Wednesday, February 4, 2015

Katy Perry Game Up Next From "Kim Kardashian: Hollywood" Makers

Glu Mobile, the company behind “Kim Kardashian: Hollywood,” says it’s repeating its formula with Katy Perry. (You know, the singer who was the backup act for Left Shark at the Super Bowl.)

Glu Mobile / Via phx.corporate-ir.net

The company behind "Kim Kardashian: Hollywood," the addictive mobile game that's been downloaded more than 28 million times, is partnering with Katy Perry on a similar game.

Glu Mobile said in a statement today that it will introduce the game, which will include Perry's voice and likeness, in late 2015 as part of a five-year partnership with the singer. Glu noted in an earnings presentation today that Perry has more than 170 million fans on various social platforms compared with Kardashian's 78 million, which could make it an especially lucrative deal.

Perry "is a cultural icon and we expect to translate key elements of her success into an innovative, highly entertaining mobile experience," Glu CEO Niccolo de Masi said.

"Kim Kardashian: Hollywood" has been a cash cow for Glu Mobile, which successfully turned a national fascination with Kim Kardashian West into an app that many found just as addictive as say, Candy Crush Saga. Through the game, players work to achieve fame in virtual Hollywood under the tutelage of a pre-programmed, animated Kim. They travel to Kim's regular haunts and interact with her sisters and mother. While it's free to download, users can spend actual money on energy and outfits for their virtual selves to really make it in Tinseltown.

This fame and simulated interaction with the life of Kim has proved coveted. The Kardashian game raked in $74.3 million in sales for Glu last year, or more than one-third of its revenue, and spent seven months on a list of the nation's top 30 grossing iPhone games, the company said today.

Executives noted on today's call that "a real living, breathing, evolving person" is "perfect for game play." They added that the company performs a "careful analysis" of where celebrities are going in the next three to five years when determining partnerships.

Glu's second-biggest game by sales last year was "Deer Hunter 2014", followed by "Eternity Warriors 3," "Racing Rivals" and "Dino Hunter: Deadly Shores."

In October, Glu's CEO, Niccolo De Masi noted the Kardashian game "is unique, as you know, in that it mirrors a lot of what's happening in the real world in the virtual space."