It might be hard to believe, but Hello Kitty turns 35 on Nov. 1. Yes, that white face has been adorning products from school supplies to clothing for more than three decades. As you might expect, Sanrio Digital has numerous events planned in Hello Kitty Online to celebrate the birth of the icon.

Starting today, players can earn birthday tokens by playing new mini-games and completing birthday quests. Participants who collect at least four limited edition birthday items will gain entry to an in-game party held in London on Nov. 1. Players who don't collect enough items will still be able to visit parties in Florapolis and Paris.

Hello Kitty Online has officially launched in Europe for players who speak German, English, French, Italian and Spanish. The free-to-play game has received some additions since the open beta ended, such as a new housing system, an upgraded pet system, a farming system, and zones for Paris and Beijing.

If you'd like to play the European version of Hello Kitty Online, simply register for the Web site to download and install the game client. More information can be found at the European Sanrio Town page or in the announcement after the jump.

The cuteness of Hello Kitty Online has invaded North America! Aeria Games is now inviting players to join the beta on its new HKO sign-up page, which is certainly flashier than the rest of the NA site. Signing up for the beta requires you to register for Aeria's Web site with a username and e-mail address. The company also features MMOs such as Shaiya, Last Chaos, TwelveSky 2 and Dream of Mirror Online.

Also, you can check out the new American HKO trailer on the sign-up page or YouTube.

Aria Games, the producer of such games as Dream of Mirror Online, Shaiya and Last Chaos, has partnered with Sanrio Digital to launch Hello Kitty Online in North America, according to an announcement that was made at the Game Developers Conference, which is currently under way at San Francisco’s Moscone Center.

According to a press release, "Aeria Games will manage North American online publishing and game service operations for Hello Kitty Online. Sanrio Digital will manage retail publishing of the game and operate SanrioTown, the Sanrio-themed portal and social networking site integrated with Hello Kitty Online."

Hello Kitty Online is set to launch in various territories throughout 2009. The game is currently in its beta testing phase.

The current beta preview for Hello Kitty Online has been extended until 11 p.m. EST on Sunday, so you still have some time left if you'd like to check it out. Also, Sanrio Digital is hosting an in-game event for a great real world cause, so that's good incentive to sign in and play. The Helping Hearts event will start at 9 p.m. EST tonight, and players will craft virtual items that Sanrio Digital will convert into actual clothing for an orphanage.

Hello Kitty Online players will have to use teamwork and organizational skills to collect resources and craft specific virtual shirts and bags. At the end of the event, items crafted and submitted by players will be counted and Sanrio Digital will donate a corresponding number of real, limited edition Hello Kitty shirts and bags to an orphanage.

To join the beta or the event, sign up to SanrioTown and download the client from the Hello Kitty Online Web site. You can read the full press release below.

If you like all things cute, pink and Japanese, you might want to check out the upcoming stress test for Hello Kitty Online. The test will start on Valentines Day and run for four days, with Founder Members getting access from February 12th. Sanrio had the following to say about the "Happy Hearts" event, which will run for the duration of the test:

Things aren't all as they should be in Sanrio Land: Cupid has gone missing, and the romance of the season is also nowhere to be found. It's up to our Founders to find him, and more importantly, help bring back the love! We’ll also be giving away exclusive items to the first few to finish the quest chain, so stay tuned for details!

The full press release and details on how to sign up for the test follow after the jump.

The following editorial contains views that are the opinion of the author and not necessarily the views of Allakhazam.com

Due to the relatively anonymous nature of the internet, the safety of children is paramount in the eyes of most parents, law enforcement officials and other concerned people and organizations. Whether it’s through online games, social networking sites, blogs, forums or chat rooms, youngsters can interact with strangers at a rapid pace. And in the world of Hello Kitty Online, all of these communication tools have been combined to make a player's life accessible at the click of a button if they so choose.

The focus on social interaction in Hello Kitty Online, a new massively multiplayer online game developed by Sanrio Digital and Typhoon Games, is not necessarily a negative aspect of the game. It can actually grant players the opportunity to work together as a team rather than against each other in combat or competition. However, it does draw attention to the necessity of a safe playing environment for the game’s target audience, which tends to be younger Hello Kitty fans.

Kitty White, also known as Hello Kitty, was introduced in 1974 by creator Yuko Shimizu. The fictional character turned 34 on Nov. 1, which demonstrates why the popular franchise appeals to fans of all ages, including adults. Players of Hello Kitty Online will certainly span all age groups, but children will easily be drawn to the virtual world of Kitty White and her friends.

The Hello Kitty Online Founders' Beta officially ended at midnight and the HKO team has already taken the time to thank the players for their support.

They don't mention any sort of release date for the upcoming open beta in the post, but they do give us a surprise bit of information:

we will be having SOMETHING before Open Beta so it’d be awesome if you guys KEEP THE CLIENT !

Check out the whole post below or here.

In an amazing showing of support from the Hello Kitty Online community, players created and submitted 344,965 in-game food items during the "Food for Friends" event, which means Sanrio Digital will donate $12,000 to be split between UNICEF and the Asian Youth Orchestra !

From Nov. 1-6, players produced raw materials on their farms and crafted them into food items. Each item carried a different value based on how difficult it was to create that item. Foods included chocolate milk, lemon pies, strawberry cakes, roasted vegetables, oat biscuits and more. This really was a wonderful event. Every MMO should follow Sanrio Digital's lead when it comes to charitable events.

Also, the Founders' Beta ends tomorrow at midnight, but there's still a bunch of new events to participate in before the doors close. Check out the HKO news post or events blog for more information on the Blog for Thought, Crop Circles, A Day with Hello Kitty and Friends, Body Doubles and the Kevent. Winners will get fine diamond jewelry from MBLife.com.

The Hello Kitty Online Founders' Beta is going to end on Saturday, Nov. 8 at midnight EST, so be sure to log on and enjoy the final stretch if you're a part of it.

Also, check out the HKO Event Blog for updates on all the in-game happenings.

The closed beta is ending to make way for improvements for the upcoming open beta.