kingdom hearts
Latest
Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep sells over 400K in debut week
It seems Kingdom Hearts fanfare is still strong in Japan. Birth By Sleep, the franchise's latest entry, sold over 400,000 units in its first two days of sales, according to a report by Media Create. The PSP-exclusive prequel has claimed the best-performing handheld debut for the franchise so far, besting 358/2 Days' 300K and Chain of Memories' 200K. Like every other major Square Enix game before it, Birth By Sleep had an accompanying limited edition hardware bundle. Expect to see PSP sales spike during our Japanese hardware sales report later this week.
Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep intro video released
The latest portable iteration of Squeenix's keyblade-wielding franchise, Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep, also known as "Not The Card-Battling One" or "Not The One With The Stupid Numbers On The Title," recently got released in Japan. Without hesitation, its purchasers set to capturing its visual delights, which they then posted on the internet. One such delight is the game's intro video, which we've posted after the jump. As you might've guessed, it's rich with spiky-haired children wielding weapons bigger than they are, slow-motion running, and that one song that's been in every Kingdom Hearts game ever. It was even in the Kingdom Hearts manga, which is impressive as books typically aren't capable of playing music. [Via Siliconera]
Finally! A 7-minute Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep trailer in Japanese
You might have noticed a serious dearth of Disney characters speaking in Japanese on Joystiq lately -- we sure have, and it's just tearing us to bits inside. Thankfully, Square Enix seems to have taken note as well, recently updating the Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep website with more than just wallpapers (though you'll find three of those on there, too). How about the entire seven-minute-long trailer from Jump Festa 2010? We've embedded it above, though if you're dying to know what the people in it are actually saying, we suggest you check out the full translation right here. And then, once you have it in English, you might ask your nearest Kingdom Hearts fan to translate further. %Gallery-29323% [Thanks, G. Finnsson]
Nomura has more unannounced games, one 'not entirely new'
If you're reading gaming blogs on a regular basis, Tetsuya Nomura needs no introduction. While Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep is by no means finished, Nomura is already talking about what's next. In the latest issue of Famitsu (via Siliconera; scan can be seen here), he confirms two additional projects: one that is already fairly far along in development and another unannounced project that's "not entirely new." Aside from Birth By Sleep, Nomura's other known projects include Final Fantasy Agito XIII and 3rd Birthday, a new game in the Parasite Eve series. Keep an eye on Famitsu's site, where the full interview will soon be available.
Swag Saturday: Soul Calibur / Kingdom Hearts travel pack (DS/PSP)
[Image credit: mrlerone] Update: The comments have closed and the winner will be contacted shortly. Thanks to everyone for participating! If you're anything like us, you'll be spending a decent part of your holiday stuck in the seat of a train, bus, automobile, or aeroplane, heading towards wherever "home" is for the upcoming holidays. We know how nice it can be to pick up a new game or two for the travels ahead, and in the spirit of that we're giving out a DS/PSP travel pack for this week's Swag Saturday including both Soul Calibur: Broken Destiny and Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days. Tell us your best (gaming or non-gaming) holiday travel story (keep it clean, folks! -- no "mile high club" stories!) and we'll pick one winner at random to receive the travel pack early this week. As always, keep an eye on the email address tied to your commenting name to find out if you've won! Leave a comment telling us your best (gaming or non-gaming) holiday travel story. You must be 18 years or older and a resident of the US or Canada (excluding Quebec -- which may have to do with the Ubisoft Petz franchise) Limit 1 entry per person per day This entry period ends at 9:31PM ET on Sunday, December 6 At that time, we'll randomly select one winner to receive one copy of Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days for Nintendo DS ($35 ARV) and one copy of Soul Calibur: Broken Destiny for Sony PSP ($40 ARV). For a list of complete rules, click here
Jesse McCartney confirms Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep localization
It may seem like an unlikely source for video game news, but pop singer Jesse McCartney's Twitter account has confirmed the localization of Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep. Square Enix hasn't announced a US release for the PSP prequel, but considering the franchise's penchant for making money, it certainly was never in doubt. Birth by Sleep would be McCartney's third foray into the Kingdom Hearts universe, having previously voiced Roxas in Kingdom Hearts II and 358/2 Days. Kingdom Hearts Union suggests that McCartney may be voicing Birth By Sleep's "new" character, Ventus (pictured, right) -- y'know, the one that looks exactly like Roxas (pictured, left). %Gallery-29323%
Rumor: Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep not releasing on PSN
There's a rumor circulating around the wild wild web right now that says Square Enix may not be looking to offer Kingdom of Hearts: Birth by Sleep via digital distribution on PSN, possibly adding insult to injury for all PSP Go owners out there. The rumor originated from Twitter user Magunus, who apparently attended a recent PlayStation event in Japan (we can't figure out which event this is referring to, and there's no mention on the official Japanese blog) where a clerk confirmed it, citing "copyright issues." This strikes us as odd not only because of the tenuous nature by which this has been reported, but because a lot of Disney Interactive's titles have been made available via digital distribution in the past. We've contacted both Square Enix and Disney Interactive about this and will be sure to let you know what we hear back. [Via Sankaku Complex (site NSFW)]
Here's the requisite Kingdom Hearts PSP
Every major Square Enix release comes with a limited edition hardware bundle in Japan. The upcoming PSP-exclusive Kingdom Hearts prequel is no different. This Birth by Sleep silver PSP-3000 will be available on January 9, 2010 for ¥22,000 (about $250). Unlike other LE bundles, this package only contains the branded PSP system you see above and a copy of the game. We're a little disappointed that Square and Sony didn't make a special edition PSP Go bundle, as that's something we'd love to see. Perhaps that's being set aside for when Square Enix finishes its other big PSP games: The 3rd Birthday and Final Fantasy Agito XIII.
