Hello Kitty MMO Goes Beta: GayGamers Rejoice!
The one license that could pull me kicking and screaming into the realm of MMORPGs is finally going online, the one and only Ms. Hello Kitty. That's right boys and girls, Hello Kitty Online is nearing the final stages of development with the announcement of a closed Beta. Quicker than you can say 'Bad, bad Badtz Maru', you can sign up for the Beta and enter one of the most exclusive Kitty parties ever held online.
Hello Kitty Online features most of the common MMORPG traits such as farming, community interaction, avatar customization (at a price), housing customization (at another price), combat, and set up guilds to play together. The business model is similar to the Korean style of MMOs where you can play for free, but customization comes at a price. You spend real world dollars to outfit your character and your house. Dollars will be flying out the window for all the a-cute-tremonts you can expect Sanrio will cook up for their game. The social aspect will be linked to SanrioTown.com where players can share videos, and blog about their experiences in Hello Kitty Online.
I signed up for the Beta, so I'm crossing my fingers and toes that I'm one of the lucky few that snatches the Golden Ticket to get in. If not, I'm calling for a GayGamer clan in Hello Kitty Online, so we can get together, have tea parties, and dish about Spotty Dotty. God I hate that dog!
For the full Press Release, make the jump.
Finally - Hello Kitty MMO Enters Closed Beta [Kotaku]
Hello Kitty MMORPG goes beta
Sanrio Digital's "Hello Kitty Online" accepting players for closed beta
Hong Kong - February 13, 2008: Sanrio Digital (www.sanriodigital.com) today announced the closed beta launch of "Hello Kitty Online", a Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game (MMORPG) based on the famous Sanrio characters. Hello Kitty Online allows players to explore and adventure in Sanrio's fantasy world, a magical land that has recently fallen under the influence of a mysterious and malevolent power.
Players for the closed beta version are invited to apply at the official game site (www.hellokittyonline.com) or community site (www.sanriotown.com) and experience Hello Kitty Online in advance of the game release expected in the second half of 2008. Targeting female players from their pre-teens to twenties, Hello Kitty Online is the first installable MMORPG to set its sights on this demographic profile.
Hello Kitty Online is fully integrated with official Sanrio portal Sanriotown.com, which utilizes blogs, email, video sharing, Sanrio merchandise sales and more to create a digital and social experience accessible at any time. Players of Hello Kitty Online can extend their game experience on Sanriotown.com by interacting with other players, purchasing upgrades for their in-game characters, etc.
In addition to the standard MMORPG features such as customizable avatars, guilds, skill systems, and player economy, some of the outstanding Hello Kitty Online features include:
Unique game world: a persistent, beautifully designed environment where thousands of players and NPCs live, explore and quest in a magical world with real and imaginary zones such as the Flower Kingdom, Tokyo, Paris, Moscow, and more. Real world locations offer players the ability to learn about those places.
Unique NPCs: players will encounter and interact with popular Sanrio characters such as Hello Kitty, Badtz-Maru, My Melody, Keroppi, and many others, all animated with a variety of contextual facial expressions.
Free to play: Hello Kitty Online is downloaded and played free of charge. There are no subscription fees.
Character upgrades: the Item Mall allows players to use real money to purchase special items and upgrades for characters.
Player housing: players can build and customize their own houses after acquiring the necessary licenses and materials. Houses depreciate over time and need to be maintained properly or will fall in disuse. A homeowner can invite someone to visit by making an in-game telephone call, and the player called will automatically be transported to the house if she agrees.
Crafting system: Hello Kitty Online has an extensive crafting system with output such as tools & weapons, farming implements & furniture, a wide variety of cooked dishes, and clothing for decorative and stat-modifying items. Raw materials include wood, minerals and metals, and crops.
Farming: players can run their own farms, which offer extra storage room and have the potential to produce important raw materials. The farming system incorporates a number of variables such as fertility, pest infestations, and crop characteristics.
A different focus: although it has a sophisticated combat system, unlike other MMORPGs combat need not be a primary objective for players of Hello Kitty Online. There are many puzzles to be solved, mini-games to compete in, story lines to follow, and adventures to experience.
For more information and screenshots please visit the Hello Kitty Online Website
Toots
Posted to Hot Stuff, Video Games on 13 February 2008
· Comments (5)
Other stuff like this: cute, hello kitty online, mmo, sanrio
Oh. My. God.
This game...it is the Herald of the Apocalypse.
Um, does my overwhelming excitement, jubilation and curiosity at the very thought of this game's existence make me instantly far gayer than I ever thought possible? Because... yeah—I'm pretty flippin' psyched.
Since when is Hello Kitty a "gay thing"?
It isn't a gay thing, but it's generally aimed at females (their site says it clearly). No idea why, I guess it's for the girls who appear sensitively happy and the sort. Straight men are 'usually' afraid of anything remotely as 'cute' as Hello Kitty. We all know the defensive ones.. >.>