The hugely popular mobile game Kim Kardashian: Hollywood, launched in 2014, is to shut down in April. “This journey has meant so much to me,” Kardashian says.
In the cutthroat world of mobile gaming, Kim Kardashian: Hollywood has enjoyed an unusually long lifespan, having survived for almost a decade and engrossing millions of players. Proving that all good things must one day end, however, it’s been announced that the glitzy RPG is to shut down on the 8th of April.
Remarking on the sad news in a statement to TMZ, Kardashian said, “This journey has meant so much to me but I’ve realised that it’s time to focus my energy into other passions. I want to thank the Glu team [of developers] and the many people behind the scenes who have worked diligently on making it a success. I will be forever inspired by this community that we built together.”
First launched in June 2014, Kim Kardashian: Hollywood really was the success that its title star describes; within a matter of months, it had attracted some 22.8 million users and raked in over $43m in profits. Its premise, about creating a digital celebrity, picking out their clothes, and shepherding them to the dizzying heights of Hollywood’s A-list, proved to be an intoxicating one, and numerous respected outlets – such as New York Magazine – wrote detailed pieces about how surprisingly good it was.
Kardashian also did more than simply lend her name to the app; she came up with the concept herself, and worked directly with the game’s developers, Glu Mobile, over its roughly 18-month production.
“[Kardashian] and I probably exchanged three emails a day and chat weekly,” the studio’s CEO Niccolo De Masi told The Wall Street Journal in 2014, not long after the game became an unexpected hit. “She’s approved every item of clothing [used in the game], we discuss features, we discuss events, updates, etcetera. She’s reviewed all the [production] milestones, from alpha to beta, final gold master. It was something she caught on quite quickly – the power of her brand and social following would probably be a really good fit with this type of game.”
As the closure date approaches, the game has been withdrawn from Android and iOS app stores, while an in-game message warns players that they can “use any existing in-game virtual currency until April 8, 2024, after which the game will become inaccessible.”
Farewell, Kim Kardashian: Hollywood – you had a good, glamorous run.
