Kim Kardashian West has certainly
struck gold with her latest Cash Cow that has E-List Blogger’s tongues wagging
in the App Design Community. Peeps, queue the song, This is How We do by Katy
Perry!
Her
App, Kim
Kardashian: Hollywood, which launched on Wednesday July 25th
2014 has now made some US$51 million over a four (4) month period according to
industry-intelligence firm SuperData Research as stated in the article “Mobile
megahit Kim Kardashian: Hollywood has made around $50M in 4 months”,
published October 16, 2014 10:30 AM by Jeffrey Grubb, Venturebeat.
With
that kinda cash rolling in, App Developer Glu
Mobile, developers of Kim
Kardashian: Hollywood Game that available on both the Google Play Store as well as the Apple iTunes Store, has recently launched
a version of the game on Facebook on
Monday October 6th 2014 as reported in the article “Kim
Kardashian: Hollywood’s leap to Facebook puts it in front of the right audience”,
published October 6, 2014 12:00 PM by Jeffrey Grubb, Venturebeat.
It's
already garnered 4.3 Stars on the Google
Play Store and some 4.5 Stars on the Apple
iTunes Store, with the main comments being of course, the cost of K-Stars.
Fans will definitely love this though, chalking it up to being a facsimile of
the price of fame.
With
the Facebook Game, instead of an App, Kim
Kardashian: Hollywood Game is gonna be like Farmville, only you're farmin'
K-Stars and popping Energy Pills just to Keep Up with the Kardashians, their
main source of in-App purchase revenue as explained in my blog article
entitled “Glu
Mobile's Kim Kardashian: Hollywood App - Anatomy of How an A-List Celebrity
based App propels In-App Purchases”.
Kim Kardashian
Hollywood on Facebook – US$200 million for 2014 as More Love for her Fans
At
US$51 million in four (4) months suggest that the game makes US$417,000 per day
or US$12,510,000 per month! At that rate Kim
Kardashian: Hollywood will make and additional US$37,530,000 in the next
three (3) months up to December 2014, for a grand total earning of US$88,530,000.
Sorta
fits with prediction that Kim
Kardashian: Hollywood will make some US$200 million by the end of 2014 as
predicted by Cowen and Company analyst Doug Creutz, which is a bit overzealous
on the part of the analyst.
Already
in October 2014, the game has added in the much-expected Wedding feature that
mimics her recent marriage to Kanye West in Italy, with you in lacy dresses in
a crib of Kim K's Givenchy Haute Couture gown as noted in the article “Get
married just like Kim! Kim Kardashian: Hollywood game adds wedding feature with
Kimye style wall of flowers”, published 3 October 2014 15:59 GMT By ELEANOR
GOWER FOR MAILONLINE, UK DailyMail Online.
And
a day after the launch of the Facebook
version of the game, Kim
Kardashian West formally recognized Homosexual and Lesbian relationships
with an image posted on Kim
Kardashian West’s Instagram as reported in the article “Kim
Kardashian: Hollywood Now Recognizes Same Sex Marriage”, published Oct 11,
2014, by Sarah Buhr, TechCrunch.
For
Kim Kardashian West, it's all
about the fans, as per her statement on the Facebook
Game launch, quote: “I really enjoy engaging with my fans through Facebook and
Instagram, that’s why I’m so excited that Kim Kardashian: Hollywood is now
available on Facebook. I continue to be so proud of this project and hope my
fans enjoy the fun updates coming soon.”
Folks,
let’s break it down by the Numbers!
Kim Kardashian
Hollywood – Social Media Gaming is making a comeback
It
means that Social Gaming is making a comeback but in an unlikely way, thanks to
Reality Television Celebrities to quote SuperData CEO Joost van Dreunen: “As
the mobile games market begins to saturate, marketing costs have increased,”
said van Dreunen. “Celebrities play an increasingly important role both in
terms of driving marketing and monetization for mobile games, and we expect
more celebrities to lend their name and Social media prowess to mobile titles
in the foreseeable future”.
According
to SuperData CEO Joost van Dreunen, the
Digital Games segment of the market, which includes downloaded and Streamed Video
Games on Console and Handheld, which are defined as Portable Gaming units i.e.
PSP, Nintendo 3DS. smartphone and Tablets, are on an upswing in September 2014
when compared to September 2013:
1.
US$873 million in after-tax revenue
2.
8.6% increase from the same period in
September 2013
Overall
the Mobile Gaming segment of Digital Game is doing just fine:
1.
