Enrique Iglesias, one of the most popular Latin musicians of all time, wants to add some additional venues to his upcoming tour. These new stages will be built by his fans, and they will exist only in Zynga’s CityVille.
Between Oct. 4 and 10, players who have attained at least level six will encounter Iglesias in their city and can get him to say a few words. Among other things, they also can collect the brown boots, leather bracelet and military cap familiar to all of his fans, along with a two-seater plane commemorating his love of flying. The more dedicated can enhance their cities with a limited-edition “Enrique” speedboat and a high-rise like those near his Miami home.
Iglesias just embarked on his Euphoria Tour, so the grand finale relates directly to that: those who manage to build Enrique’s Euphoria Arena venue will unlock a preview of his newest music video, I Like How it Feels (featuring Pitbull and The WAV.s).
Other musicians have entered promotional partnerships with Zynga. This is a first for CityVille, however, and Zynga said this is the first time players can interact with an artist in such an integral way. Previous tie-ins include unlocking Dr. Dre items and a video in Mafia Wars, and Lady Gaga taking things a step further – as she so often does – by creating “GagaVille” in FarmVille, where fans could unlock exclusive songs from Born This Way.
CityVille has 69 million monthly active players, making it Zynga’s biggest social game. The game gives players across the world a chance to build their dream city from the ground up by harvesting crops, balancing needs of their citizens and running restaurants and businesses.
“I love finding new and cool ways to connect with my fans,” said Iglesias in a statement. “Bringing my Euphoria Tour to Zynga’s CityVille not only helps me celebrate my tour with a massive global audience, but also gives fans who can’t make it to see me live, a way to be part of the Euphoria experience.”
Zynga issued an equally off-the-cuff statement. “We’re committed to continuing to bring players new reasons to play the games they love,” said Scott Koenigsberg, Zynga’s director of business strategy for CityVille. “Through this partnership with Enrique, we’re bringing his Euphoria Tour to CityVille and giving fans and players a fun and playful way to connect with the artist by celebrating his lifestyle and hobbies – think Miami, speedboats, and airplanes.”
