Social gaming giant is partnering once again with a high-profile rap star for its game Mafia Wars. In August, Snoop Dogg joined Zynga in blowing up a 4-ton armored truck in the middle of the desert in Nevada. And today, Zynga is announcing its first ever in-game music partnership, via its popular Mafia Wars game, with rap star Dr. Dre.
Mafia Wars, which revolves around a player’s criminal empire by creating clans, is currently being played by 19 milllion people each month on Facebook and the iPhone. The deal essentially allows Mafia Wars players access to watch the music video for Dr.Dre’s first single,”Kush,” from Dre’s soon to be released album “Detox.” A stream of the video, which also features Snoop Dogg and Akon, can be watched within the game.
Mafia Wars is also featuring a number of Dr.Dre-inspired game experiences including limited edition virtual goods within a “Hustlin’ wit Dre” portion of the game. Players will be able to collect Dr.Dre-inspired virtual goods such as headphones, a vintage car, and weapons. And players can purchase the new single via an iTunes link available within the game.
These partnerships and campaigns have proven to be successful in the past. With the Snoop Dogg deal, Mafia Wars reached 10 million visitors in its first two weeks, and more than 2 million viewers dialed in to watch the truck blowup on Ustream.
Generally, Zynga’s games are growing like gangbusters even without celebrity deals. The gaming company’s newest game, Cityville, is already seeing 6 million daily active users, making it the fastest growing game in the company’s history.