The Sims Social: Score 2,000 free Simoleons via Solitaire Blitz

Taking a page from the Zynga handbook of cross-promotions, EA has launched a promotion within the Sims Social to celebrate the launch of Solitaire Blitz on Facebook. For a limited time, players that play five games in PopCap's Solitaire Blitz will be eligible to receive 2,000 Simoleons back in the Sims Social. What you end up doing with those Simoleons will be entirely up to you.

Once you click on the in-game link to be taken to Solitaire Blitz, you'll see an immediate confirmation that things have "clicked," as Solitaire Blitz will show you that you're on a quest to play those five games. For an overview of what you can expect from the gameplay, check out our preview of the game.

This is one of the first times that we've seen EA leverage its ownership of PopCap and Playfish in such a way in order to encourage viral growth, but it's likely that this won't be the last promotion we see, especially if this one turns out to be a success. We'll make sure to stay on top of things and will let you know if any additional promotions launch across the company's games.

Will you try Solitaire Blitz for 2,000 free Simoleons in the Sims Social? What will you spend those Simoleons on? Sound off in the comments.