Kim Kardashian's iOS Game Could Make $200 Million This Year - Here's How

Image: Mashable, Christina Ascani

Love her or hate her, you have to recognize Kim Kardashian's star power, especially now that her iPhone game is among the most popular — and profitable — of the year.
According to a Bloomberg interview with an analyst, Kim's game could make $200 million in revenue this year, lifting publisher Glu Mobile's share price. And though you can theoretically spend hundreds trying to be like Kim, it seems most users are throwing down something in the $5 range to get app-famous.

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In Kim Kardashian: Hollywood, released June 27 for iOS devices, players create a character that bumps into Kardashian when she stops in a clothing boutique. Kim likes your look, and sort of becomes your mentor, opening doors on your road to self-made celebutante stardom.
Unfortunately, the road to fame and power isn't cheap. While Kim Kardashian: Hollywood is free-to-play, the in-app purchases can become quite expensive. Players can purchase 1250 in-game "K-Stars" — the most valuable currency — for $99.99 in real money, or you can wait around until you earn that money through doing photoshoots or other jobs. Of course, doing jobs requires energy, and you can't keep playing the game until you wait to regain your energy or buy more.
Jezabel's Tracie Egan Morrissey allowed herself to get fully sucked in to the game for "journalism", and found Keeping Up With the Kardashians was a huge wallet drain. She spent nearly $500 attempting to get her character to the level of Kim's fame.
It seems she isn't alone, as the game is the fifth highest grossing in the Apple App Store since its release, according to App Annie. This unfortunately doesn't show which in-app purchases are the most popular, though the game's iTunes page reveals it's the $4.99 pack.
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