I just noticed that one of Ubisoft's three Nintendo DS titles is Sprung, "the game where everyone scores", the game with "double the love". Yes, it's a dating sim.

I can't think of any dating sims developed in the west in recent history (there are, of course, plenty from Japan, and they tend to be quite naughty).

Given the occasional discussion about romance and sex in games, I think this is a very cool move on the part of Ubisoft. The premise of the game sounds a bit like a bad MTV show, but "bad" in this case doesn't mean "not fun", and keeping a finger on the pulse of pop culture is a smart move - way smarter than using another cliched fantasy setting.

Even though the gameplay seems simplistic, I hope the game is fun, and has some success.

Update: This is a weird one. Thad points out in the comments that someone involved in the development of Sprung has a blog (among other aspects of Internet presence). But then I find out that this person has an idea for a game called Thaddaeus Frogley (scroll down). Insert your favorite conspiracy theory here.