Sims 2 Nightlife out on the town

So far, they've lived normal lives and buried their noses in books. Now, The Sims, the titular characters from Electronic Arts' top-selling franchise, are letting their hair down. The Redwood City, California-based software publisher today shipped The Sims 2 Nightlife, the second add-on to the popular PC game. The Sims 2 and its expansions were developed by EA-Maxis, Will Wright's acclaimed studio.

In Nightlife, sims get to explore their wild side by engaging in hedonistic, nocturnal activities. No, they're not going out for "Hot Coffee," but they will be able to belt out tunes on karaoke machines, go all-in by playing poker, and shake their moneymakers on the dance floor.

New features include the pleasure aspiration, which lets characters do their best impressions of Caligula; dating gameplay, which puts sims on the scene by letting them chat up potential hookups; and a host of darker characters, including vampires and gypsies with black-magic apothecaries. Sims may also finally get out of their dreams and into their cars with automobiles that take them to their place of work or out on the town with class.

Nightlife is the follow-up to The Sims 2 University, the first expansion of the second generation of Sims games. To date, the Sims franchise has shipped more than 45 million units.

The Sims 2 Nightlife requires The Sims 2 to play, is rated T for Teen, and retails for $34.99. For more information on the game, check out GameSpot's recent impressions of the add-on, or come back later for the full review.