S America's corporations spread across Mother Earth, they sometimes evoke protests and denunciations of globalization. So what happens when McDonald's spreads the Big Mac culture in the cyberworld?

One answer may come on Dec. 17 with the official debut of Sims Online, an Internet version of the popular PC game in which the goal is to simulate everyday life - by building a network of families, friends and wealth. In the online version of the game, players can fuel up with a stop at McDonald's - a product-placement development that some Sims denizens find distasteful.

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A fierce debate on the subject at the Slashdot.com discussion group was ignited by Tony Walsh, a columnist for Shift.com, a site devoted to digital culture. Mr. Walsh called on players to stage anti-McDonald's protests - where else? - within the game itself. His suggestions included: "Lie down and play dead. Emote the vomiting, sickness, or fatigue that might overcome you after eating a real-life McNugget."

The inclusion of McDonald's within the Sims environment reflects an emerging trend in video games. The game's publisher, Electronic Arts, signed contracts under which it will receive more than $2 million to include McDonald's and Intel logos inside the game - contracts that industry analysts have said may be the most lucrative ever for video-game product placement.

In this case, the fast food is part of game play. Players can visit kiosks and purchase Big Macs, fries, cheeseburgers and the like, although there are other sources of sustenance. Already some 50,000 people are playing a test version of the game.

How can a virtual eating establishment elicit such hostility? Among the hundreds of comments in a discussion on Slashdot.org are some suggestions that protesters should lighten up.

"There are enough injustices in the world worthy of protest," wrote one visitor. "We don't need virtual ones."

All this discussion is not exactly giving Electronic Arts a pain in its digestive tract. The company is subscribing to the philosophy that all press is good press. "We haven't seen any protests in the Sims Online, but we love the concept," said Jeff Brown, a company spokesman.

For those who would seek the anti-establishment path within the game, there are logistical considerations, Mr. Brown noted. It is not possible, for example, to carry a picket sign or to take all of the steps suggested by Mr. Walsh.

"You can make an 'I'm sick' gesture that simulates gagging," Mr. Brown said. "But nothing comes out."