kingdom hearts
Latest
Rumor: (A) Kingdom Hearts game slated for DS
Way back in May, Square Enix's Tetsuya Nomura said the company faced a difficult decision about where to send the next Kingdom Hearts title. When faced with choosing between the DS, the PSP, and mobile phones for your multi-million dollar franchise, what's a company to do?Clearly, they should make multiple games -- not just multiple versions -- and cover all the bases. Rumor has it that there are three different Kingdom Hearts games in the works: Kingdom Hearts for Playstation 3, Kingdom Hearts 0 for PSP, and Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories 2 for the DS, which we assume is a follow-up to the GBA title. As rumors go, this one seems pretty viable, and we anticipate confirmation within the next few days ... unless Square Enix has an entirely different game afoot when it comes to this franchise.
Square Enix launching US online store
Role-playing game powerhouse Square Enix have put up a teaser site for an upcoming online merchandise store. Though we're not expecting software titles to be sold, figurines from Dragon Quest, Kingdom Hearts and Final Fantasy are likely (we saw a huge display of fine-crafted figures from those series at Tokyo Game Show last year) and probably clothing with various logos.Our prediction for best-sellers? Anything with a Slime character on it: key chains, styluses, plush dolls, etc. Our prediction for worst-sellers? Anything sold with actual slime on it. Ew. No date has been given for the grand opening of the store.[Via 1UP]
Square Enix teases us with upcoming Kingdom Hearts news
A short interview was conducted with some members of the Square Enix PR department by the folks over at RPGamer. While there isn't that much truly invigorating information, we thought it'd be nice to bring you up to speed on some of the anticipated titles that, we hope, make their way onto the PS3. Also of note are Square Enix's tentative plans for the PlayStation Store. Enticed? Summary below. The PS Store is too young to decide if content is worth posting, says Square Enix. Would we really want another version of a Final Fantasy game anyway? We'd love to see something like Einhander make its way onto the store, though ... The next Kingdom Hearts title (they didn't specify whether it would be the third main installment or another off-shoot title) will get announced at the Tokyo Game Show. Also not-yet-officially-announced is a special party hosted by Square Enix on June 26. It will take place at the PlayStation Store in San Fransisco. More details on that later. We're fairly sure that the Kingdom Hearts announcement will be for an offshoot title for a handheld. Not sure why; just a gut reaction. As for the PS Store, while it is young, it will never get older if developers don't give it worthwhile titles. In fact, in our latest podcast, we sort of touched on the topic -- Japan is getting a ton of PS One titles and we've gotten none for the past couple of months. Surely this will change soon, Sony?
FF Dissidia magazine scan reveals Smash-ing possibilities
Here is Dissidia, the newly announced Final Fantasy game for PSP. Our less-than-infantile understanding of Japanese makes it difficult to decipher a recently leaked Japanese magazine scan. We understand that it's a one-on-one 3D "battle" game -- could this game be a fighting game, in the style of Smash Brothers? The pictures certainly allude to that. It isn't Ehrgeiz like we predicted, but we think it's pretty darn close. The game will reunite characters from across the franchise, including the Warriors of Light from the first Final Fantasy, and Zidane and Kuja of Final Fantasy IX fame.Nomura's Kingdom Hearts-esque character designs are in full effect, and the title appears to have some console-quality graphics. It may not be what most of us expected, but we can't wait to find out more.[Via NeoGAF; Thanks, Jamal!]
Next Kingdom Hearts to be portable spin-off, not KHIII
Ever wonder what "King" Mickey was really doing in the World of Darkness -- or how he got his mitts on that keyblade? Well, Square Enix's Tetsuya Nomura has told Famitsu that the next Kingdom Hearts game will explain just that, CVG reports. Nomura isn't talking Kingdom Hearts III (as EGM speculated), but rather a spin-off entry bound for portability. "[It] would be hard to choose if to make the game for the PSP, NDS or the cell phone," teases a rough translation of Nomura's comments to Famitsu.The designer hinted that the side-story would play "slightly different" than the rest of the Kingdom Hearts series. "I want to ... change the system a little," said Nomura, adding, "The multi-developing makes me want to put it on something else [other than consoles.]" Sounds like Nomura isn't interested in sharing any one game on multiple platforms. So when can we poll the rest of Square Enix on this issue?
Nomura talks Kingdom Hearts: could it go to PSP?
