With another U.S. presidential election on the way, Stardock announces The Political Machine 2012, saying the next installment in their politics simulation will be released via digital distribution this summer. Here's word:

Players take to the campaign trail against a computer controlled opponent or a human challenger over the Internet. The goal: win the hearts and minds of America's voters to achieve victory in the 2012 presidential election.

The Political Machine 2012 features updated political topics from across the United States. Issues such as Afghanistan, the economy, Obamacare, income inequality, gay rights, and the national debt have been integrated into the game's election database. Regional issues such as "right to work", state minimum wage, local environmental policies, farm subsidies and more require the candidate to walk a tight rope between appealing to the widest range of voters and appearing to "flip flop".

The 2012 version includes user interface and graphical improvements, new gameplay features and enhancements to update in-game topics based on new polling data after release.