celebrity – Interactive Digital Narratives

Glu Mobile created a new genre of video game with its release of Kim Kardashian: Hollywood in 2014. Since then, Glu has released celebrity game with Kendall & Kylie Jenner, Katy Perry, Gordon Ramsey, Nicki Minaj, and of course Britney Spears. Glu has dozens of other mobile games but they are best known for their celebrity games. A writer from the Daily Dot calls Glu’s games “freemium mobile games.” I believe this is a fitting title, as their games are entirely free to download and everything in the game is accessible without any in app purchases. However, in app purchases do make the game a lot easier and more accessible, but they are completely playable without it.

The CEO of Glu says he believes “people are always looking for a way to get closer to the celebrities they idolize.” No doubt this is where the inspiration for their celebrity games come from. This also explains why these games have the potential to be such hits. The combination of good game mechanics with the brand power of a celebrity’s name is what brings true success.

The commercial for Kim Kardashian’s game heavily draws on our desires to know our favorite celebrities and enter their glamorous worlds: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2h-uvrvrg3w

While the target audience for the game is obviously Britney fans, the glamorous world and lifestyle that American Dream offers can appeal to anyone. Purchasing nice clothes, cars, and houses and going on high profile dates don’t need a celerity brand stamp to be fun, but with it Glu goes the extra mile.

I have played Kim Kardashian Hollywood and the mechanics are extremely similar to Spears’ game. I imagine all of their celebrity games rely heavily on very similar gameplay, just with a different skin. It seems to me like 6 or 7 identical games with different celebrity faces on it couldn’t all exist and be successful, but I suppose I underestimate the fan base for all of the celebrities I mentioned earlier. When game play is so similar, I have to believe these games’ individual appeal comes from the celebrity name attached to it.

The Daily Dot asked Nicolo Di Masi (Glu CEO) what the American dream is exactly these days. His response: “I think these days the American dream is as important as ever in the world—freedom of speech and expression, democracy, capitalism, and hard work being rewarded.”

I think the American dream as part of a videogame appeals to a lot of people, and is an interesting concept. However, the version of the American dream in Spears’ game is extremely glossed over and sugarcoated. The player never has to pay characters rent, purchase food, insurance, or pay any bills. They don’t have children or other dependents, and their race, gender, or sexual orientation has no effect on gameplay or success. And, as Audra Schroeder points out in her article, the game ignores the sexism, abuse, and harassment aimed at female artists.

Its not hard to imagine why these less than pretty aspects about the American dream and climb to fame were left out of the Spears’ American Dream: they don’t at all contribute to the appeal of celebrity games.

Works Cited

Schroeder, Audra. “Britney Spears: American Dream’ is a mobile game that makes you work, b***h” The Daily Dot. dailydot.com. May 2016. http://www.dailydot.com/upstream/britney-spears-american-dream-glu-mobile/

Earlier this year Britney Spears released her namesake videogame with Glu Mobile- the same developers of the wildly successful Kim Kardashian Hollywood. Britney Spears American Dream is the ultimate casual game: a free app available on the app store and Google play. In the game the player’s goal is to become an A-list pop star. The player completes tasks (dates, meetings, recordings, photo-shoots, etc.) to climb their way through the industry. In order to complete these tasks the player must use up units of energy, which replenish every few minutes in real time (a brilliant mechanic that keeps players constantly returning to the game multiple times per day.)

The game makers have employed other arguably brilliant techniques to earn money off of the game and reach out to new users. Players can buy energy, in game money and other rewards with real dollars. Players also earn in game prizes by sharing and promoting the game and the songs they’ve created in the game with others via social media. Linking the in game account with Twitter or Facebook accounts and sharing posts about the game gives players in game rewards and advances their rankings. Players’ real life friends can access and up-vote the songs created in game, boosting their ranking on the in-game charts. By reaching certain levels players can also unlock content relating to Britney Spears’ real life music and career.

Special promotion offered for reaching level 6: players get sneak peek of Spears’ upcoming music video

A similar game mechanic is used in Kim Kardashian: Hollywood, where developers will make clothing items and events that occurred/ existed in real life unlockable in the game. Glu Mobile also released games with Nicki Minaj, Gordon Ramsey, Kendall and Kylie Jenner, and Katy Perry, all with very similar gameplay and merging of game and real world.

This style of game blends the game world with the real world, almost requiring players to participate in both at the same time. Just by having a main character that is a real person (Britney herself) American Dream is trying to entangle itself with the real world. So, if a player of American Dream sends out tweets and statuses about their gameplay, does the magic circle really end once they quit the game app? Their posts on social media continue to exist for the purpose of drawing likes and in game advancement, leaving them in a constant state of play.

Category: celebrity

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Where Does the Magic Circle End in Britney Spears American Dream?