Hello Kitty Online
From FAS Virtual Worlds Almanac
| Use and Demographics | |
|---|---|
| Primary use(s) | Community, Gaming, Marketing |
| Type | MMORPG |
| Target Audience(s) | Children, Teenagers |
| Language(s) | English |
| Features |
|---|
| Graphical and Content Features |
|---|
| Communication
|
|---|
| Management and Privacy |
|---|
Hello Kitty Online (HKO) is a free-to-play[1] Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game ( MMORPG ) that tells the story of a hero (the player) helping Hello Kitty and her friends wake up from eternal slumber and defeat a "mysterious and malevolent power"[2]. HKO was developed by Sanrio Digital, Typhoon Games and Dream Cortex .[3]
Unlike most combat-oriented games, HKO focuses more on resource collecting and social interaction. Players can mingle and adventure in different locales based on (and named after) cities such as Beijing , Paris , London , Moscow and Tokyo; in addition, there are several wholly original and explorable areas.[4]
Hello Kitty Online will be tied to the SanrioTown web site. A free SanrioTown membership will be required to register for and play HKO[5].
Contents |
Screenshots
References
- ↑ Hello Kitty Online, IGN.com, http://pc.ign.com/objects/712/712477.html
- ↑ Maris, Daisy, Hello Kitty Online Closed Beta Testing Starts Tonight!, 2008-04-22 , http://www.sanriodigital.com/archives/67, Sanrio Digital, 2008-07-31
- ↑ http://pc.ign.com/articles/876/876701p1.html, Devries, Jack ,Hello Kitty Online Hands-on — Page 1,IGN.com, 2008-05-29, 2008-07-31
- ↑ Aslanbaigi, Ali. Interview. Chinajoy 2008: Hello Kitty Online Interview - Page 2. 2008-07-19. Retrieved on 2008-07-30.
- ↑ About Hello Kitty Online. Hellokittyonline.com. Retrieved on 2008-08-08.
External Links
In the News
Scholarly Research
Gameplay
All players are represented by customizable human avatars. Available options during character creation include gender, hairstyle, eyes, skin tone, face and even blood type.[1]
Combat, though not the primary focus of the game, is still relevant. Weapons take the form of various blunt implements such as brooms, flyswatters and microphone stands.[2] Players enter combat by right-clicking on a nearby monster, at which point the avatar and the monster will begin to exchange blows. Monsters don't die in HKO, but when their health bar is fully depleted they become dizzy, pass out and are defeated, allowing players to loot them.[3]
A main quest chain develops the plot as players progress. Sanrio characters such as Badtz-Maru and Keroppi are placed throughout the game world, handing out quests to willing players.[4]
Resource Collection Skills
In the majority of MMORPGs players receive experience points and level increments by defeating opponents and completing quests; this is not the case in HKO[1], where players level-up primarily through resource collection and item crafting.[5]
Collecting resources is an important aspect of HKO because many items found in the game are obtained by crafting or purchasing from NPC vendors. Crafted items are generally superior to items bought from NPC vendors. Players must have the appropriate ingredients and/or resources in their inventory if they wish to craft.[2]
Resource collection has four subtypes of skill: Woodcutting, Gathering, Planting and Mining.[5] Players must choose a primary and a secondary skill from these four subtypes. A character's chosen skills can reach much higher levels than skills not chosen. Since higher-level resources require a higher corresponding level, players are encouraged to trade amongst each other for resources.[6] In order to gather resources players must equip a resource gathering tool such as a pick-axe and click on an available resource node. Resource tools have level requirements in respective skills (e.g., an advanced pick-axe would require a higher level in the Mining skill).[1]
Item Crafting
Item crafting is a key feature of Hello Kitty Online and, like resource collection, is divided into four skill subtypes: Cooking (food items that replenish health, energy or both[3]); Tools/Weapons , Clothes (like weapons, clothes need to be created by the players themselves but can be traded to other players) and Furniture.[5]
Farming
Each player receives a starter farm upon entering the game for the first time. The farm serves as the primary form of income in the game. Crops grown on the farm can be sold, traded to other players, or crafted into different items. Players can also purchase bigger and nicer (and pricier) farms.[3] Successful farming requires players to take into consideration variables such as land fertility, pests and growth factors.[7]
Pet System
