14 DAY TRIAL // A lot of announcements are being made at the Game Developers Conference. Nintendo is talking about a new Zelda, the North American launch of the DSi and Wii storage. The Japanese company is set to steal the limelight from other videogaming companies. But another Japanese firm could make an even bigger impact on the long run with its announcement.
Sanrio Digital, the developer and publisher of Hello Kitty Online, has revealed a partnership with Aeria Games to bring the MMO experience to North America. Aeria will manage the online publishing and the game service for the title, Sanrio being involved in retail publishing, while also operating Sanrio Town, a social network that is tied together with Hallo Kitty Online.
Robert Ferrari, who is the vice president of Publishing & Business Development at Sanrio Digital, says that “Sanrio Digital is very excited to partner with Aeria Games, who will be our online publisher and operator for Hello Kitty Online in North America. With Aeria Games’ leadership position in the free-to-play casual MMO sector and Hello Kitty brand awareness among the underserved female gaming audience, Hello Kitty Online will grow into a leading social gaming destination for teens and female adults.”
At the moment, Hello Kitty Online is in beta stage and the official launch is set to take place in 2009. The MMO is free to play and there are various premium upgrades that players can access if they are willing to pay.
The game has been designed with a female audience in mind and the developer says that the entire Sanrio universe, complete with characters like Hello Kitty, Badtz-Maru and Cinnamorollis, will take center stage.
Because of the targeted audience, the MMO will emphasize social aspects, with no violence and with numerous ways of interaction between the various characters. Like all things Hello Kitty, the MMO developed by Sanrio will probably prove to be incredibly successful.