GDN: What were some of the major challenges of taking such a well-known and long-lasting IP like Hello Kitty and turning it into an MMORPG?

AR: When you’re dealing with highly popular and established intellectual property you have a responsibility to live up to the reputation of the materials involved. We absolutely did not want to create a generic game and then slap a Hello Kitty skin on it, so we set out to build Hello Kitty’s fantasy world from scratch and the result is unique and distinctive. The imperative since day one was to make this game cute: everything including the game areas, avatars, music, and even enemies had to be unequivocally cute; if it wasn’t, we’d take it back to the drawing board.

One of the biggest challenges was taking the MMORPG formula and turning it on its head: instead of killing and PvP, we focused on making the game about collection/creation, communication and cooperation. Though there is no PvP, players can compete against each other for the highest rank in various mini-games inside Hello Kitty Online and on SanrioTown.com.

Another challenge was reducing grind. Nobody likes grinding, but grind in MMORPGs exists to slow down the progress of players and keep them playing longer. With HKO’s integrated community and social tools, and the mix of people who tend to be Hello Kitty fans, we think socializing and networking will encourage most players to stick around even if they have completed all the missions and crafted the best items.