JUST IN TIME FOR VALENTINE’S DAY: I’m going to go ahead and call it now: World of Warcraft’s days as king of the MMORPG hill are numbered. With Sanrio’s announcement of their partnership with Typhoon Games for the development of Hello Kitty Online, it’s only a matter of time until the battlefields of Azeroth are barren and lifeless as the online masses seek out adventures with the likes of Badtz-Maru, Kerropi, Pochacco and, of course, Hello Kitty herself.

In all seriousness, though, if you are really into these characters, this actually sounds like a pretty neat deal given what will be available with numerous locales available to explore as well as the expected customizable avatars, guilds and skill systems. What’s somewhat surprising, though, is the inclusion of a combat system. I had expected this to be something more along the lines of, say, Animal Crossing but I guess if the market demands some Sanrio bloodshed, so let it be written, so let it be done.

Hello Kitty MMORPG (via Anime News Network)

By Stewart Smith