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Unless you've been hiding under a rock and aren't privy to the latest and most popular happenings in the gaming world, you already know the success that the Kim : Hollywood app game has had.
There have been long articles written - even on Forbes - that take a peek behind the psychology of why the game has soared to an estimated $200 million in predicted income heights. Specifically, the runaway popularity of the game has been attributed to the innovative way players are urged to share social status updates without necessarily knowing they are sharing them on their real social networking sites. Also, the viral buzz surrounding the game is pinned on the rationale that it's the first time a reality TV star and all around celebrity has attached their name in such a way to a smaller screen that proves successful. The same fans that love to soak up Kardashian's antics on Keeping Up With the can turn from watching her on their TVs or tablets and immediately play with a viral version of her on the app. The cross-promotion possibilities are endless.
Seeing as though Kim has had her real voice recorded on the game as she urges you to come and hang out with her through a series of adventures, the app makes the desire to live the A-list star life seem all the more real. The lines between actual, waking life and the virtual world of gaming seem to blur even more so.
In fact, there was so much controversy over the way one writer claimed the app 'tricked' her kids into spending more money above and beyond the in-app purchase limits she'd set up that Kim took to the Today Show to defend her game, telling parents that they were the ones ultimately responsible for their kids' spending habits - and to not give children willy-nilly access to credit card-loaded iTunes accounts if they didn't want to see surprise charges that they didn't anticipate.
As if all that hubbub wasn't enough, now there's news that Kardashian's game sucks up more battery life than other games in comparison, along with helpful tips on getting rid of the battery by using apps designed to clear up junk files - and by adopting standard practices that you should perform anyway, like closing unused apps when not in play on your phone.
Those seem like the easy topics to tackle. What's harder is addressing the reasons why people feel the compulsion to spend $500 or more trying to conquer a game that simulates making them a star in Hollywood. Enjoy luxury car hire Europe, yes, or floss like those rich kids of . But only do it when you balance it out with altruistic actions - and strictly if you can afford to live that kind of lifestyle, not by spending money or available credit that will get you in trouble due to a game addiction.
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