Kingdom Hearts Network has translated a recent issue of Famitsu. This particular issue is of interest because there is an interview with Square Enix's Tetsuya Nomura. In the interview, Nomura talks about the future of Kingdom Hearts: "The announcement time of a new KH project might be announced soon." Of particular interest to PSP owners: "The multi-developing makes me want to put it on something else without thinking. If we follow this idea, it would be hard to choose if to make the game for the PSP, NDS or the cell phone." Not the best translation, but I think we all get the idea. Kingdom Hearts on PSP could be the best team-up for PSP owners since Final Fantasy and Disney. [Via DCEmu]
We have information on Kingdom Hearts not-3
We know that the next Kingdom Hearts game isn't going to be a direct sequel to Kingdom Hearts 2. We were imagining that it'd be a spin-off like Chain of Memories and we figured right. Sora will not be involved in this spin-off and it won't be on the PlayStation 3. Chances are it'll be stuck on a portable system. Either the PlayStation Portable or the Nintendo DS. Following the trend, it's more likely to pop up on the DS, though going to the PSP would really put an A-list title in its library.So what does the game entail? Oh, darn, that would've been a great pun if I waited. Anyway, you'll get it. You'll play through the story of how Mickey came into possession of a keyblade and what went down in the world of darkness. There's going to be a pretty big focus on Roxas (or Sora-X if you like that better... Breath of Fire 2 really started the whole Name-X thing. Awesome). We'll keep you posted on the new information as they become available.
PSP Fanboy Theatre: Volume 14
PSP Fanboy offers the latest and greatest movie and game trailers, formatted for the PSP in this new weekly feature. Check it out every Saturday. PSP owners can download files wirelessly via m.pspfanboy.com.Instructions: Save all movie and thumbnail files to the VIDEO folder. These high resolution 480x272 videos require firmware 3.30 or above. Kingdom Hearts (Birth By Dream)Download MP4 (22.5MB) | Download JPG The following videos are featured after the break: Halloween, Lair [PS3], This is Living, Illegal Tender
Kingdom Hearts creator working on new series, not KH III
Square Enix's Tetsuya Nomura (Sony-era Final Fantasy, Kingdom Hearts series) has told Japanese magazine Dengeki PlayStation that his next project would not be Kingdom Hearts III but a new series. "So it probably won't be just one title," he said.Nomura told us to expect multiple Kingdom Hearts announcements this year. Hidden trailers notwithstanding, we've heard nothing (Mushroom Kingdom Hearts was an April Fool's gag), so it sounds like the next KH projects will be moving forward without Nomura. Given the design precedent he set, we hope the future project director and producers can improve upon the current template.Nomura's new series is purported to share some similarities (like character design, natch) with Kingdom Hearts. According to EuroGamer, a full announcement from Square Enix is expected later this year.
Nomura remains vague on Kingdom Hearts 3
Kingdom Hearts 3. The very mention of this title sends a large cluster of people into a spiral of shame and happiness that makes absolutely no sense. How could they possibly enjoy a game riddled with cutesy Disney characters, they might ask themselves. The answer is simple: because the games are awesome. Tetsuya Nomura knows this, so he's remained fairly tight-lipped on the next entry in the ongoing tale of the Keyblade and its wielder (who knows who it may be in the next game). He's still tight-lipped, but a few details emerged that are worth mentioning.Nomura calls the next game "a new series" which can be kind of confusing. He decided to clear it up by adding this: "the next title won't just be Kingdom Hearts III. If it were III, we wouldn't call it a new series." So, if it's not KH3, but it is, then what is it? He speaks of Xehanort and Sora, how they may or may not be involved in the next game. Our thought? There's no more Disney to explore, so they're going to move it onto a more Square-Enix world -- or perhaps loop in movies that aren't specifically Disney. What do you guys glean from this?
Kingdom Hearts 3 visuals due out by year's end
Tetsuya Nomura sat down with Famitsu and, among other things, talked about that mysterious trailer unlockable at the end of Kingdom Hearts 2. You know, with the apparently more "Square-Enix" take on the franchise? Those knights seriously look straight out of the designs from Final Fantasy IV. We know that Kingdom Hearts 3 exists, but up until now we've had no idea what to even look for.Nomura admitted that there are plans to give some visuals of the next KH before the end of 2007. You can speculate that the Tokyo Game Show will reveal a trailer, images, or just some printed information. Not much else to say, but feel free to toss in your theories or ideas here. I had a really good one, but... it's been a while and I've forgotten what it is.
Kingdom Hearts' Sora goes on a homebrew adventure
Zelda isn't the only homebrew game to make a splash today. DCEmu's forums brings news about Sora's Adventure, which has no reached "version 0.2." It's still unplayable, as it's still very much a work-in-progress, but the trailer (seen above) shows some exciting potential. From the blurry video grab, we see a Chain of Memories-inspired Sora sprite side-scrolling and fighting enemies. An interesting effort, to say the least--I certainly approve of fan-inspired projects over the stealing bootleggers.Hopefully, word of this homebrew game will inspire the over-protective Square-Enix (killers of the ambitious Chrono Trigger remake) to get working on an official version of Kingdom Hearts for the rest of us.
