If you thought product placement in movies was getting out of control after watching Iron Man and spotting obvious plugs for Audi, LG, Burger King, and Dell (to name a few), just wait until you see what games have cooked up to compete for dollars. Right on the heels of the announcement for MySims Kingdom, EA’s Sims labels has let news slip of an entire expansion pack based on product placement: The Sims 2 Ikea Home Stuff, which will allow players to buy all their favorite Swedish-made furniture, virtually.
EA collaborated with Ikea to reproduce portions of Ikea’s massive catalog in the game, from the Ektorp sofa to the Leksvik coffee table and Malm bed. “Home is central to the experience of your Sims and with Ikea additions, it’s sure to be the most inviting place in the neighborhood,” said The Sims studio head Rod Humble, completely shamelessly, in a statement.
Though Ikea fans can request a print catalog for free, getting the virtual version installed on their computers will cost $19.99 when EA ships the The Sims 2 Ikea Home Stuff on June 23 in North America.
