Video Game Mama

Level 15 on Hello Kitty Online Philippines!

2009-09-01T07:05:00.001-07:00

After a little more than a week of playing, I've finally managed to reach level 15 on Hello Kitty Online Philippines! So from this bare-to-the-bones character:

Animetric on Hello Kitty Online Philippines, or HKO, has become this:

It wasn't easy. It took time and lots of sleepless nights! HKO is that addictive. Even my kids love it. We make sure we play on the least populated server as to avoid the pasaways. So far our HKO Philippines playing experience has been pleasant and peaceful.

I farmed... collecting the necessary crops for my numerous quests. You fertilize, plant seeds, harvest, and finally cut down dead plants.

I crafted items -- cooking, sewing, and forging... it's really fun creating items you can use in the game.

Now finally I'm level 15! Wheee! Looks like there are gonna be a lot more sleepless nights since I've finally reached London and will soon be making my way to Paris in Sanrio World.

If you want to play Hello Kitty Online Philippines, you can simply go to http://www.levelupgames.ph/hko/index.php, download the installer, and register for a free account. The game is currently in its beta phase and slots are limited, so better hurry if you want to experience HKO. Alternatively, if you can't or don't want to download it, you can get installer DVDs from Netopia and Gift Gate.

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Related Posts:
Hello Kitty Online comes to the Philippines!
Will you let your children play MMORPGs?

Hello Kitty Online comes to the Philippines!

2009-08-21T01:17:00.000-07:00

Anyone who knows me knows I'm a video game junkie. You name it, I've played it -- whatever console or platform, be it online or offline. Thus when I got an invitation to attend the launch of Hello Kitty Online, I was uber excited to say the least.

Hello Kitty and Sanrio fans unite! Thanks to Level Up Games, the same company who brought us Ragnarok Online, possibly the cutest MMORPG (Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game) ever is now in the Philippines.

Unlike Ragnarok Online, Hello Kitty Online is targeted to younger female players aged 10 years old and above. Install the game in your computer, make sure you have internet access, create your account, and you're good to go. The first thing you have to do is create your own character. You can customize everything from the name, gender, and blood type to the physical characteristics like skin tone, eye color, and hairstyle.

After you create your character, you get to explore Sanrio World. There's a built-in world map to guide you in your travels. Basically, you talk to NPC's (Non-Playable Characters) in the game like Pochacco, Usahana, and other Sanrio characters and you do quests to earn rewards. There are also simulation games like farming and crafting, arcade-type mini-games like surfing, and interaction with other players via the chat window. It's a very cute and addictive game which will surely have you glued to your seat in front of the PC till the wee hours.

My main concern about Hello Kitty Online, or HKO, is the moderation with regards to player interaction. Here you are with a very cute and wholesome game little girls will surely love and yet it is unavoidable that you have some people who just aren't supposed to be there. I call them the pasaways. I encountered a couple of them this morning. I was walking around when a player suddenly asked an inappropriate question on the public live chat window. She (I only assume she is a she since she was using a girl's name) asked if Hello Kitty was a virgin. I immediately typed "Please keep it wholesome as there are younger players logged in.". The "girl" continued her inappropriate line of questioning and badgering other players about Hello Kitty's um... status. I was beginning to sound like their mother telling them that it was really not the appropriate venue to discuss such matters because what if 6-year olds are logged in? Anyhow, some of the other players supported my insistence in keeping everything wholesome so eventually the "girl" left in a huff.

I actually expressed my concern over the possibility of inappropriate player behavior during the launch as I have experienced a lot of that playing Ragnarok Online. Level Up Games assured me that they will enforce stricter rules and have more focused moderation on HKO. I just hope they can actually deliver. I'd hate to see such a good game go to the dogs. At the time of this posting, I am sending screencaps of the inappropriate player behavior I encountered earlier to the LUG admin. While it's not nearly as bad as it was in Ragnarok Online, I know I wouldn't want my child playing in such kind of environment.

If you want to play Hello Kitty Online, you can simply go to http://www.levelupgames.ph/hko/index.php, download the installer, and register for a free account. The game is currently in its beta phase and slots are limited, so better hurry if you want to experience HKO. Alternatively, if you can't or don't want to download it, you can get installer DVDs from Netopia and Gift Gate.

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Related Posts:
Will you let your children play MMORPGs?

Will you let your children play MMORPGs?

2009-05-16T05:32:00.000-07:00

First of all, what are MMORPGs? MMORPGs are Massive Multiplayer Online Role-playing Games. They gained popularity some years ago in the Philippines with the introduction of Ragnarok Online. Since then, many more MMORPGs have sprung up. MMORPGs are one of the reasons why youngsters flock to internet cafes.

