Ten Ton Hamster

Ten Ton Hamster was able to catch up with Abigail Reyes, the Community Manager of Hello Kitty Online, to get an exclusive update on what's happening with the game. We even got two exclusive new images for you all to see! We are all anxiously waiting for the game to launch. Some of you might have been lucky enough to have gotten into the Founder's Beta coming in October. If you aren't one of them, just keep checking back with us for all the latest Hello Kitty Online info!

Abigail_ReyesInterviewer: Padma "LadyLotus" Fuller, Editor/Site Lead
Interviewee: Abigail Reyes – Hello Kitty Online Community Manager

1. We just saw the newly launched trailer for Hello Kitty Online. Can you tell us about it?

We wanted the trailer to showcase important aspects of the game that many people might not necessarily know about. During the Closed Beta the feedback for the game’s farming system was extremely positive, so we put a gigantic fully functioning farm in the trailer. We wanted to feature the three primary social technologies of Hello Kitty Online: Blog, Video Sharing and Email. These three services are integral to the game’s popularity and are a key part of Sanrio’s mission to foster social harmony. As for the part of the trailer concerning pets, we just had to show the cute and cuddly T-Rex. During Closed Beta only two areas were open, namely Florapolis and Sanrio Harbor. In the trailer we decided to show some of the other maps we are working on. For the Founders’ Beta beginning on October 8 we are opening up London and Paris, and throwing in a few twist and surprises.

2. In the trailer you talk about having your own farm. Can you tell us what players will be able to grow?

Papayas, oranges, peppers, pineapples, strawberries, watermelons and much, much more – I couldn’t begin to list them all. Crops are divided by level and difficulty: for example, strawberries and watermelons are easy to grow, while papayas and oranges require a whole lot more attention and care. So if you decide to cultivate the more delicate crops, you’ll be putting more effort and attention into your fields.

3. What is it like bringing the Sanrio universe to life? There are so many characters to meet and see in the game.

There are many characters that people have come to love, and some that they have yet to meet. Many people who grew up in the last 30+ years have fond memories of Hello Kitty: Keroppi lunchboxes, Hello Kitty schoolbags, Badtz-maru pencil-cases, and so forth. Now Hello Kitty is part of the mainstream, with clothing lines and fashion shows, jewellery, animated series, computer games, modern icons like Mariah Carey and Paris Hilton, etc. The opportunity to bring these characters and their world to life in a massively multiplayer game… it's exciting to say the least.

4. Open Beta is on everyone’s mind. Can you tell us when the game will be ready for open beta? Also, how close are you to launching the game?

There is a Founders’ Beta coming up that will run from October 8 to November 5. Players participating in this beta become HKO Founders, and will receive special rewards as our way to say thank you. They also get to keep their characters and possessions even after the end of the Founders’ Beta. Hello Kitty’s birthday is November 1st so we are planning a special in-game celebration for the occasion.

After the Founders’ Beta, sometime in December, we will have one last Open Beta for anyone who wants to join, the purpose of this will be to see how the system holds up under heavy load, and allow us to iron out kinks. After that we will make the necessary changes and fix the last bugs, and the game will launch – but we have not announced a date yet.

5. There seems to be a lot of mini games in Hello Kitty Online, can you talk about a few?

At launch we will have around 28 mini games inside Hello Kitty Online. As you know there is no player versus player (PvP) in HKO and this kind of violent confrontation does not fit in with Sanrio’s philosophy. So to satisfy the need for direct competition we built several mini games where players can play against each other or just for the fun of it. Some of the games also keep track of your ranking, so if it’s recognition you want the mini games allow you to be king of the hill. As for the games, I will mention two: “Swing the Swings” stars Cinnamoroll and is one of the harder games, requiring you to jump from one swinging log to another. The hard part is timing your jumps and calculating your trajectory, so perfectionists out there will have a field day with this one. “Keroppi in the Well” finds our small green friend crawling down a well while avoiding falling bricks, and is a very cute little game.

6. There are a lot of famous cities in your game. What is it like to design Sanrio versions of London, Paris, and Tokyo?

A lot of fun! In designing a city first we chose a number of identifying landmarks. For example, in London the obvious landmarks were The London Eye, Big Ben and the Queen’s Palace (along with the Queen’s Guards), and in Paris we picked the Louvre and the Eiffel Tower. After choosing landmarks, we had to “Kittify” them while making sure they remained instantly recognizable. This sounds simple but in fact required considerable design effort. Once we were satisfied with one city’s landmarks, we used them to determine the design for the rest of that city, and we set to designing street by street, building by building. It was a lot of fun and I’m sure the players will enjoy sight-seeing.

7. In Beta you ran a Monster Hunt, will there be events like this when the game goes live?

Absolutely! Events are a key part of Hello Kitty Online and the community we are building. Aside from special events like the Monster Hunt, we will also have Game Master sponsored events. There will be unique events, regular events, seasonal events (Christmas, New Year, Thanksgiving, etc.), coded events and free-form events, and more. One event that we expect to be quite popular is simplicity itself: the interior decoration competition, in which players send in a screenshot of the interior of their in-game house, and everyone takes a vote to determine who has the coolest home. The winners receive special items.

8. Will characters meet Hello Kitty herself?

Of course! Closed Beta players who followed the main quest chain met Hello Kitty earlier this year. The next version of the game is far larger and players may need to look farther and wider, but they will also find Hello Kitty. Of course, she may not always be easy to locate...

9. Players get to have their own pets in the game. What will it be like for players to train and work with a pet?

Pets are one of the most important features of Hello Kitty Online. You acquire pets by defeating monsters that have a small chance of dropping pet cards. When you have a pet card, you may call upon the services of that pet. You can carry up to three pet cards, which will let you summon and train those pets. Pets carry items for you in their own inventory and provide buffs, enhancing your stats. If you want your pet to be stronger, you will have to feed it regularly and use Pet Training Cards on it. Your pet will enjoy increases in stats such as power, defense, etc. which in turn will enhance the buff you get from your pet. Each player also has a pet collection, so if you find a good pet card you can store it in your own version of a pet bank.

10. What are you most excited about with Hello Kitty Online?

It is remarkable to witness a bunch of code, images, sounds and databases slowly turning into a complex environment inhabited by people having fun and hobnobbing. We’re also immensely excited to be working with Sanrio’s intellectual property – Hello Kitty is a mega-brand and possibly the most famous cat in the world, so it is truly electrifying. Finally, we take special pleasure in knowing that the online world we are building allows people from all over the world to meet, socialize and build relationships.

Follow this link to the official Hello Kitty Online Website