The Kardashian family is known for having their hand in just about everything. Television series, guest star roles in movies and other shows, designer clothing, jewelry cosmetics the list goes on. One place that you may not have thought a Kardashian would end up is on the Google Play Store, but Kim Kardashian has. A new game aims to give you a taste of the Hollywood socialite lifestyle, and is expected to bring in $200 million through in-app purchases just this year.
The company behind the game is Glu Mobile, and since the release, their shares have gone up 42 percent. Glu Mobile CEO, Niccolo de Masi said, “It might be our biggest game of the year,” continuing to say, “We’re not surprised. Kim is a one-of-a-kind talent with an incredibly precise fit to the game engine that we tailored, but already had in the company.”
The object of the game is to become an “A-list” celebrity with Kim acting as a guide to help you along the way. Though it’s hard to tell if the game takes Kim as serious as the cash she will surely bring in with her avatar saying things like ” Dating famous people will get you more fans too.” Though that could be good advice since the user starts out as an “E-list” celebrity. The game is available now in the Play Store for free, but Glu Mobile hopes to make money of the in-app purchases that will help the user gain fame.
One of the more expensive purchases that can be made within the game is a $99 for 175,000 in fake dollars. Using that money inside the game allows users to take trips or buy things for your avatar like a necklace that costs 400 in virtual dollars. With expensive purchases like this one, Douglas Creutz, an analyst with Cowen & Co. based in New York says the app could reach $200 million in sales by the end of the year. This is attributed to not only the Fame Kim and her family carry, but due to the quick popularity of the game.
Since its release on July 25, the app has reached a full five star rating on the Play Store, according to Creutz, “There’s no such thing as bad publicity right?” Continuing on to say, “Obviously, Kim Kardashian’s brand has driven people to download the game. But at this point, the game has taken on a life of its own.” This is very apparent when you look at an example of one person in-app purchases. Tracie Egan Morrissey who is a reviewer for a blog called Jezebel, wrote on the site that she spent $494.04 on the Kardashian game. “I’m part of what’s wrong with modern American Culture,” Morrissey admits, “But at least in Kim’s realm I’m an A-list celebrity with 50 million fans–after nearly $500 of in-app purchases, of course.”
$500 may seem a bit steep to some of us for in-app purchases on a Kardashian-themed game, or any game for that matter. However, it’s people like Morrissey who will help the game reach that estimated goal of $200 million in just 6 months. Just as a comparison, a Simpson’s game called The Simpsons: Tapped Out earned $100 million over the span of a full year.
If you haven’t checked out the game, and want to do so, the play link is below.