US$20 billion in estimated revenues in
2014
2.
US$300 million per month for Social
Gaming segment of Mobile Gaming
To
quote SuperData CEO Joost van Dreunen: “After a slowdown during the summer
months, consumer spending is picking up momentum as we close in on the holiday
season. Most notably, Social gaming revenues were up month-over-month, and
mobile gaming is approaching $300 million in monthly spending in the United
States”.
So
what of the success of Kim
Kardashian: Hollywood on Facebook?
SuperData
CEO Joost van Dreunen has this to say, quote: “Glu Mobile announced it is
expanding the title to Facebook. Hoping to maximize its appeal to a female
gamer demographic, the company also extended its licensing agreement, including
Ms. Kardashian West’s continued support in promoting the game via both Social
media channels and real-life appearances”.
In
short, more reason for us Independent Jamaican Video Game Developers and the
GOJ (Government of Jamaica) to get into making Video games. This as suggested
by founder and CEO of Entertainment Arts Research Incorporated, Professor
Joseph Saulter during the launch of his Digital Game Design and Development
Conference as reported in my blog article
entitled “Prof.
Joseph Saulter's Digital Game Design and Development Conference - US$112
Billion Video Gaming Industry may be Jamaicans Next BPO”.
But
what does this mean for the Gaming Industry as a whole?
Social Gaming
Resurgence - Rush on Celebrity endorsed Games featuring YouTubers and TV Celebrity
Other
Developers are noticing the earning figures from Kim
Kardashian: Hollywood and already may be attempting to replicate its
success. But it's not as simple as a Celebrity having their image placed in a
Game.
That
Celebrity has to be on Television all the time, not just whenever there is a
movie and they have to be accessible to the public as pointed out by SuperData
CEO Joost van Dreunen to would-be copycats: “[Kim Kardashian: Hollywood] is
expected to trigger a run on Celebrity-based mobile and Social games. So far,
publishers like Zynga have been aggressively licensing slots games that feature
well-known television series and films, like Sex and the City and Terminator.
Instead of this blanketed approach, however, a targeted strategy and support of
a single Celebrity is proving highly effective”.
Social
Media contact is also gonna be a big pull; imagine being able to contact the Celebrity
in real time while playing the Game. To this end YouTubers already would have
an advantage, as a Video game, be it and downloadable App for Portable Gaming
units i.e. PSP, Nintendo 3DS, smartphone and Tablets as well as Consoles, would be a hot commodity.
Especially
as YouTubers are more popular than Hollywood Celebrities as noted in my blog article
entitled “Variety
Survey says YouTubers more popular than Hollywood Celebrities – Popularity
driven by Teenage Fandoms and iCarly Effect”.
Next
in line would be Reality Stars of a similar ilk and following like Kim Kardashian West and her
sisters Khloe and Kourtney on their hit Show KUWTK (Keeping Up With the
Kardashians) such as those listed in TV.com Website under the
category Reality Shows. Heck, maybe they should also make their own Gaming Apps
as well, as Kim Kardashian West’s
sisters are famous in their own right!
This
suggests that Morning Show hosts on Television programs and Radio Disk jockeys
and Personalities across the US of A would also be hot commodities, being as
their faces are always on Local and Cable TV and voices always on Radio with
the occasional live outside broadcast that gives them some airtime on
Television and even YouTube exposure.
Best
and most important of all, their personalities are well known based on the
strength of their Social Media postings and followings i.e. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest,
etc.
Even
local Television personalities from Television
Jamaica morning program, Smile Jamaica in the guise of as Dahlia Harris, Neville
Bell O.D, Simone Clarke-Cooper, Yendi Phillipps etc can copy Kim Kardashian West’s success by
making their own Gaming App.
Those
Celebrity Video Gaming Apps can be made on contract by Jamaica's one-man
Developer for Pandosoft, 24 year old
Stephen Williams, Developer of the Google Android Game TapKat
Fiesta as I'd pointed out in my blog article
entitled “Stephen
Williams' Android Game TapKat Fiesta - Social Media Marketing even as VoIP for
Corporate and Enterprise untapped Telecoms Opportunity”.
Celebrities,
be they Local or Cable Reality Hosts or Television or Radio Personalities, can
copy Kim Kardashian West success,
but only if they are on TV, Radio or all the time and already have a strong Social
Media following. Note however, YouTubers are already ahead of the pack on that
list, as it's their time to shine.
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