One of Japan’s most iconic characters comes to life thanks to the power of augmented reality.
Let’s just get this out-of-the-way now: Hello Kitty is incredibly cute and it’s almost impossible to look at her without smiling. These facts are undisputable. What you might now know, however, is that behind the adorable cartoon character is global money-making empire, Sanrio. Since making her debut on a little vinyl coin purse in 1974, Hello Kitty has gone on to become the second highest-grossing franchise of all-time with an estimated revenue over $50 billion dollars.
Yes, you read that right. $50 billion dollars…
That massive success is due in large part to Hello Kitty appearing on everything from comic books and school supplies, to food trucks, cafés, fashion accessories, clothing, films, TV, pretty much everything and anything. She’s even had songs written about her – and now thanks to a new licensing agreement with Sanrio GmbH and the Swedish based game developers, Bublar Group AB, Hello Kitty will be the center of a cool new AR experience for your smart phone.
The Hello Kitty AR game will blend the real world with Hello Kitty’s kawaii aesthetic for an augmented experience that’s as unique as it is adorable. The location-based multiplayer game will have you using an in-app map to find and collect items needed to build your Kawaii village, search for hidden magic, and interact with a number of the characters from the Hello Kitty universe.
The game will also have creative and social components, allowing you to join in on community events via the app, share your decoration skills, even create and share gifts in a virtual world.
In an official press release, Simon Gresswell, Chief Operating Officer for Sanrio GmbH said, “With this game, our passionate fan base can meet and engage with all Sanrios’ characters in mixed reality.”
As you explore your AR Hello Kitty infused world, you may come across other Hello Kitty fanatics who can join you on adventures and help unlock other characters.
Though Bublar’s game will be the first officially licensed appearance of Hello Kitty using AR, it isn’t the cat-human hybrids first appearance in an augmented space. Back in 2013 Amplified Robot used Hello Kitty to demonstrate how AR could bring characters to life in the real-world.
“At Bublar, our mission is to merge the real and imaginary worlds together in a fun way, connecting Augmented Reality and digital content to real world locations” spoke Magnus Granqvist, co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Bublar Group AB, in an official release. “We are looking forward to bringing the beloved Hello Kitty and a variety of other Sanrio characters to the AR world. Hello Kitty has been creating smiles worldwide for almost 45 years.”
You can expect Hello Kitty’s next step closer towards complete world domination sometime in 2019 when Bublar launches their Hello Kitty AR game for fans all around the globe.
Image Credit: Sanrio
