Kim Kardashian may still be enjoying immense popularity the world over but the mobile game app that was patterned after her life as a reality TV star seems to fall behind in terms of popularity among mobile device users.
When Glu Mobile, the game’s publisher, released “Kim Kardashian: Hollywood” mobile game app in June 2014, it had high expectations that it would bring in $200 million worth of first-year earnings to the company. Its projections were even supported by several Wall Street business analysts, cites Yahoo! Finance.
“Kim Kardashian: Hollywood” lets players lead a virtual life, the way the famous Hollywood reality TV star lives hers.
Downloadable for free either on the Apple Store or Google Store and Amazon, the game is premised on the challenge of players’ attempt to become famous drawing occasional advice from a virtual Kim. Advancing through levels requires frequent in-game purchase of currency called ‘Koins’ needed to customize a character’s appearance and enhance his or her social status.
During its official launch last summer, it went off to a rousing and very promising start. “Kim Kardashian: Hollywood” even made it to the list of top five highest grossing apps in the Apple Store.
Started fading
But after the summer, interest to the mobile game began on a freefall decline. As of January 9, 2015, “Kim Kardashian: Hollywood” was down to No. 19 in the list of the top grossing apps in the Apple Store.
The game has also suffered immense popularity drop on Android stores run by Google and Amazon, which means that Android users have started losing interest on it as well.
Shares of Glu Mobile, which is listed in the New York Stock Exchange, peaked to $7.60 in July 2014 following the release of the mobile game. But its share price has since dropped to 50% of its July share value as both the popularity and demand for the game stared waning.
“Kim Kardashian: Hollywood” posted earnings of $43 million in the third quarter of 2014. It was during the same period when the mobile game was launched and enjoyed good popularity. Although a number of players got addicted to it, the game’s appeal wore off over time, which is typical with most mobile games.
The game has not fared any better during the fourth quarter of 2014. While Glu Mobile is set to release its fourth quarter 2014 earnings on February 4, 2015, it seems that the figure would not even make half of what it did during the previous quarter.
Thus, it is likely that the company’s projection of $200 million earnings from the game for the entire year would not be realized.
The real Kim Kardashian will be earning 45% of the revenues as Glu Mobile’s royalty payment to the reality TV star for allowing the company to make a virtual game about her and her life as one of the most, if not the most popular Hollywood star today.