US$51 million in Four Months for Kim Kardashian Hollywood

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 25^th 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 6^th 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.