No relation to Duff Man. Oh yeah!

　　The Sims 2 Pets has really been packing in the star power. So far, the game is getting musical contributions from teen pop duo AJ & Aly, sexed-up girl group Pussycat Dolls, alterna-rockers The Flaming Lips, nerdcore group Hot Chip, and others.

　　Now the game is moving beyond just the audio stylings of well-known musical artists. Electronic Arts today announced that actress-turned-pop singer Hilary Duff will be featured as a playable character in The Sims 2 Pets. In keeping with the theme of the game, Duff's real-life Chihuahua, Lola, will also be included in the Pets.

　　Duff and Lola will "appear in different scenes on each of the [game's] platforms" and will be fully interactive. Players will be able to dress up Duff and maker her do their bidding or have their own created Sims characters mingle with her.

　　The Sims 2 Pets will be released on the PC, PlayStation 2, GameCube, and Nintendo DS on October 17. PSP and Game Boy Advance versions will ship later this year. For more information, read GameSpot's previous coverage.