EA, Lily Allen belt out Sims sing-along contest

A little over three weeks ago, Electronic Arts made a strong move to get into the music game business with the purchase of the online karaoke site SingShot. The publisher didn't announce exactly why it bought the site, other than to build up its online community and "promote user-created content through a music platform." It was also divulged that the SingShot team would work with EA's Sims division.

Today, the first fruits of the acquisition emerged as EA has announced a contest to promote the Sims 2 Seasons, the latest expansion pack for the überpopular PC game.

Joining EA in its promotion is British pop sensation Lily Allen, who contributes a song to the Sims 2 Seasons soundtrack. The diminutive Allen, who is known for her verbal daggers and lyrical wit, rerecorded her hit "Smile" in the Sims native tongue of Simlish--a gibberish language created specifically for the game.

The contest asks gamers and aspiring crooners to record their own version of "Smile" in Simlish, and upload it to the contest page on SingShot. Allen will choose the first and second place winners, with the top prize package worth approximately $1390 and a shot at recording a future song for an upcoming Sims game.

Allen is the latest to record a song for a Sims game in Simlish, joining the likes of Aly & AJ, Depeche Mode, Pussycat Dolls, and Black Eyed Peas. For more information on the contest, head over to the Sims 2 Web site.