Glu Mobile signs Katy Perry to make a Mobile Game - Left Shark in a Celebrity Melee of Gaming Apps

 “Katy is arguably the most recognized musician in America following her Super Bowl XLIX Halftime performance this past Sunday. She is a cultural icon and we expect to translate key elements of her success into an innovative, highly entertaining mobile experience”

Glu Mobile CEO, Niccolo de Masi commenting on their plan to make a Mobile Game App using Katy Perry's likeness

Looks like Katy Perry is gonna keep riding that Lion even after her stellar performance during the SuperBowl Halftime Show. But first, before you read another of my long-winded articles, take some time to watch her debut performance during the SuperBowl XLIX Halftime Show.

This as the Seattle Seahawks rested in the locker room and New England Patriots and the NFL (National Football League) tried to deflect Deflate-Gate, Big Bang Theory Style with the help of physicists from Columbia University Physics Department as noted in the article “Deflategate: NFL consults with physicists”, published January 28, 2015 10:24 AM PST by Chris Matyszczyk, CNET News!

Deflate-Gate aside, word on the street is that Katy Perry has signed a deal with Glue Mobile to make a Mobile Gaming App based on the 30 year old Superstar as reported in the article "Kim Kardashian game maker Glu to develop Katy Perry game, published Wed Feb 4, 2015 6:31pm EST, Reuters.

With her Diamond Selling albums and singles worldwide, Katy Perry has amassed quite a Social Network following as noted in the article “Glu Mobile Plans Katy Perry Mobile Game”, published FEBRUARY 5, 2015 05:11PM EST BY DAVID MURPHY, PC Magazine:  

1.      64 million Katy Kats following Katy Perry’s Twitter account

2.      77.1 million Katy Kats also following Katy Perry’s Facebook Account

3.      14.2 million Instagram Katy Kats also following Katy Perry’s Instagram Account

Glu Mobile is the maker of such classic games as Diner Dash, Contract Killer Sniper and Deer Hunter, for which Kelroy Brown did a decent review in his the Geezam blog entitled “Deer Hunter 2014 - Hunting Simulator on your mobile phone”.

In doing a game about Katy Perry, Glu Mobile  is making a safe bet on the Singer that's similar to their gamble on Kim Kardashian as noted in the article “Katy Perry Is About to Get Her Own Mobile Game Like Kim Kardashian”, published Feb. 5, 2015, TIME Magazine.

Best of all, unlike the Reality Star, Katy Perry can actually sing and act....no offence to Kim Kardashian. This means possibly a first person shooter where she shoots it out with her arch-enemy Taylor Swift and other Celebrities is a strong possibility!

So why did they sign Katy Perry? Maybe they liked her roar!

Glu Mobile signs Katy Perry to make a Mobile Game - Mobile App Gold in Games based on Celebrities

For those of you with short memories, Glu Mobile is the very same developer that made the Mobile Game Kim Kardashian: Hollywood for the Reality TV Star that successfully launched back in July 2014 as reported in my blog article entitled “Glu Mobile's Kim Kardashian Hollywood App and How an A-List Celebrity boosts In-App Purchases”.

Several months later by October 2014, the Mobile App Kim Kardashian: Hollywoodhad clocked some US$51 million, with the momentum of the game's K-Star poppin' fans showing no signs of slowing down as noted in my blog article entitled “US$51 million in Four Months for Kim Kardashian Hollywood – YouTubers and TV Celebrity Games Coming in Social Media Gaming Comeback”.

In fact the stats for Kim Kardashian: Hollywood to date are yielding a handsome profit for Glu Mobile as noted in the article “Katy Perry is getting her own game from the makers of Kim Kardashian's mobile hit”, published February 5, 2015 06:40 am By James Vincent, the Verge:

1.      28.4 million downloads

2.      US$74.3 million worth of K-Stars

3.      33.3% of Glu Mobile's US$223.15 million 2014 Revenue

Glu Mobile, now seeking a second successful Hit Gaming App, realized that with the momentum created by the SuperBowl XLIX Halftime Show, that Katy Perry would be their next star. Hence they signed her up, knowing that her celebrity status would propel any game made with her likeness to stratospheric heights!

So what'll the game involved? Maybe some Left Shark action?

Katy Perry the Game - Anything is possible from Left Shark to RPG Jungle Shooter

So what will this game involved?

For those of you who follow Katy Perry's music, it's good to point out that she's not exactly a violent person, neither in her personal life or even on stage as noted in the article “Katy Perry follows Kim Kardashian by striking mobile game deal”, published Thursday 5 February 2015 09.58 GMT by Stuart Dredge, The UK Guardian.

