Tokyo (AFP) – Seeking new fans for Hello Kitty, the company behind the enigmatic character on Tuesday launched a video games division aiming to release 10 original titles over the next three years. Hello Kitty, which started life as an illustration on a 1970s vinyl coin purse, is emblematic of Japan’s lucrative culture of “kawaii”, meaning cute.
Hello Kitty and other characters owned by the corporate titan Sanrio have appeared in video games before, but these were all made by third parties. By making original games, Sanrio wants to broaden its appeal, CEO Tomokuni Tsuji told a news conference on Tuesday. “We also want to approach people who have not been part of our traditional fan base, like boys and adult men,” he said.
The company said its first new game, called “Sanrio Party Land”, would be released for Nintendo’s Switch and Switch 2 consoles by the autumn. Sanrio is investing up to 10 billion yen ($63 million) in its gaming operations over the three years to March 2027. “Video games are a very big market. People spend a long time on games,” Tsuji said. “This is a sector we must enter.”
“Sanrio Party Land” will consist of more than 45 mini-games, featuring more than 145 Sanrio characters, led by Hello Kitty but also joined by the likes of Cinnamoroll and Kuromi. The release date and price of the new game will be announced later, Sanrio said.
Unlike other Japanese cultural exports such as Pokemon or Dragon Ball, there is minimal narrative around Hello Kitty, who has no mouth. It has appeared on tens of thousands of products — everything from handbags to rice cookers — and has secured lucrative tie-ups with Adidas, Balenciaga and other top brands. The phenomenon shows no sign of slowing, with a Warner Bros movie slated for release in 2028.
© 2024 AFP
