments about Safari again and how Apple is censoring the world. Apple only has two choices: promote the acquisition of raunchy material or don't. They chose the latter as does Google, as do TV networks for daytime content as do many other family-friendly companies.
Playboy is perfectly able to make a web app and host it on their own site that behaves like a native app and displays pictures, text and movies totally uncensored and they can put a subscription system in there.
I guess I don't understand the appeal of porn. Apple simplifies their life by not allowing it on the IOS apps. No lawsuits, no boycotts or protests by angry parents. Makes sense to me.
I guess the Japanese have a patent on "pixelation of genitalia" so they had to go with adding skirts?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Playboy
There is no scientific evidence that viewing or reading sexual explicit material causes anti social behavior.
Of course it does! For the 5 minutes you're in the bathroom, you're practicing anti-social behavior. ;-)
Playboy has articles. That's funny.
and you may ask why is this Relevant to playboy . com ?... well wickedweasel . com could also never get an app approved...mainly due to their thong suits, and the US's media's "No if,ands, or BUTTs PHOTO policy" lol.
Quote:
Originally Posted by LarryA
Or, maybe we can just get used to the idea that sex isn't evil.
Curious as to who thinks sex is "evil". To say that nudity and sex is appropriate for all ages is pretty idiotic.
double post
double post
Quote:
Originally Posted by Timbit
Because you can fake your age VERY easily. There is no check on age when you set up your account. You can pick any age you want. Then you just click "ok" when the warning comes up for age restriction. This is why Apple and other companies don't allow porn in their apps
That isn't something to be concerned about, anyone with enough money to buy their own iOS device is almost certainly the age of consent and for anyone younger their parents to get to set the parental controls to disallow downloading of apps/tv shows/movies rated 17+ or whatever. The amount of people that don't fit neatly into either of those categories is so small as to be acceptable.