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1) What is the objective when playing the Kim Kardashian: Hollywood game?
The main objective of the game is to become as rich and famous as possible and make your way up from an unknown person to an A-list celebrity, collecting expensive clothes along the way.
2) What is an A-list celebrity? Why is it important in Kim Kardashian: Hollywood?
An A-list celebrity is a celebrity who is known by a majority of people and is usually extremely influential. In Kim Kardashian: Hollywood, the main aim of the game is to become an A-list celebrity and join the likes of Kim Kardashian in fame.
3) How do you download the Kim Kardashian: Hollywood game?
The game can be downloaded for free from the App Store/Google Play Store.
4) What is the narrative or storyline of Kim Kardashian: Hollywood? Where is it set?
The narrative is that your character is working at her retail job when Kim Kardashian walks in with a 'Fashion Emergency' that only you can help her with, and for helping her she gets you a manager and this sets of a chain reaction, getting you modelling jobs and appearances etc, leading to your eventual becoming of an A-list celebrity. It's set in America, in places like Hollywood and other famous locations which the Kardashian family is known for visiting.
5) What characters can you play as? What characters appear in the game?
You can play as a customisable character, who most people make to look like themselves. The game includes many celebrities that are associated with the Kardashian brand, for example, The Kardashians and Jenners and their stylists, photographers and other famous people.
Audience
1) Who is the intended audience for the Kim Kardashian Hollywood game? Why do you think this?
I think that the intended audience for the game is teenage girls, the game has a very cartoon aesthetic and constantly talks about fashion, relationships and celebrities, which is what people believe most teenage girls enjoy.
2) What audience pleasures are provided by the game? Use Blumler & Katz's Uses and Gratifications theory.
The game offers Personal Identity to the audience because people are free to use their own name and appearance when designing their character so the main character in the game can be them. As well as this, it also offers Diversion since its a game and people can play just for fun. It also arguably provides Information to the audience since it teaches them what the lifestyle of people like Kim Kardashian is.
3) Why is the game so addictive for audiences?
The game constantly requires the user, with time limits to completing tasks and energy restraints on those said tasks, make it very difficult to put the game down. As well as this, the game has very simple gameplay, which makes it more approachable for everyone so more people play the game.
4) Why does James Liu think Kim Kardashian: Hollywood is so successful?
He thinks that, unlike other games of similar origin, Kim Kardashian: Hollywood is a very well made game, with well-integrated gameplay and aesthetics.
5) What does James Liu suggest is the reason players keep coming back to the game?
He believes that the game "does not break emergence", which essentially means that the game has a realistic aspect, like phone calls with uncertain outcomes.
Representation
1) What representations of women can be found in Kim Kardashian: Hollywood?
in Kim Kardashian: Hollywood women are represented as being very feminine and fashionable, with their main interests being very materialistic, like fashion and make-up. They are also represented as being very capable, being able to take charge and control their own life, making themselves a celebrity.
2) What representations of race, ethnicity or sexuality can be found in the game?
The audience has a lot of freedom in choosing what they want to be, their character can be part if the LGBTQ+ community, be of any ethnicity, and any race they choose to be. The game is also indifferent to these choices, so it does not matter what they choose to be, they are still given equal opportunities.
3) How does the game both reinforce and subvert stereotypes in the media?
The game subverts stereotypes in the media by allowing women to be entirely in charge of their path, it allows people of any background to have equal opportunities, it shows us that celebrity lifestyles aren't as easy as they seem. However, the game is quite materialistic and reinforces the stereotype that women are only focused on their appearance and aren't capable of doing complicated jobs.
4) What does the game suggest regarding modern perceptions of celebrity and how to get famous?
The game suggests that becoming a celebrity is a combination of chance and hard work since you meet Kim Kardashian (in-game) by chance, but that opportunity combined with hard work can lead to the user becoming a celebrity. It teaches us that becoming famous isn't just something that happens to people because they're lucky, but through taking advantage of opportunities made for you and creating more opportunities for yourself.
5) How might someone criticise the representation of celebrity in Kim Kardashian: Hollywood?
Some people might critique the game as showing an emphasised or unrealistic representation of celebrities since the game suggests that lucky circumstances might be the only way celebrities will get famous. It also suggests that celebrities' lives consist of appearances and photo-shoots exclusively, when in reality there is a much wider range of things that contribute to somebody becoming a celebrity.
Industry
1) How much does Kim Kardashian: Hollywood cost?
It is free to download and play.
2) How does the game make money?
The game has an 'energy' system in order to complete certain tasks, gamers need energy, but energy takes a long time to refill, so the game offers in-app purchases to allow their audience to purchase extra energy, extra money or extra K-Stars (a special in-game currency used for exclusive tasks). The game also has many pop-up advertisements.
3) What subscriptions are available to Kim Kardashian: Hollywood?
By paying a certain amount of money every month, gamers have the option to become a VIP, which gives them access to exclusive clothing, missions and items, and well as extra money and energy. There are three tiers to the VIP system, bronze, silver and gold, with gold having the most benefits.
4) How was Kim Kardashian: Hollywood marketed and promoted?
Since Kim Kardashian: Hollywood is made in association with such a famous celebrity, by having Kim Kardashian doing promotion on her social media was already promoting the game to her fan following of over 100 million. The game is marketed as a role-playing game where you go on a 'celebrity adventure'. They also had TV commercials, making the game reach an even bigger audience.
5) How does Kim Kardashian: Hollywood use media convergence to cross-promote the game and the Kardashian brand?
The game is promoted on Kim's actual social media, giving her audience a closer look at the game, making it more likely that more people will play. In the game tweeting is a key gameplay mechanic and it references Kim Kardashian constantly, even giving her her own in-game twitter account. This game also exposes Kim Kardashian to those who just downloaded the game without knowing who she is, expanding the Kardashian brand.
Written By Aishwarya Odedra
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