http://www.mmorpg.com/gamelist.cfm/game/334/feature/1992

MMORPG.com previewed Hello Kitty Online with a generally good review, check it out some interesting comments:

Hello Kitty Online attempts to “Bring Happiness to the World” in the entire experience. The game arrives in a pretty gift box tied up with a pink ribbon. The manual is in full color and video tutorials with voice-overs accessible on the game site eases the entry into the game.

Do I like it? Well, I had my little pink house, my melon patch, my upgraded farm, my red jacket, my brown loafers, my sheep pet, my scorpion pet, my boar pet… Closed Beta is over when Open Beta rolls around, little Sylvene will be wielding her super microphone-of-doom magic wand again.

See you at the Open Beta too Sylvene!

Reposted from an article at Massively the graphics of combining Optimus Prime and Kitty does ring ominous.

There’s a certain temptation to believe that so-called casual games are inherently less complex than their more hardcore cousins. Whether it’s born of experience, arrogance, or just plain ignorance, most people probably assume that a game like Hello Kitty Online is going to leave them wanting for features. Having just read an interview with Ali Aslanbaigi, Game Master Manager for HKO, this blogger can say that this certainly doesn’t seem like the case.

Aslanbaigi explains how they plan to integrate email, blogging, and user video from the Sanriotown portal into the game experience itself, making Hello Kitty Online a social media hub as much as it is casual MMO. Say what you will about the relative complexity of an Age of Conan — Hello Kitty Online isn’t just trying to compete with the big MMOs on the block, it’s looking to take its place alongside Facebook, MySpace, and other social media giants. It’s ambitious, to say the least.

The one article that spawned the Title of this article  is here.

Filefront has a good article on Hello Kitty Online entitled: Tired of WoW? Try Hello Kitty Online.

I am amazed at how there are so often comparisons made between these two games who could not be at more polar opposite spectrums.

But if you read some of the commentary, it would really seem that the two have a lot of comments, as one of the comments puts its:

Obviously WoW and Hello Kitty Online have very different target markets. This is why i’m saying that what WoW did for (or to) boys, Hello Kitty Online will do for (again, or to) girls.

So this is something new, fans and applicants of the Online game are being treated to a free boxed package set that looks very much produced and full featured. Is this a new trend in closed beta testing or something unique to Hello Kitty Online MMORPG? I am quite impressed to see this sort of effort being made to their beta testers from the usual download location stuff.

A really interesting post on the Hello Kitty Online Video Contest entitled:

Hello Kitty Online users must sing for their beta

I have no idea if this type of beta contest has been done before, but I think we’ll see a lot more of it in the future. Already the vids are coming in, with over 8000 uploaded at this date.

They are packed with Hello Kitty cuteness, but one in particular from tehguy caught my eye.

The educator in me is also intrigued by this competition. Assuming that Hello Kitty in a brand that attracts a younger audience, I’m fascinated at the variety of literacies at play in this digital mashup of Hello Kitty images. It takes many skills and much knowledge to create one of these videos. I think it’s a great example of a company that acknowledges the remix culture of their audience, much like the kind mentioned in Lawrence Lessig’s TED Talk.

Is this a bit like public Karaoke?

In full glorious 3D!

Inventorspot says "Move over World of Warcraft, Hello Kitty Online is Here!"

MTV’s G4TV says "Watch out World of Warcraft. Hello Kitty is going MMO"

Today Hello Kitty Online, tomorrow the World (of Warcraft)… Sweetness superpower Sanrio of Japan, creators of the omnipresent Hello Kitty character, will be taking the cute cat online in what may be the biggest challenge yet to massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) dominated by World Of Warcraft.

You have to wonder, how much of this is for real, or just plain funny, I for one find it very funny!!

Well done Hello Kitty Online!

So I guess you’ve heard the news!

Hello Kitty MMORPG is finally going beta, it’s not far away from a full launch, World of Warcraft and Second Life beware, the world of cute will come and over run you, cute vs. evil powers, why cute always wins.

The official website is at www.hellokittyonline.com

Right ahead of GDC, Street Fighter IV is set to probably be announced at the GDC, here’s a great screenshot and art style shot of the style of the game, although it does look like Chun Li has been working out on the Gym a little bit too hard it would seem.

Virtual Barbie – Barbie Girls
The Barbie Girls world is a free Website which allows girls to create an avatar, design their own “room,” shop at the mall with B Bucks, go to the salon, play games, hang out and chat live with other girls. There is also a movie theater where you can see Barbie-related entertainment. This summer Mattel also started selling a Barbie Girls device, which can be plugged into the computer and connects to the Web site, giving users more options in terms of fashion, furniture, pets and overall content. The Barbie-Girl handheld retails for about US$60 and can also be used as a music player. Accessory packs for the websites are sold separately for US$9.99. This fall Barbie Girls will also be available in five additional languages, including German, French, Italian and Spanish. With Barbie Girl Mattel hopes to keep the “tween” girl interested, who are outgrowing their dolls and become more interested in technology and music and fashion.

Webkinz
With each Webkinz stuffed animal purchase (US$13) comes a secret code in its tag. When kids log on and type in the code their pet instantly comes to life online. Virtual pet owners than can feed their pets by dragging “food” into their special pet room. They can talk to the pet through the speak menu and a small monitor on the bottom of the screen lets them know if the pet is happy, healthy or hungry. There even is a virtual pet doctor, kids can bring their Webkinz to. Unlike Tamagotchis Webkins cannot die, but they can become sick and than need medicine. This medicine costs KinzCash which has to be earned through quizzes and other activities on the site. Webkinz now has 6 million visitors according to comScore Media Metrix.

U.B. Funkeys
Funkeys are small, colorful characters, which can be found at basically any toy store these days and in Funkeytown online. Each Funkey acts like a key that grants its owner access to a corresponding computer game. Each figure allows players to unlock new areas in the virtual world called Terrapina. Each player can create a nice home - or “crib” - for their Funkey. But they have to pay coins for every item they use. These coins can be earned by playing online games which can be found by navigating through the different zones and portals of the website. Funkeytown was released earlier this year.