Hello Kitty MMORPG Near Launch
November 5, 2004 2:51 PM Subscribe
It's like EverQuest...only pink. Well, maybe not exactly like EverQuest. But Sanrio is entering the world of online gaming with their new MMORPG, Hello Kitty Online World. Preliminary views indicate that it's going to be a fully-realized 3D world where players can control both their own avatar and an "angel," which seems a little bit like a witch's familiar. The Sanrio characters are, of course, NPCs - you can't make Hello Kitty punch Spottie Dottie, because that's just not what Kitty-chan would do! There will be countries, populated with player homes (you can decorate it with a Titanic poster!), and you can also adventure, train, and form alliances.
Huh, it won't let me register. Maybe Sanrio thinks any 33 year old who is interested in this is some sort of molester?
posted by JoanArkham at 5:23 PM on November 5, 2004
posted by JoanArkham at 5:23 PM on November 5, 2004
Of course, it does sound a bit fascist...
Think of it as an enlightened dictatorship.
And Sanrio is huge among adults. In Japan especially, but I see a good number of tricked-out cars in my university parking lot decorated with Kitty-chan or Batz-maru.
posted by mr_roboto at 6:00 PM on November 5, 2004
Think of it as an enlightened dictatorship.
And Sanrio is huge among adults. In Japan especially, but I see a good number of tricked-out cars in my university parking lot decorated with Kitty-chan or Batz-maru.
posted by mr_roboto at 6:00 PM on November 5, 2004
I just hope the real game is better than the awful crap on Flash Island. That's got to be the worst Flash game I've ever seen. Smiley shinkansen not withstanding.
posted by Nelson at 6:03 PM on November 5, 2004
posted by Nelson at 6:03 PM on November 5, 2004
Oh, thank you ... just what I needed. A new diversion that not only feeds my growing addiction to the internet but also my almost unhealthy fondness for all things Hello Kitty. :)
posted by Orb at 7:16 PM on November 5, 2004
posted by Orb at 7:16 PM on November 5, 2004
JoanArkham, I think it's not open for signups yet. I'm already a [longtime] member of SanrioTown and I can't get in either; the message about this just appeared in my hellokitty.com inbox a few days ago. The message indicated that it will be a limited beta release, so get your name on that mailing list if you're interested!
posted by etoile at 7:36 PM on November 5, 2004
posted by etoile at 7:36 PM on November 5, 2004
You get to determine your character's blood type? I don't think I even know my own blood type...
posted by dagnyscott at 12:16 PM on November 8, 2004
posted by dagnyscott at 12:16 PM on November 8, 2004
You get to determine your character's blood type? I don't think I even know my own blood type...
Blood type is huge in Japan; it's sort of like astrology there. The Japanese edition of Microsoft Entourage lets you enter the blood type of all your contacts, for instance. (The American testers thought this was weird, so the field was hidden in the US release of Microsoft Office for Mac, or perhaps it's used for astrological sign instead -- don't remember.)
posted by kindall at 12:34 PM on November 8, 2004
Blood type is huge in Japan; it's sort of like astrology there. The Japanese edition of Microsoft Entourage lets you enter the blood type of all your contacts, for instance. (The American testers thought this was weird, so the field was hidden in the US release of Microsoft Office for Mac, or perhaps it's used for astrological sign instead -- don't remember.)
posted by kindall at 12:34 PM on November 8, 2004
doomed to failure. mmgs are the most complex and disaster prone applications you can develop, not to mention the constant support and server dedication. beside the fact that buying a backpack and a pencil does not necessarily correlate to a customer base willing to slobber over a keyboard for 27 straight hours chasing down whatever it is they chase down in hello kitty world, i think the real problem is going to be getting some serious coders to make this. computer mmgs are not the same as gameboy cartridge side scrollers.
posted by sophist at 4:27 PM on November 10, 2004
posted by sophist at 4:27 PM on November 10, 2004
« Older If you voted for Bush, didn't vote, or voted no on... | A lost treasure from New York's attic Newer »
This thread has been archived and is closed to new comments
Ahhh, sign me up. No red, no blue - just pink.
Of course, it does sound a bit fascist...
posted by JoanArkham at 5:05 PM on November 5, 2004