Hello Kitty Online, the official massively multi-player online game, has rolled out in North American and Europe. In celebration of the launch, Sanrio Digital is offering a collectible premium edition retail SKU at retailers in the U.S. and Canada.

The premium edition at retail comes in a pink and black designed box, and offers $15 in Sanrio cash points to equip a character with premium items, choice of one of four exclusive virtual pets, game client on DVD, full-color game manual and collector postcards. The retail version is available for $19.99 and is expected to be available in Europe soon.

"Sanrio Digital has created an entertaining digital world for our fans to engage with Hello Kitty and Sanrio friends in a truly social gaming environment," says Robert Ferrari, vice president of publishing and business development for Sanrio Digital. "To celebrate Sanrio's 50th anniversary, we are excited to launch Hello Kitty Online and offer our premium edition retail SKU to both current and soon-to-be fans."

Hello Kitty Online features a variety of Sanrio characters and integrates social networking with blogs, video sharing and email, as well as storylines, virtual pets, a mall for in-game virtual items and avatar customization.