Sanrio, Level Up! ink deal for Hello Kitty Online
March 16, 2009 by Joel Tan
Filed under Asian MMO, Asian MMO Players, Hello Kitty, Level Up! Games, MMORPG, MMORPG News, MMORPG Videos
Very journalese, that headline, but it sums up what this article is about. Fans of the lovable Sanrio character Hello Kitty may live out their fantasies as sidekicks to the lovable, uhmmm, pussycat.
Let’s go check out the details of the licensing agreement:
Sanrio Digital and Level Up! Games, the Philippines’ first and leading online games publisher, have announced a distribution agreement to launch Hello Kitty Online in the Philippines.
Hello Kitty Online is the eagerly anticipated official massively multiplayer online role-playing game of the Hello Kitty universe. Under the terms of agreement, Level Up! will publish and operate an English-language version of Hello Kitty Online in the Philippines.
“We are very excited to publish a local version of Hello Kitty Online with Level Up!, the Philippines’ leader in online games publishing. Their proven track record and experience in online gaming will be instrumental in bringing Hello Kitty Online to a young and dynamic new audience,” said Yat Siu, chief executive officer of Sanrio Digital.
Level Up! Games CEO Jane Walker added, “Level Up! Games is delighted that Sanrio, one of the world’s most celebrated brands, has given us the privilege of bringing Hello Kitty Online to our country. We’re confident that, like Sanrio’s well-loved characters, the game will find a special place in Filipino hearts.”
Hello Kitty Online is the official MMORPG based on the popular Sanrio character. The game, currently in its beta stage, will launch this year on 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.
The game is one of the few MMORPG titles to target a female gaming audience. Aside from redefining traditional MMO gaming with the inclusion of integrated social media services, Hello Kitty Online seeks to make playing more worthwhile by connecting the virtual world with real charity events. Recently, the beta in-game event called “Food for Friends” asked players to craft and donate virtual items; the event generated hundreds of thousands of submissions and raised USD 12,000 for the United Nations Children’s Fund and the Asian Youth Orchestra.
Wunnerful.
