"Katy Perry Pop," the second big celebrity-themed game from Glu Mobile (NASDAQ:GLUU), launched last week with more of a meow than a roar, casting doubt on Glu's business plans.
The game starring pop star Perry, whose hit songs include "Firework" and "Roar," debuted on Thursday. Glu had hoped "Katy Perry Pop" would continue the success it found with "Kim Kardashian: Hollywood," a title based on the reality-TV star. But the new title has lagged on the Apple App Store and Alphabet's Google Play store.
As of Monday afternoon, "Katy Perry Pop" was No. 54 (currently #144) among free iPhone games on the Apple App Store and No. 117 on the comparable Google Play chart. "Katy Perry Pop" is a freemium game, which means it's free to download and play, but offers in-app purchases.
What's worse, users posted numerous reviews claiming the game is glitchy and crashes frequently. Others said the game play is dull and repetitive. In the game, Perry guides wannabe pop stars on the road to stardom in the music industry.
Glu stock fell over 19% to 2.38 on the stock market today. That's its lowest level in more than two years. In May, Glu traded as high as 7.03.
