Newsletters
Sanrio, the company behind Hello Kitty, is moving into in-house video game development as it looks to reach beyond its traditional audience and bring its characters to a wider gaming market.
The Japan-based company announced on Tuesday that it has launched a dedicated video games division and plans to release 10 original titles over the next three years. Until now, Sanrio characters had appeared in games made by third-party developers, but the company is now bringing development closer to home as it tries to open up a new line of business.
Chief Executive Officer Tomokuni Tsuji said the move is also meant to draw in people who have not usually been part of Sanrio's fan base, including boys and adult men. He described video games as a major market where people spend long periods of time, saying it is a sector the company must move into.
Sanrio said its first original release, Sanrio Party Land, is set to come out for Nintendo Switch and Switch 2 consoles in the autumn. The game will feature more than 45 mini-games and include over 145 Sanrio characters.
Hello Kitty will lead the lineup, joined by other well-known characters such as Cinnamoroll and Kuromi. The company said the release date and price will be announced later.
Sanrio is investing up to 10 billion yen, or about $63 million, in its gaming operations over the three years to March 2027. The move reflects the company's effort to build on the global appeal of Hello Kitty, which first appeared as an illustration on a vinyl coin purse in the 1970s and later became one of the best-known symbols of Japan's "kawaii" culture, a term used to describe a style centered on cuteness.
Unlike Japanese entertainment franchises such as Pokemon or Dragon Ball, Hello Kitty has only a limited narrative background. Even so, the character has appeared on tens of thousands of products, from handbags to rice cookers, while also securing high-profile brand tie-ups with names such as Adidas and Balenciaga.
The brand's momentum is continuing, with a Warner Bros movie scheduled for release in 2028.
Set as preferred source
Set as preferred source
4 min read