Everyone who knows me know that I'm heavily into video gaming. At one point I was addicted to Ragnarok Online (RO). This addiction entailed "topping up" (similar to putting load in your cellphone) my account so that I can play for a month. One month of unlimited play cost about P350 back then if I remember correctly. I'd also play during very odd hours so that the server would not be slow -- usually in the wee hours of the morning. Soon I was also trying out other MMORPGs like Priston Tale and Tantra.

So what does one do in these games? First of all, the player gets to create a character. Then you choose a "job", "class", or "profession". You can be an assassin, a wizard, a knight... almost anything you want to be. Then you go out into the online world and kill monsters, make friends, get special items, go on quests, chat... that kind of thing. It was pretty fun, but in the end it got redundant so I dropped it altogether. Besides, it was very time-consuming and I just had more and more things to do as time passed.

Why am I asking this question now, if you would let your kids play MMORPGs? My eldest son is now 8 years old. He won a Granado Espada limited edition online game package from K-Zone Magazine. He's been eyeing it at home, but I've been there... done that. Perhaps I'm in the minority of mommies but I know FIRSTHAND what goes on inside these online games. So to answer the question, NO, I won't let my children play MMORPGs until they're like 18 years old and fully aware of what's right and wrong.

NO? But aren't I a video game fanatic? Don't I know how much fun it is? Yes to all. I say NO for now because:

MMORPGs are free-for-all online communities.

Although there are GMs (Game Masters) sort of like moderators online to keep the peace, people of all genders, ages, and backgrounds can just pick a character and play. It's so easy for an innocent child to fall victim to scammers, sexual predators, and just plain old harassers. Sound extreme? Believe me, it's not. Anyone can initiate a chat or conversation with anyone inside these online games, and the moderators can't read these "private" conversations between characters. Plus, the proportion of mods to users is really phenomenal. Thousands of users online vs. what, 4-5 mods?

In RO (and I suspect other online games), there've been people scammed for money. Someone approaches you online, offers to sell you a valuable in-game item in exchange for money in the real world. You deposit money online, agree to meet the person in the real world, etc... it's potentially dangerous. I think I even heard of players stabbing each other in an internet cafe fighting over something related to RO. Then there are those who are looking for romantic relationships or textmates, and those who are just plain jerks. One time my female character was wandering around silently, a guy approached me and started talking to me. I said I wasn't interested and told him I just wanted to be left in peace so I could level up my character and hunt for items. He started messaging me things like "Bakla ka yata kaya ang suplada mo!" etc etc. Although not everyone is like that, and there are also decent people playing, I would not set my child under 18 loose in that kind of environment...

Perhaps when my kids are 18+ and can be fully responsible for their actions I would let them play MMORPGs, but not now and not any time in the near future. I think I'll be selling our Granado Espada Limited Edition game package...

Mama says video games are NOT evil!

2009-05-12T07:39:00.000-07:00

Many moms cringe at the mere mention of video games, simply because many children are so addicted to them.

I'm not one of those moms.

In fact, I spearhead the console-buying and game selection at our household. I can't even blame the kids for being so into video gaming. Video games give them the variety that their short attention spans require. When they grow tired of playing with a certain game, they can just change the disc or cartridge and it's a brand new experience. Of course I understand that there's a danger that they won't develop patience as a result, but I remedy that by letting them choose a game and telling them to finish it to the best of their abilities before they change. Or I limit the number of games they can change between.

I will make an example of the game Cooking Mama: Cook Off for the Nintendo Wii. Cooking Mama is my 4-year old daughter Keirra's favorite game. It takes the whole "luto-lutuan" concept to the next level. Since the Wii's controller is blue-tooth driven, Kei can simulate cooking actions and see them get executed onscreen. Like to chop vegetables, she makes chopping motions with the controller. To roll the dough, she holds it like a rolling pin and pushes it back and forth in a rolling motion. The game lets her do everything you can do in the kitchen -- fry fish, grind meat, beat eggs... and even arrange all the food on the plate before serving!

I myself am playing a game called Trauma Center: Second Opinion on the Nintendo Wii, wherein I play a surgeon who operates on patients to save lives. You use your controller like a scalpel to cut patients open, use it like a pair of forceps to remove tumors or glass shards... the possibilities are endless.

These games could very well inspire the next great chef, surgeon, pilot, etc. Who knows? The point is, not all video games are comprised of blood and violence. In fact, they open whole new worlds we could only dream of exploring. I'm not saying that we should drop all other activities in favor of video games, because video games can't provide human interaction skills and complete multi-sensory experiences that the real world can give. I'm just hoping I can shed light on some stereotypes a lot of parents seem to have.

Both Cooking Mama and Trauma Center are available for the Nintendo DS and the Nintendo Wii.

In the coming days, I will be featuring more and more games that both kids and parents can appreciate. :)