Korean American Grace Kim is the Playboy Playmate for November 2008. Grace is the first Korean centerfold in Playboy history. The Los Angeles based model was a former publicist for Guitar Hero, a video game she also likes to play. You can see some of her Guitar Hero moves here. (The footage may be NSFW.) You can add her as a MySpace friend.

Here’s the entry in her blog post about her selection as Playboy Playmate for November 2008

Okay this is pretty damn funny, I must admit…people in Gamerville are in upheaval b/c they don’t understand 1) why I’m posing nude with a Harmonix/MTV’s Rock Band guitar controller when I used to work for Activision, publisher for Guitar Hero. The main reason is pretty simplistic, actually– when I was asked to bring in both my RB and GH guitar controllers, my thrashed GH one was a mess! I’d crudely etched my name in it, there were crinkly, peeling stickers all over it (you know, the cheesy ones that go with the kit), and the whammy bar was bent (my dog Cubby got to it), so it wouldn’t have made for an aesthetically-looking pictorial.

Then there are those who are a bit confused as to why I made the decision to jump ship from ATVI to pose nude for Playboy if I’m “so in love with musical gaming.” I know it’s a little weird and hard for some people to fathom, since we all know that the gaming industry’s pretty tough to get into since most applicants LOVE games, and I’m especially lucky b/c I had zero gaming industry experience, just a passion for Guitar Hero (when I heard there was an opening in the PR department for the very popular GH account, I never thought I’d get the gig since there were over 100 applicants, many of whom had gaming industry experience, already had worked at Red Octane or ATVI, and ALL of whom had a strong passion and love for the game. I mean, it’s fun as hell! (And with GH:World Tour, I don’t think my friends and I will ever leave the house- you can create your OWN songs? Watch out, Zepagain! New LZ cover band in the house!) So back to the subject- the answer to that is that I simply COULD NOT turn down the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to pose as the first Korean centerfold in Playboy history– no matter how good of a gig I had at ATVI. Even if my parents wouldn’t be happy about it at first, even if my job at ATVI had some pretty damn good perks (although I noticed that after GH:3, and with the lackluster advent of GH:Aerosmith and the DS handheld, my passion for GH kind of dwindled down….and I started playing RB on the side with total gusto….ssh!) Aside from that– hey, testing out the DS and GH: AS prototypes, coordinating pretty cool launch parties, and working with some really cool co-workers who were truly passionate about the game (big ups to Production!) was pretty sweet. But I’m a risk taker, and I knew that I couldn’t say “no” to Holly and Hef when they found me. They personally hand-selected me, and I wasn’t a model, I never was. There was no hesitation. I’m getting a lot of props from people who think it’s a gutsy and smart move (“high five!”- proverbial o’course); then there are people who just need to stop overanalyzing it and/or put down the Hatorade (it’s not your life, you aren’t the one posing butt nekkid, so why do you care so much? especially when I don’t know ya?) Plus, in all honesty, I thought I could balance my newfound parttime gig as a new Playmate and my current fulltime job as a GH publicist and do both without anyone finding out- b/c Holly and Hef asked me to try out for Playmate, RIGHT after I started my first day at ATVI. I tried to do both– aaaaand let’s just say I almost had a freakin’ ulcer…

And THAT’s the real story. 🙂 I know I made the right decision in taking up a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to pose for Playboy(especially in representing not just Koreans, but Asians in general, who aren’t typically in the classy rag much). I just rolled with it, especially since it kind of came out of nowhere, and it was a pretty big compliment (I didn’t submit photos b/c I never thought I could be in it, obviously). I absolutely did NOT do it for the money (ATVI’s salary and perks were excellent). Moreover, becoming a Playmate opens me up to a new host of overwhelming possibilities and endless opportunities (in fact, it became the catalyst for my goal in writing a dating book for guys and dating in LA (kind of like a Leykis 101 through the eyes of a girl born and bred…and now a Playmate- the perfect “wingman,” so to say). I have an education (anyone watch the Bruin game the other night??!) and even if being a nude model doesn’t seem as “stable” or “prestigious” as being an overworked, unhappy but still “publicist for ATVI’s Guitar Hero account”, I have the credentials and education to obtain a 9-5 (or should I say 9-midnight in the PR world) position should Playmate-dom come to a standstill (which I’m putting my money on that it won’t). 😉 (wink!) I owe everything to Playboy and how much it’s changed my life and opened (and strangely, re-opened) doors to so many opportunities. I never have looked back, and I never will.

Btw- something’s that’s been bugging my gamer self- I meant to compare the PS2:PS3 analogy as such: Pinto:Lambo. (the XBOX360 can be compared to a vintage Shelby, and the Wii to an NSX. (I’ll come up with better analogies later, I had my first (hush hush) issue release soiree last night so I’m pretty tired…I’ll spruce up my console analogy later b/c I KNOW it’s buggin’ you hardcore gamers already….sheesh! 🙂 Much Love!

Grace Kim is the Playboy Playmate for November 2008