Every defeated monster in HKO has a chance of dropping a rare pet card that can be used to gain that monster's service, effectively making that monster a player's pet. Players may own a maximum of 3 pets in total, and only one pet can be used at any time.[8] Pets have a variety of roles: they can act as mules, providing extra inventory space; some pets provide a buff to player stats while they are in service; lastly, they are able to help when it comes to collecting resources. Pets gain levels from food: when pets are fed regularly, their stats and level will increase over time.[6]
Minigames
Minigames available in-game and in SanrioTown web site member's area provide players a chance to compete with each other.[6]
Housing System
Each player's farm has an allotted space on which the farm's owner can build a house. In order to build a house, players require a land certificate, which can be bought from an NPC or received as a quest reward.[7] Construction can begin after sufficient amounts of the required resources have been accumulated. There is a variety of different houses; the more elaborate and extravagant, the more expensive.[6]
Once a house is completed, players can furnish the interiors with different appliances, furniture and interior elements such as wallpapers and floorboards.[5]
Socializing
HKO advocates the concept of "social networking". Players can view other players" blogs, send email, and watch uploaded videos from in-game or on the SanrioTown web site.[2]
Players can also band together to form a guild. Guildmates can help each other build to speed up the construction of houses.[9] Group Quests will be available in the future updates to the game.[10]
Community
The design of Hello Kitty Online emphasizes the use of the game and SanrioTown web site as a social community platform.[11] A number of social features found on SanrioTown were integrated directly into the game client, and HKO players are able to access SanrioTown’s video sharing service, blogs and emails.[12] Players can also participate in the discussions posted on the community forums.[13]
Item Mall
The Item Mall will be located both on the SanrioTown website and will also be accessible while playing the game. At the Item Mall players will purchase premium items including unique clothes, pets, weapons and house designs.[13] Purchases will require Sanrio Loyalty Points (which are gained from using SanrioTown services such as blogs), and Sanrio Cash Points (which are purchased using real money). Another method is paying money in exchange for points using game cards.[14]
Reception
Hello Kitty Online’s Closed Beta garnered mixed, though mostly positive, reactions from the media and players. Noctalis.com called it “a cloyingly sweet pink-filled wonderland of talking animals set to a chirpy soundtrack”.[15] The game’s sprite-based and isometric perspective 2.5D graphics were criticized as 10-year old technology, and the lack of customization options for each character (e.g. dye kits or ways to change the color of the home items) was noted.[15]
IGN’s hands-on review of the Closed Beta was largely favorable, concluding:
After going through most everything the beta had to offer, including making stylish blue jeans, purchasing a Japanese garden, and getting a freaking T-rex as a pet, I can say that Hello Kitty Online is shaping up to be a pretty fun MMO for the younger, less battle hungry crowd. It's certainly not as in-depth as a major MMO is, but it provides a stylish environment with colorful characters and music that seems oddly epic for a game about cats and bunnies. While it seems like it'd be an ideal game for the younger demographic, I found plenty of adults playing it, too. HKO has the franchise appeal behind it to possibly make a hugely successful casual MMO.[9]
With the SanrioTown blog feature, gamers were able to share their experiences while playing the game. The players were also responsible for helping out the newbies with their blog and video tutorials.[16] Generally, players found other players and the HKO staff to be pleasant and helpful, citing the HKO environment as a breather from the “griefing” and PvP-confrontations that affect most online games.[17]
House building was found to be difficult and players complained that they had to ask their guild mates to help.[9] Hello Kitty Online’s Closed Beta was praised for being largely free of bugs; the help and support provided by the developers was praised by players as swift and earnest, and it was considered a remarkable achievement by one reviewer.[15]
A post on the Outblaze Blog dated February 15, 2008 summarized several online reactions to the closed beta announcement, and included humorous comments from influential game blog Kotaku, ValleyWag, InventorSpot, Japanator, and others.[18]
Award
Hello Kitty Online was awarded a Best Digital Entertainment Award for the 2008 Hong Kong ICT Awards.[19]
Official Links
- Hello Kitty Online: Official Game Site
- Hello Kitty Online: Official Announcement Blog
- Hello Kitty Online: Official Event Blog
Community Links
HKO Game Master Blogs
