Jolt Online Gaming, the company behind the recently launched Zork casual MMO, announced today that it was developing a game with Playboy Enterprises. Playboy Manager will put users in the role of a manager for Playboy models and combine content from Playboy, trading card and turn-based gaming, and the Playboy brand lifestyle.

The company was an early brand in Second Life, launching in June 2007 and working to integrate its brand with existing designers in the virtual world. I believe the company has since shut down its Second Life presence, but as late as Q1 2008, Playboy was hinting at developing its own virtual worlds as part of the overall online mix.

“The Playboy brand is what creates the unique connection we have with consumers and gives us a vital competitive edge,” then-CEO Christie Hefner said at the time. “Most importantly, we believe it is the strength and appeal of the brand that will drive the company’s future success, and we intend to leverage that both in immersive real-world environments and in the virtual environment to increase shareholder value.”

No other projects on that front have materialized, though. With mobile tie-ins and a branded gaming experience, this might be Playboy’s shot at combining the community of a virtual world with its content.