| Hello Kitty Online Coming to North America
Online games publisher Aeria Games has reached an agreement with Sanrio Digital for online operational rights to Hello Kitty Online in North America. Sanrio Digital will be the online portal and publisher of HKO. Hello Kitty Online will be targeted at teen girls and adults, an "underserved" segment of the gaming community.Check out the details below:
Sanrio Digital and Aeria Games announce Hello Kitty Online for North America
San Francisco, CA, USA - March 25, 2009: Sanrio Digital ( http://www.sanriodigital.com ) and Aeria Games & Entertainment Inc. ( http://www.aeriagames.com ), a US based online games publisher, today announced they are partnering to launch Hello Kitty Online in North America. The announcement was made at the 2009 Game Developer Conference®, held at San Francisco's Moscone Center from March 23-27. Hello Kitty Online is the eagerly anticipated official massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) of the Hello Kitty universe. Aeria Games will manage North American online publishing and game service operations for Hello Kitty Online. Sanrio Digital will manage retail publishing of the game and operate SanrioTown ( http://www.sanriotown.com ), the Sanrio-themed portal and social networking site integrated with Hello Kitty Online.
"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," said Robert Ferrari, Vice President of Publishing & Business Development of Sanrio Digital.
"Aeria Games is honored to partner with Sanrio Digital to introduce Hello Kitty Online to the North American audience. Given the global, well-loved brand and the advanced game design, we believe that Hello Kitty Online will propel the casual free-to-play MMO industry into the mainstream," said JT Nguyen, Chief Marketing Officer of Aeria Games.
Hello Kitty Online is the official MMORPG based on the popular Sanrio characters. The game, currently in its beta stage, will launch in various territories throughout 2009, using a free-to-play model with optional premium upgrades. Players will explore and experience magnificent adventures in the magical and cute world of Sanrio Land as they interact with other players and more than a hundred Sanrio characters, including Hello Kitty, Badtz-Maru, Cinnamoroll, and many others.
Hello Kitty Online is one of few MMORPG titles targeting a female gaming audience. Aside from redefining traditional MMO gaming with the inclusion of integrated social media services provided by SanrioTown, Hello Kitty Online connects the virtual world with real world charity events: during past beta events, Sanrio Digital translated player activities into real donations to charities such as UNICEF. Sanrio Digital intends to continue charitable initiatives as part of North American strategy for Hello Kitty Online.
About Hello Kitty Online
Hello Kitty Online, developed by Sanrio Digital, is the official massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) of Hello Kitty and friends, and the first MMORPG to integrate social networking web services into the game experience. In addition to standard features such as customizable avatars, guilds, skill systems, and player economy, Hello Kitty Online offers a social networking platform including blogs, video sharing, and email services. For more information please visit http://www.hellokittyonline.com
About Sanrio Digital
Sanrio Digital is a joint venture between Typhoon Games (HK) Ltd. and Sanrio Co. Ltd. Sanrio Digital is responsible for the expansion of Sanrio intellectual property assets into various digital and online media, leveraging an extensive library of original material that includes world-famous brands such as Hello Kitty, Badtz Maru, My Melody and others. For more information please visit http://www.sanriodigital.com
About Aeria Games
Aeria Games is a leading online MMO game publishing company based in Santa Clara, CA. Aeria Games strives to provide the best free-to-play games and top notch customer service to each of its millions of passionate gamers. With games covering all genres from all ends of the world, players are sure to find a unique and exciting gaming experience in our community. For more information, please visit http://www.aeriagames.com
Kudos to Sanrio and Aeria!
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| Oh god, Hello Kitty, stay off my internet! And North America! |
| Oh gosh, why must the cuteness invade EVERYWHERE?! |
| guitar:
Oh gosh, why must the cuteness invade EVERYWHERE?!
You know, it's worth posting this stuff just to watch you guys twitch. :D
*cackles with evil glee* |
| so, where do I sign up for the beta? |
| F#CK! YES FINALLY!!!
Say goodbye to wow, finally an MMO to topple that goliath. Well at least if my server's population of lolita Blood Elfs are really young teenage girls. |
| I say we all get on a server and run amok. Zerg the economy, build a WC slum housing project, cut off the heads of roses ala The Adams family, wear only black, etc. |
| We should become the dominant force and stand around showing off our epics from all the leet raids that will be in there. |
| "Targeted at teen girls and adults"?? Please tell me this is just a cruel joke. |
| It's a fact that most online games are geared towards teen and 20-something men/boys. Gearing games specifically towards girls...though I too would question the 'women' part of the assertion....is a good and welcome thing, IMO. Speaking as a woman gamer, it's terrific. :P |
| what the....
why....
just...
why.... |
| Looks like I found my type of mmo. |
| Now I have something to play, while I eat my lunch out of my hello kitty lunchbox!!! YAY! |
| ...
The question remains, will I'll be multi-accounting on it? |
| im not sure if i should laugh or cry.....i think i will eat my foot |
Hello Kitty Online Coming to North America
Online games publisher Aeria Games has reached an agreement with Sanrio Digital for online operational rights to Hello Kitty Online in North America. Sanrio Digital will be the online portal and publisher of HKO. Hello Kitty Online will be targeted at teen girls and adults, an "underserved" segment of the gaming community.Check out the details below:
Kudos to Sanrio and Aeria!
Permalink