Sanrio Teams Up With Typhoon Games!

World Famous Hello Kitty Advances to New Digital Heights

Joint venture, Sanrio Digital, propels the famous character’s online home into the digital future
Hong Kong, November 21, 2006 –, The leading publisher, developer and distributor of multi-platform online and offline entertainment software Typhoon Games, has partnered with Sanrio Wave Hong Kong Co. Ltd. to bring Sanrio characters to the next stage of their digital evolution. Sanrio Digital, a joint venture between the two companies, led to a complete renovation of the official online presence for Hello Kitty and friends, Sanriotown (http://www.sanriotown.com/), with new flash games, blog, photo, video and online shopping features embracing the social web.
“We are excited to work with Sanrio Wave in driving the digital expansion of Sanrio’s intellectual property assets,” said Yat Siu, the CEO of Sanrio Digital. “Hello Kitty is one of the most recognized brands in the world and it’s full potential has not yet been realized via the Internet. Both the Hello Kitty and Sanrio brands are now extended further beyond that of the traditional realm and onto new digital mediums via the new Sanriotown.”
“This collaboration aims to successfully create synergy between the Sanrio traditional offline business and the digital venture.” Said Hiroaki Nishino, the Director of Sanrio Wave. “Through these online projects, we give non-Sanrio fans the chance to satisfy their curiosity and excite them about Hello Kitty & Friends and this will hopefully arouse their interest in offline products; and widen the fan base of Sanrio characters.”
Riding on the existing online community services such as forums, free e-mails as well as download services, new social networking features have been launched on Sanriotown, which already has a current user-base of almost 2 million world wide. The two most prominent of the newly introduced features are Kitty Shop and Dream Studio, while other features on the site like blogs, chat, message boards and avatars inject more fun into the social networking environment for users.
Kitty Shop is an online store where fans can purchase a wide range of Hello Kitty memorabilia. Kitty Shop also allows users to provide their input into the design of upcoming products, while at the same time, making purchases from the current available range. To celebrate the launch of the new Sanriotown, Kitty Shop allows sanriotown.com members to exclusively pre-order a limited Christmas Edition of Hello Kitty Angel Box sets
Dream Studio is an advanced web technology that enables users to create and direct their own flash movies by simply uploading video, photos and MP3 music. With this new feature, users are able to indulge themselves with the latest online trends and embed their videos on their own website, blogs, or other community portals, creating an online networking community that is unique to Sanriotown.
In addition to the above, there will be other advanced and innovative entertainment products released. For example, a massive multiplayer Hello Kitty online game is currently in the final stages of development, bringing mature Hello Kitty fans and online gamers higher levels of difficulty, excitement and interaction. Also, a 52-Episode 3D Animated TV series titles “The Adventures of Hello Kitty & Friends” will be released, introducing a side of Hello Kitty that is not only cute and cuddly, but one that takes on the role of an educator for children to learn from.
For more details, please visit http://www.sanriotown.com/ or www.sanriodigital.com
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About Sanrio Digital
Sanrio Digital is a joint venture between Typhoon Games (HK) Ltd., and Sanrio Co. Ltd. whose aim is to focus on the digital expansion of Sanrio intellectual property assets. This effective collaboration will capitalize on the great number of IP assets that have not yet been fully digitally developed. Furthermore, Sanrio Digital will hold exclusive rights to produce offline products based on its online productions, which is expected to create synergy between the Sanrio traditional offline business and the digital venture; studies have shown that higher revenue generation can be expected if Sanrio online and offline business complement each other.
About Typhoon Games
Typhoon Games Ltd. was founded on August 2001 in Hong Kong as a game developing and publishing company that recognizes the great potential of the gaming industry in Asia. We work with developers in the region, as well as those from Europe and North America to create and localize PC games for the Asian audiences. Typhoon Games aims to provide the best distribution channel for game developers to sell their games, and for gamers to experience games in the most sound and technically advanced environment possible. Typhoon Games combines the highest technology with the most loyal communities of users to bring our audience the best gaming experience ever!
Typhoon Games Ltd. is a leading publisher, developer and distributor of multi-platform online and offline entertainment software with channel partners in North America and Europe, and distribution in Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Philippines, India, Hong Kong, Taiwan, China, Korea and Japan. Game titles released by Typhoon Games have won international acclaim from leading game media experts and received some of the industry’s top awards. To date, Typhoon Games has published over 100 different game titles.
About Sanrio Wave Hong Kong Co., Ltd.
Sanrio Co., Ltd. founded Sanrio Wave Hong Kong Co., Ltd. in the year 2000 after Sanrio (H.K.) Co., Ltd. was founded on April 1994. While Sanrio HK focused on the traditional character merchandise business, Sanrio Wave HK has the unique mission to create and distribute the original Sanrio contents / entertainment business throughout Asia, and eventually in global scale.
Throughout the years, Sanrio characters have always been one of the most wanted contents by mobile content providers and telecom operators. Sanrio Wave HK is currently working with almost all major telecom networks in Asia directly or through the local content providers while the mobile content distribution network is still expanding. To further proliferate the content business, Sanrio Wave HK started to produce original publication to enrich the content category.
In October 2006, Sanrio HK merged with Sanrio Wave HK to further extend its mission to be the regional hub and to become an all rounded company with the strong integration of online and offline merchandise and contents.

For any inquiries, please contact: michelle@sanriodigital.com