A video making the rounds shows Swedish models hanging out, playing games and talking suggestively to one another while at Overkill Studios, developer of "Payday: The Heist." The video, which is below, promotes a contest for a "Payday" movie. Angner Sophie and Nina Strauss, Top Model Sweden contestants, ask viewers to send in videos of themselves to be in "The Payday Girl Contest."
"The YouTube piece that was spread today was an external pitch made to us (amongst many) almost nine months ago," Bo Andersson, CEO of Starbreeze Entertainment tells GamesIndustry International. Starbreeze acquired Overkill last year and Andersson was CEO of Overkill when the video was shot.
"It was related to the potential Payday movie and not game. We did not design it or distribute it. Part was shot in our office but then cut externally. We felt it did not portray our values as a company in any way after seeing the final cut. Therefore it was rejected some 9 months ago. Unfortunately it ended up on the internet as part of someone's CV (outside of our company)."
Sony Online Entertainment, which published "Payday The Heist" tells GamesIndsustry it had nothing to do with the video or the promotion. "SOE had nothing to do with this video or contest," the company says. "Moreover, this contest is linked to the upcoming film (not the original game), with which SOE has had zero involvement."
"Payday 2" is set for summer 2013 and is being published by 505 Games. The fate of the movie remains unclear.