New Kingdom Hearts character is Sakaguchi's doppelganger
Exhibit A: Image, left. The creator of the Final Fantasy franchise, Hironobu Sakaguchi. Observe the slightly arched brow. The dark, even surfer's tan. The exquisite mustache and soul patch combo. The look of general disinterest. Exhibit B: Image, right. The recently revealed character from Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep, Master Eraquis. Observe the similarly bowed eyebrows. The sun-kissed skin tone. The Guy Fawkes-esque facial hair. The expression of consternation. What do you think, dearest readers? Is it a cameo, or pure coincidence? We're leaning towards the former. We mean, just look at those eyebrows. Look at them! At the very least, they're identical eyebrow twins. [Via Andriasang]
Square Enix looking to develop more best-selling IPs
RPG juggernaut Square Enix already has a handful of reliable internet protocols intellectual properties in Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest and Kingdom Hearts -- however, the company is looking to expand its portfolio of best-selling franchises. In a recent interview with Reuters, Squeenix's Yoichi Wada explained that the developer is hoping to have eight flagship IPs, each installment in which will be capable of selling two million units. He added that with the company's average development time of two years, one of these flagship games could be released every quarter. So, where are these other five franchises going to come from? According to the interview, Square Enix is cooking up two or three potential blockbusters which should drop by late 2010 or early 2011. For the other IPs, the company may not need to look further than its recent Eidos acquisitions -- a haul which includes the recently successful Batman: Arkham Asylum. We certainly wouldn't mind seeing more of Bruce Wayne on a biennial basis. [Via Siliconera]
Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep gets ad hoc multiplayer
According to RPG Site, a recent V-Jump article on Squeenix and Disney's upcoming PSP collaboration Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep revealed an intriguing facet of the spiky-haired title: It includes a three-player cooperative mode using the handheld's ad hoc capabilities. The co-op mode pits players against the "Mirage Arena," which allows Keyblade-wielders to tackle standalone co-op missions, or set up multiplayer rematches against the core game's toughest bosses. In addition, Mirage Arena visitors will have special protective abilities with which to heal their friends or bolster their defenses. It sounds like a pretty interesting feature -- and should placate PSP owners who've been miffed about 358/2 Days' multiplayer mode. No reason to get upset gang! At least your game's title isn't completely ridiculous. %Gallery-29323%
Japanese gamers want Persona 4, Phoenix Wright anime series (and so do we)
Japanese gaming pub Dengenki recently polled its readers on what series they'd like to see translated into anime form. The Top 10 list looks nearly exactly the same as our own wishlist: 1. Persona 4 2. Phoenix Wright 3. Okami 4. Kingdom Hearts 5. Idol Master 6. Metal Gear Solid 7. Yakuza 8. BlazBlue 9. Persona 3 10. Atelier Rorona Atlus' PS2 RPG Persona 4 tops the list, managing to beat out some big names like Kingdom Hearts and Metal Gear Solid. Perhaps the success of Persona: Trinity Soul reminded readers that the franchise works in serialized TV format? While we'd certainly like to see another Persona anime, an adaptation of Phoenix Wright seems like a no-brainer. Capcom, are you reading this? [Via Andriasang]
Birth by Sleep awakens in this 'new' Kingdom Hearts trailer
The DS-based 358/2 Days hasn't arrived in the States yet, but Japan is already preparing for the next installment in the hugely popular Kingdom Hearts franchise. The PSP-exclusive prequel, Birth by Sleep, should be arriving in Japan this winter, and Square Enix is prepping its marketing muscle by opening the game's official website -- and with it, debuting a new direct-feed trailer for the masses. (An off-screen capture was taken at last year's exclusive Closed Mega Theater at TGS.)This story-heavy trailer shows off a number of Disney movies in action, like Cinderella, Snow White and Alice in Wonderland. (Hey, where's Stitch?) Birth by Sleep will be a huge presence at Tokyo Game Show soon, so expect our hands-on reporting later this month.%Gallery-29323%[Via PSPHyper]
Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep has three separate adventures
An interview with Tetsuya Nomura in the latest issue of Japan's Weekly Famistu finally sheds more light on PSP's installment in the Kingdom Hearts series, Birth By Sleep. 1UP reports that, in the article, the series' creator reveals that the game's three main characters will be playable in their own, separate campaigns, complete with unique boss battles. Nomura also estimates that each character's play-through should take about 15 hours.Famitsu's story also mentions that Birth By Sleep will incorporate the worlds of Cinderella and Lilo & Stitch, the latter set in deep space before the cute-yet-calamitous creature crash lands on Earth. Nomura notes that a release date for the game likely won't be announced until after Final Fantasy XIII's is, but that it's still expected to hit Japan this winter.
Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep to awaken Japan this Winter
Square Enix has been awfully quiet about its upcoming PSP-exclusive Kingdom Hearts prequel. Birth by Sleep takes place ten years before the events of the original PS2 game, and sets to explain some of the long-unexplained mysteries surrounding the franchise. Although we haven't seen much of the game since TGS last year, it looks as though Square Enix is getting ready to put the finishing touches on the game, readying it for a winter release across the Pacific.If Birth by Sleep follows the footsteps of its DS brethren 358/2 Days, it should only take about half a year for the game to be localized and released stateside. It seems likely (but unconfirmed) that we'll be playing Birth By Sleep in English before next summer rolls around.[Via PSPHyper]
Pre-order Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days for $29
Square Enix is partnering up with online retailer amazon.com yet again, this time offering a $5 off coupon on their already discounted pre-order rate for Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days. The game, which is finally coming out next month in the US, can be purchased for $28.99, shipped. That essentially negates the "Square Enix tax" of their DS games. Not bad, right?Use coupon code KINGDOM5 when checking out to get the discount.
Nomura: The Kingdom Hearts Keyblade was originally a chainsaw
In an interview with Famitsu, Square Enix character designer and Kingdom Hearts creator Tetsuya Nomura revealed some secrets about the early history of the franchise. The ensemble-cast design of the games, for example, stemmed from a disagreement between Square and Disney over the protagonist: "Square wanted to make a game starring Mickey Mouse," Nomura said, as translated by 1UP, "and Disney wanted a Donald Duck title. Meanwhile, I wanted neither." The resulting compromise was "a game featuring lots of characters without focusing on any particular one."The Keyblade weapon, despite being an early component of the game, was not Nomura's first idea for a signature weapon. "Actually," he said, "the first weapon I showed Disney was a chainsaw. It was this chainsaw-like weapon that I had a rough sketch of when I first showed my concepts to Disney." Disney reacted pretty much like you would expect Disney executives to react to the heavy use of a chainsaw in a game about Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck: "Everyone got this scrunched-up look on their face and nobody said a word in the entire room. Dead silence. And I thought 'No, I guess this wouldn't work, huh?'"It occurred to us that the chainsaw was the perfect Nomura weapon, because the teeth on the chain are reminiscent of those on a zipper.
Infinite Space takes space at top of Japanese charts
Platinum Games' first release may not have been a sales phenomenon, but the company has found (relative) success with its second, the DS sci-fi roleplaying game Mugen Kouro (Infinite Space). It was a slow week for Japanese software sales, which allowed Infinite Space's 38,394 copies to put it at the top of the Media Create sales chart for last week, its first week in stores.The three spots below that on the chart also belong to DS games: last week's top seller, Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days sits at #2, followed by Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth and Sloane and Machale's Mysterious Story. The #5 position is held by Dynasty Warriors 6 Empires on PS3.%Gallery-22958%[Via GamesIndustry.biz]
Hands-on: Kingdom Hearts: 358/2 Days
Though the development team for Kingdom Hearts: 358/2 Days shied away from E3 this year due to the ever-present danger of Swine Flu, the game itself made an appearance, as computer software is impervious to most biological pandemics. As a result, our time with the game was completely unguided. Not that it mattered -- the game is classic Kingdom Hearts. Not card-based brawler Kingdom Hearts, not kart racer Kingdom Hearts, but the classic action-RPG Kingdom Hearts we fell in love with when it first landed on PS2.Forget about the wide chasm between the graphical capabilities of the PS2 and the DS -- the game looks phenomenal. The controls have been ported over brilliantly, the only noticeable difference being the camera controls, which are now bound to the touch screen. The game also comes with an ad-hoc four-player multiplayer mode in which members of the shadowy Organization XIII compete for points whilst embarking upon a mission. Points come in the form of crystals dispersed throughout the level -- attacking your fellow players will knock the crystals out of them, which will probably lead to hilarious real-life bloodshed.With no inkling of the game's story or the micromanagement mechanics, our walkaway impression of the game was simply this: It is the Kingdom Hearts gameplay and visual aesthetic you know and love (plus a few bonus features) operating on the DS with remarkable accuracy. Despite the game's stupid, inaccessible title, our interest has swiftly moved from "non-existent" to "piqued."
Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days launching on Sept. 58/2 [update]
Keyblade-wielding vermin news now, with the announcement of the North American release date for Square Enix's awkwardly named DS RPG, Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days. Speaking at the Nintendo E3 2009 press conference, company president Reggie Fils-Aime noted that the game was slated to launch on September 44/2. We're sure you can't wait to learn more about the myth/math of the Kingdom Hearts universe!Update: Square Enix has sent through an official announcement, which actually specifies a Sept. 29th release.
