Stardock Offering The Political Machine Express for Free

Stardock is currently offering a stripped down version of their election simulation game The Political Machine for free on their website. The Political Machine Express, as the free version is titled, allows you to play as either McCain-Palin or Obama-Biden and simulate the 2008 election.

Players play on the electoral map of the United States with the goal to gain the 270 electoral votes necessary to win the election. Players get 21 weeks (approximately the time candidates have between the primary season and the general election) to make speeches, raise money, buy advertisements, hire political operatives, appear on cable TV shows in order to woo voters to their side.

The non-Express version of the game retails for $19.95 (saw it for $14.95 at a Wal-Mart recently) and offers the chance to play as both modern date candidates and historical ones. Timing this free version so closely to the upcoming election was a great PR move for Stardock and should turn gamers on to the reasonably priced full version.