Social game-maker Zynga is giving musical artist Lady Gaga her own game to release tracks from her upcoming album 'Born This Way.'

Called GagaVille, the game will lead players through various challenges that, once they complete, will reward them with exclusive tracks. The album is coming out on May 23 and the GagaVille promotion runs May 17 through May 26. While a number of brands have used the Zynga platform for promotions, GagaVille appears to be the most extensive to date. Not only has the game-maker carved out an entirely new farm for the artist, but many elements from her campaign are interwoven throughout other Zynga games and promotional efforts.

For example:

• The full album comes bundled as a free download with the purchase of a special Zynga $25 game card, available exclusively at Best Buy.

• Words With Friends, a popular mobile social game available on the iPhone, iPad, and Android, will feature a daily "Words with Gaga" contest, giving players a chance to win Gaga prizes including tickets to an upcoming concert and a signed copy of "Born This Way."

• Limited edition Lady Gaga virtual items will be offered on RewardVille.com.

Huge Category

Social gaming has become a huge growth category - one that advertisers are eager to tap. eMarketer's short-term forecast of ad spending on social gaming is pretty aggressive, it says, with ad spending expected to hit $192 million in 2011, up 33% over 2010. Zygna is the vendor to beat in this space, however analysts' forecasts, including eMarketer’s, suggest there is enough room for other providers and their accompanying advertisers.

The virtual goods market has become a huge ad niche and one, according to an analysis by Flurry last year, that may be overtaking traditional advertising revenues, at least on the iOS platform. It found that during 2010 revenue increasingly shifted from advertising to virtual goods sales until reaching a proportion of more than 80% from virtual goods.

eMarketer points out that estimates of advertising on social games don’t include so-called "offers" - that is, lead-generation pitches or surveys offer up virtual cash for social games. Citing ThinkEquity figures, eMarketers says these offers accounted for 47% of US social gaming revenues in 2009.