Want more Kingdom Hearts? Wait until mid 2007, then...
At the Jump Festa event the other week, there was hinted a new Kingdom Hearts project with the sparkly letters "New Project Starting in 2007". Granted, the trailer that revealed the hint had a multitude of games featured, but it seems most likely it was referring to the Disney/Square magic. Now that rumor has been confirmed -- Famitsu magazine got confirmation from the big boys that something is indeed cooking for Kingdom Hearts next year.Tetsuya Nomura, the game's producer, stated that there are multiple projects slated for the series. Some are games, some will be something else entirely. What other medium could they possibly exploit? Certainly not the animated/CG film industry? Disney has no pull in that area, no sir, no way... What do you guys think the "other" projects could be? Film, comic, theme park? Leave your thoughts and we'll report new details when they surface in mid-2007.
More Kingdom Hearts in 2007
Brace yourself for this one, folks: Square Enix is taking a successful franchise and furthering it with sequels galore. Kingdom Hearts producer Tetsuya Nomura told Famitsu that there will be multiple KH projects in the works, with announcements coming in 2007.We're not going to make any assumptions as to the future console of choice for Kingdom Hearts 3 (or whatever crafty subtitle they decide), especially after the Dragon Quest DS shuffle. If multiple projects are in order, however, the true successor in the series will probably go to a home console, with portable systems receiving the side stories (see: Chain of Memories).Square Enix hinted at forthcoming 2007 announcements during their presentation at Jump Fiesta; are these two news bits related or does the RPG giant have more secrets in store for next year? And while we're at it, what Disney movies has the series overlooked in merging the two companies' icons?
Today's hottest game video: Link vs. Riku -- FIGHT!
We wonder how much time these guys spent on this thing. If it was more than one Sunday afternoon, then we fear for their souls. It starts off pretty decent, and the costumes are nifty (check out Link's ears and Riku's hair -- dang), but then we get to the fighting and it just slows. way. down. Watch as I SWING WITH MY SWORD AND THEN ... *tap*. Check out Link's off the rock spin move, eh? He's so proud of it that he does it several times.The video ends with, "It's not over yet." Dear god, why not? Is there a sequel brewing? Don't get us wrong, it was a nice effort ... just two minutes and 41 seconds too long. Check it out after the jump.
Monotone: Square-Enix colors the mobile kingdom
You won't find Kingdom Hearts director Tetsuya Nomura's new portable RPG on a Sony or Nintendo handheld. Monotone was developed exclusively for the mobile phone market and is a subscription-based (¥210 per month; under $2) puzzle-RPG, in which the protagonist must restore color and sound to his world (and no, he's not a wolf-god).For a limited time, Square-Enix is accepting fan-submitted content, presumably to inspire new characters, monsters, and quests that could be added to the game at a later date. There's also an in-game points system, which encourages players to redeem their hard-earned points for ringtones and wallpapers. Monotone is currently available on Japan's DoCoMo network. In other words, you won't be playing it.
Square Enix commits to no one! Or is it everyone?
Speaking with The Wall Street Journal, Square Enix's senior VP Michihiro Sasaki got downright cryptic when asked about his company's next-gen alliances: "We don't want PlayStation 3 to be the overwhelming loser, so we want to support them. But we don't want them to be the overwhelming winner either, so we can't support them too much." The statement seems to be a clever way of masking Square Enix's uncertainty about the PlayStation brand. There's no denying that the PS3 price tag will affect the console's user base, and Square Enix clearly doesn't want to commit its franchises solely to a Sony platform that won't necessarily dominant the developing generation of hardware. Of course, Final Fantasy XIII & Final Fantasy Versus XIII are already locks for PS3 -- but ultimately, both could also be released onto other platforms. But then there's Kingdom Hearts, which as 1UP notes, has not been bound to a next-gen platform.Keep an eye on Square Enix developments. Either the company will spread its franchises across several platforms -- including Xbox 360, if the console starts picking up sales in Japan -- or Square Enix will dive head first into multiplatform agreements, which may be the only economically viable solution.
Game weapon lets us into our hotel room
Pictured above: a life-size statue of Sora, the protagonist from hit action-RPG franchise Kingdom Hearts (PS2). We have it on good authority that he held that rictus grin all day, despite the sweaty photogs who shoved lenses in his face. Pictured below: the key to our hotel rooms at the Century Hyatt in Tokyo. Coincidence? Yeah. That's just how some keys are made 'round here. But I'm obsessed with games, so whatever it is I think I see, becomes a tootsie roll to me.
