Reality star and businesswoman Kim Kardashian is a frequent presence on magazine covers, TV shows and websites … and now she’s all over smartphones.
The “Kim Kardashian: Hollywood” mobile game for iOS and Android, which mimics the luxurious, red-carpet lifestyle of Kardashian and her family, is leading an influx of apps and games attached to stars and reaping rich rewards.
Glu Mobile, the studio behind "Kim Kardashian: Hollywood," reported that it made $1.6 million during its first five days on sale. Gameplay cleverly incorporates purchases for beauty items, clothing – and more energy, which makes the game itself easier to play.
Georgia’s Paula Deen recently joined in with free game, “Paula Deen’s Recipe Quest.” Players begin as an amateur chef learning the basics of cooking. Eventually they work their way up to working in restaurants, including Deen’s Savannah restaurant “The Lady & Sons.” Finally, users advance to owning their own virtual restaurant.
Deen’s game, like some others, offer real prizes including the opportunity to cook beside the celebrity chef on the Paula Deen Network. Additionally, players can score discounts at Paula Deen’s General Store and subscriptions to her network.
Both Tom Hanks and Lindsay Lohan have also launched apps.
Hanks’ old school-style “Hanx Writer” brings back the typewriter invention via the iPad. Debuted in 2014, it hit the No. 1 spot on the App Store after its release.
Lohan followed Kardashian’s lead with a similar free game, “The Price of Fame”, which promises fans the opportunity to become famous just like her — with twists and turns along the way, of course.
Animoca Brands in March 2015 announced a partnership with Paris Hilton for a game based on her celebrity. After the announcement, the company’s publicly traded stock shot up 40 percent.
But it’s not all fun and games: Some celebrities have launched mobile games with a cause.
Singer Alicia Keys’ storytelling app, “The Journals of Mama Mae and LeeLee,” promotes literacy and reading for children and is based on Keys’ experiences with her nana while growing up.
Actor LeVar Burton in 2014 revitalized the classic “Reading Rainbow” after its 26-year TV run ended. Fans of the show and classrooms are now able to access the show.
And it’s apparently still a hit: The tablet app soon because the top education app in the country after its launch.
