Jun 27, 2012 1:30 PM PDT    Text size: 

SAN FRANCISCO — Zynga, makers of the groundbreaking social network games "FarmVille" and "CityVille," launched today "The Ville," a "house-and-people" themed game that includes virtual sex.

"With 'The Ville,' we're taking social to a whole new level," Mark Skaggs, Zynga's senior vice president of product development, said via press release. "Your friends are active participants on your game board, and the interactions, relationships and choices you make together create a truly unique game experience."

"The Ville" allows players to build and decorate the house of their dreams and share it with friends and family. Features include multiple avatars, any of which can be clicked on to check a player's FaceBook profile, a ZTalk message system to leave comments on another person's game board and tools to customize photos and avatars.

New house items and advanced relationship interactions are unlocked as gamers earn "happiness" points by engaging in social activities such as hosting parties and dancing, eating and hot-tubbing with other players.

Characters in the game can even hook up sexually once players have collected enough happiness points to unlock what Zynga executive producer David Gray calls a "whoopee" interaction. According to CNET.com, which spoke with Gray, characters disrobe partially during that stage and "little floating hearts" can be seen showering the bed.

Though the action is far from X-rated, Zynga is downplaying the feature in the media, stressing instead the game's family appeal, and denying that it's intended to be a dating app for users. "It's a house-and-people game," Skaggs told CNET. "You build the house of your dreams and invite friends over to play with your toys. The romantic relationship channel is just a small part of it."

"The Ville" can be played for free on FaceBook. To see a trailer go here.