Perfection Plus

There has been plenty of flak taken by the new Playboy Plus platform, particularly for the way the company has decided to handle it. The lack of features and a clunkier interface have made many fans shake their heads, wondering why this was even necessary.

While I'm certainly part of the majority of Cyber Club members who was disappointed with the move, I'm now finding that there's something that's fortunately gone hand in hand with the move to a new platform: better quality pictorials, and better quality models. That's not to say we were in that big of a slump before, but now we're starting to see a new breed of fresh talent sweep through, and it's exciting.

We're seeing new, younger talent with fresh pictorials and updated photography and processing techniques. We're seeing some veteran talent that has been taken to a new level. And the quantity of great pictorials has gone up considerably. So let's take a look at a few of the women that are making me so optimistic...

Amber Sym (Amateur)

Young, spunky Amber is one of the most surprising and exciting new models to hit the Plus scene. She's had a bunch of video footage and pictorial content released already, and is a really hot commodity. She heads off the new trend of "Amateurs" in the Plus world, where they're hosting some really promising talent. Amber is a girl whose moves are second to none - and her videos are worth a watch. She has a fast, physical posing style that doesn't quit. Pair that with a gorgeous, slender body and a mystifyingly sexy but familiar face, and you've got a model who's anything but shy.

Make her a Playmate!

Sophia Alexandria (Amateur)

Joining the Amateur section with Amber, Sophia is certainly not as talented a model, but is a great addition because of her sheer looks, particularly her body. Big, seductive eyes anchor a face shrouded by intriguing raven hair, and that all caps off a distinctively curvy body with perky breasts that are undoubtedly fake, but still very photogenic. Could use a bit of sharpening of her posing skills.

Jessica Workman (Cyber Girl)

Injecting fresh life into the new Cyber Girl regime of the Plus era, Jessica is a work of art. Although not the most physical poser you could wish for (and we're trying not to compare with Amber, again), Jessica is just a sight on camera. Her facial expressions don't change much, but her look is young and clean, with no frills. Her body is the main attraction, looking natural, tight, and curvy in all the right ways. Jessica's pictorial is like a dream, and her look is both wistful and down to Earth, with the right mix of college coed mixed in. Definitely should be strong for CGOM.

Sydney Barlette (Cyber Girl)

Sydney made her debut as CGOW sometime last year, and hopefully gets to follow through with it in her new home. Her Plus pictorial was very unsatisfying, mainly since it never showcases Sydney in all her glory. But keep in mind that this girl needs to be exposed more, in every sense of the word. She has a busty body and a bombastic posing style that should give life to this CGOY  race, which is definitely worth it. Sydney is a model with an "it" factor, and she packs in the talent.

Katie Vernola (Playmate Xtra)

Yes, Katie was featured as Playmate more than a year ago, and yes, I gave her heaps of praise when she came around. The young 18-year old Playmate perhaps never got the treatment she deserved, but still got a solid "A" from me, with my thoughts being that she's one of the best Playmates in recent memory. Well, she's proven it again. With a new pictorial in the Plus era, Katie looks even better than ever. Mainly, her body is far tighter now, which was her only weakness before. Because of this, her curves are accentuated more than ever, and she's blossomed into a near-perfect model. If she was PM now, she might even have garnered a Hall of Fame A+ nomination from me, but alas, it's all passed. Still, we need more of the young Katie, as she's got years ahead in her prime.

Taylor Patrick (Amateur)
She may not have the flash and sparkle of Katie Vernola, the superbody of Sydney Barlette, or even the charm of Amber Sym, but Taylor is an intriguing girl in her own right. She's a bit rough around the edges, and a true amateur in her own right, but she has some tangibles that are really exciting. Her body is petite, cute, and accessible. She's no bombshell, but those beautiful eyes and a sleek, simple posing style make her worth a look. A little production, and she could be CGOW caliber.

Skylar Hart (Cyber Girl) 

Starting out as an Amateur and taking it to Cyber Girl status recently, Skylar is a very interesting model with tons of upside. This young 19-year old wonder has the looks of a professional fashion model, with a very slim, sleek body and an absolutely photogenic look. She comes alive in every photo with color and zest, and when you factor in her positively angelic face, you have one heck of a visual. She's yet to feel truly comfortable in her nudity, but her body is certainly not the issue there. It's petite, feminine, and competes her youthful appearance. This is definitely a talent to keep in our crosshairs, as she might easily make the leap to CGOM status.

Chelsie Lorraine (Cyber Girl)
Chelsie was featured as a CGOW back in 2010, and was ultimately defeated for her bid to the monthly feature. Although she came off to myself as stiff and uninspired at first, her recent reintroduction in the Plus era is quite the sight. Although she's the same familiar face, she's not as overproduced as before. This seems to be a trend with the new Plus pictorials: models have been allowed to be themselves, without the production getting in the way. What we see here is Chelsie's innate talent coming out, as she weaves her sexy body through a masterful portrait of herself with little hindrance. While not perfect, she's got a very natural physique, and is an active and aware poser. Definitely an eye-opener of a photo set.

Kate Hughes (Cyber Girl)
Kate was our CGOM for January of this year, and very rightfully so. Although I found her CGOW performance to go largely unnoticed, Kate is a formidable model who should be in high contention for Cyber Girl of the Year in 2013. Need a reason? Just take a look at her newest offering in the Plus era. Her body is absolutely immaculate, and has 21st century Playboy model written all over it. It's sinewy but still curvy, tall but still volumetric, sharp but still soft and feminine. Kate's body may not wow with measurements, but take a look at how flattering photos are to her, and you'd be a believer. Add to that a wonderful sense for the camera and an irresistible girl next door look, and Kate needs to be a featured girl for 2012-13. She must be. We'll all be better off with more of her!