By Joe Osborne From games.com

Look, The Sims are people, too (sort of), and deserve a cup's joe every once in awhile. EA has come out of the gate swinging with The Sims Social, backing it up already with an in-game promotion by Dunkin' Donuts. The American coffee and donuts chain officially announced that several of its menu items have been given the Simlish treatment in an ambitious six-month long campaign.

Once a month for the next six months, players can send their friends one coffee and one food item (pictured) for an extra boost. (Well, then these better be pretty massive boosts.)

Aside from the usual gifting, players will also unlock Dunkin' Donuts-themed consumables as they progress through the game. Finally, if players "Like" the Dunkin' Donuts Facebook page, they'll score two more items to decorate their Sims' homes with, one of which is a beach chair that their Sims can relax on and drink Dunkin' Donuts coffee.

However, a point driven by EA and Dunkin' Donuts is that this brand integration is relevant to The Sims Social and adds a level of realism. Regardless of how relevant it is, while it's much appreciated, this is still a marketing push. However, it speaks volumes to not only how quickly The Sims Social is growing--it's already reached over 7 million players despite its launch issues--but how confident EA is in the game.