Glu Mobile has said the Kim Kardashian game it developed generated $1.6 million in revenue during its first five days on the market in late June. And the hot sales have continued.
The game is now the fifth highest-grossing game on Apple’s App Store.
The company said it expected tens of millions of people around the world to download the game on their iPhone or Android phones, even through the game is available only in English.
Kim Kardashian: Hollywood has sharp graphics, and the premise is simple.
It drops players into the celebrity world and challenges them to improve their social standing, build careers and accumulate wealth and fans.
Players navigate through tasks like booking jobs, making friends and going on dates, and the occasional appearance from the cartoon version of Ms. Kardashian herself.
For those who keep up with the Kardashian family and brand, it is riddled with insider jokes and winks about the family and its history.
The game is free to download and play, but it sells in-app purchases for things like additional energy and “K-stars,” which can be used to buy special hairstyles, accessories and clothing.
Although players don’t have to spend money to advance in the game play, they are clearly enticed to indulge on the fancier items available for sale imitating Ms Kardashian’s own high-spending ways.
One analyst estimated that the game could bring in as much as $200 million annually.
NYT