Thus a first person shooter where she shoots it out with Taylor Swift, as I had hoped, might not be in the cards, to quote CEO of Glu Mobile Niccolo de Masi, quote: “Ultimately the Katy Perry title and its specificities will be under wraps until it comes out. But I think it’s fair to say that it’s not going to be a shooter. Something closer to a narrative-based RPG makes a lot of sense than an action-RPG for example”.

Rather, based on the fact that they already have a successful Game based on Kim Kardashian's Lifestyle, they'll probably make a game involving Katy Perry's various videos as levels that you have to beat as suggested in the article “Katy Perry Getting Mobile Game From 'Kim Kardashian: Hollywood' Studio”, published 2/05/2015, by Paul Tassi, Forbes.

Katy Perry vs Left Shark - Left Shark Cease and Desist as he may be the main characters in the Game

We might even see Left Shark, the Shark that shot to popularity because apparently he seemed to have forgotten his dance moves as shown below.

Within less than a week, not only was Social Media abuzz with memes and videos of Left Shark, but there were also 3D Printed toys for order. A team of entrepreneurs even started a Kickstarter to make Left shark Costumes to order that are very similar in design to the ones featured in Katy Perry's Super Bowl XLIX Halftime performance as noted in the article “Now you, too, can be Katy Perry's Super Bowl Left Shark”, published February 4, 2015 12:52 PM PST by Anthony Domanico, CNET News.

However, Katy Perry's lawyers, wary of copyright infringement on their client's intellectual property, have gone after some of these get-rich-quick entrepreneurs seeking to make a quick buck off Left Shark.

Already, less than five days after SuperBowl XLIX has ended, Katy Perry's lawyers have served a Cease and Desist letter to Fernando Sosa, who resides in Florida and sells 3D printed Replicas of the now infamous Left Shark to stop doing so or face a lawsuit as reported in the article

“Katy Perry 'Left Shark' model removed at lawyers' request”, published 6 February 2015 By Dave Lee, BBC News.

Interestingly, Fernando Sosa had also uploaded his files for the Left Shark to the Thingverse Website for anyone with a Makerbot 3D Replicator Printer or other 3D printer that can read these files to 3D Print themselves as noted in the article  “Katy Perry’s lawyers demand takedown of 3D printable Left Shark”, published Feb. 5, 2015 - 1:47 PM PST by Signe Brewster, Gigaom.

Not sure if Katy Perry's lawyers really have that power to take down a work that may not really be covered by any clear copyright. Also, the people running the Thingverse website are still hosting the files and will continue to do so until they too receive a letter from Katy Perry's lawyers to cease and desist!

Still, it's an interesting indication of how 3D Printing is changing the face of how people can get replicas of toys from movies, replicas of fantasy products and even replacement Hoover Vacuum parts as noted in my blog article entitled “Gartner predicts US$13.5 billion 3D Printing Global Market in 2018 - Why Hoover and Makerbot Deal indicates 3D Printing by DIY is on the rise in 2015”.

Clearly, Left Shark is super important....like Katy Perry Sharknado important, people!!

Glu Mobile pursues more Celebrities - Katy Perry and Left Shark in a Celebrity Melee of Gaming Apps

So does all this fuss over a replica of a shark that forgot his dance moves possibly be because he may be an integral character in a level in Katy Perry's Mobile Game App?  Glu Mobile didn’t say. And neither are they stopping with just developing Games for Kim Kardashian and Katy Perry alone.

They're seeking even more celebrities to make games, a trend some may say kill innovation and rewards celebrities who don't know a single line of code with even more money, tossing creative game developers who don't have the same level of celebrity exposure into the fire of Hades.

But then again, if a game results in your company making almost US$74.3 million or 33% of your revenue as noted in the article “Glu Mobile Plans Katy Perry Mobile Game”, published FEBRUARY 5, 2015 05:11PM EST BY DAVID MURPHY, PC Magazine, then more power to you.

I just wish the game has a part where she gets to have a go at Taylor Swift, Mortal Kombat Style. Even better, a melee involving every Hollywood celebrity in an all out no holds barred fight to the finish, Mario Super Smash Brothers Style!

Here's the link:

Left Shark on ThingiVerse

Katy Perry Website

Katy Perry Facebook Page

Katy Perry Twitter Page

Katy Perry Instagram Page

Kim Kardashian: Hollywood on Apple iTunes