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Summary of Nomura Interview with Dengeki Playstation 600th Issue

Posted by Meilin Lee : Oct 6, 2015 at 5:40 PM ( 1 , 2,096 )

To celebrate its 600th issue, Dengeki Playstation conducted an interview with Kingdom Hearts director, Tetsuya Nomura, who drew the artwork below for the issue's cover:

As for the interview itself, a couple of details have been leaked (a fully translated interview will be posted as soon as it's available), which can be read below:

There is a congratulatory message regarding the overlap of issue #600 and the announcement of KH2.8.
The king (presumably King Mickey) and the others were drawn beforehand for the sake of expediting the schedule, but now they're being recolored to create a sense of unity.
They've depicted this on the front cover several times.

KH3

The “Lost Master” is discussed in X[chi], but it will be used in KH3
The creation of Xehanort's keyblade will be discussed in X[chi] and will tie into KH3
Kingdom Hearts itself will also be discussed further, more than the series has so far
D23 (November 3rd) will feature a “theater” concept, so Nomura is hoping we're looking forward to the video!

2.8 Final Chapter Prologue

The part of KH3D that explains the 7 lights and 13 darknesses will be carried on through the end of KH3
Since “Keyblade Master” is a special title, what's necessary to become one will be taught
BBS 0.2 and KH1-2's stories will be linked together
Chirithy is the one speaking in X[chi]: Back Cover

Unchained X[chi]

Chirithy is the player's guide
The “Master of Masters” is the teacher of the six apprentices, and it will be revealed in X[chi]: Back Cover who the traitor is

Special thanks to @libregkd for the find.

Source: NeoGAF & KH13.com

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gamesTM Interview with Tetsuya Nomura

Posted by Meilin Lee : Oct 3, 2015 at 3:49 PM ( 1 , 1,340 )

gamesTM recently sat down with director Tetsuya Nomura to talk about Kingdom Hearts, where Nomura discusses the relation with Disney, the hurdles of switching game engines, and hinting at additional playable characters in KH3. The interview can be read below:

--DISNEY IS VERY FRANCHISE-ORIENTED – WE’LL NEVER SEE THE “FINAL” MICKEY MOUSE STORY – IS THERE A PRESSURE TO KEEP KINGDOM HEARTS GOING FOREVER?

Nomura: The discussion of the end of Kingdom Hearts has never come up between me and Disney, so I don’t know what their intentions are. But while creating Kingdom Hearts, with each generation I think to myself “This should be something that can’t be accomplished by just Disney”. It has to be something uniquely Kingdom Hearts. So it’s a matter of how long can I keep creating for Kingdom Hearts! I don’t know if the fans would enjoy it as much if it was just Disney, if it wasn’t a combination of Disney and my own creativity.

--HAS THERE BEEN ANYTHING THAT DISNEY HAS STOPPED YOU FROM DOING?

Nomura: I don’t feel they inhibited anything. The Disney worlds that appear within our game are their franchise so they’re interested in maintaining those worlds. But anything unique to Kingdom Hearts hasn’t been a source of disagreement from Disney. Of course, sometimes when we’re writing the story then sometimes they ask us to give it a lighter tone or happier ending – but they haven’t stopped us from doing anything.

--WHAT HAS SKIPPING THE PS3 ERA ALLOWED YOU TO DO WITH THIS NEW ITERATION OF THE KINGDOM HEARTS SYSTEMS?

Nomura: There wasn’t a specific intention to skip a generation other than Kingdom Hearts being on a console has a very high bar to reach. Fans who love the series would want something even greater than Kingdom Hearts II. Unfortunately, during that period I didn’t get the chance to start on a project that big and other key developers were working on other projects. We needed to get our experience and polish our skills at creating Kingdom Hearts games so that there was a proper preparation for a big title like Kingdom Hearts III. It just happened that this preparation took the life cycle of the PS3.

--SINCE YOU SWITCHED ENGINES DURING DEVELOPMENT, WHAT WAS THAT TRANSITION LIKE? DID IT TAKE THE TEAM A LONG TIME TO ADAPT TO THAT NEW ENGINE OR WAS IT RELATIVELY SMOOTH?

Nomura: The transition was quite a process. We pretty much had to start from the ground again. We had to make sure that we could recreate our key effects in the Unreal Engine and that the effects we specifically needed for Kingdom Hearts could be adapted. We were also developing a Kingdom Hearts-specific shader and we had to make a lot of adjustments so we could use that shader on the new engine. That goes a long way to explaining the long distance between the announcement and now, when we’re able to reveal more information about the title.

--ARE NEW BATTLE SYSTEMS BASED ON MODIFICATIONS YOU WANTED FOR THE PREVIOUS GAMES BUT COULDN’T ACHIEVE ON THE PREVIOUS HARDWARE?

Nomura: I feel that going through the different spin-off titles and ideas for battle systems, how the gameplay there works, we kind of learned from that and implemented a new battle system as well as introducing new and unique moves. There’s also the Keyblade Transformation which is involved around the plot point where Sora has gone through a test of mastery so it makes sense story-wise that this transformation is part of his combat. There have been many bold additions to Kingdom Hearts III in combat and those are only possible because we have access to the better hardware but it hasn’t necessarily been things I couldn’t have done then. It’s more that I learned from the experiments of the spin-offs.

--IN THE FIRST GAME THERE WAS ONE PLAYABLE CHARACTER, IN THE SECOND THERE WERE TWO – WILL THERE BE THREE IN THE THIRD?

Nomura: It’s a secret but by saying that we imply that maybe something’s going on. We can’t disclose anything but, maybe, something will happen there.
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Source: gamesTM

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Kingdom Hearts III

Dengeki Interview with Nomura on 2.8

Posted by Meilin Lee : Sep 23, 2015 at 3:02 PM ( 6 , 2,458 )

In a new interview with Dengeki Playstation, director Tetsuya Nomura discusses the final remaster before Kingdom Hearts III, where he further clarifies the difference between X[chi]/Unchained X[chi] and Back Cover, how the decision to make 2.8: Final Chapter Prologue came to be, and some hints on what to expect from 0.2 Birth by Sleep (including how it was originally planned to be included in KH3!). The fully translated interview can be read below:

--When were the plans for 2.8 set into motion? Could you tell us the aim of exclusively using the PS4 console again?

Nomura: We started thinking about it after completing 2.5 HD ReMix. It was about the time that we had finished deciding on the packaging, when we thought “What about a HD version of KH3D?” We had been talking about KH3, but since KH3D is such an essential preface to the story, I thought that, no matter what, I wanted to make an HD version of KH3D before KH3 was sold. When I was thinking about whether or not to release KH3D HD on its own, the time until we could play KH3 became shorter--rather than being affected by a change to the KH3 engine's initial plans. I knew I wanted everyone to get a taste of the world of KH3 as quickly as possible, no matter what. That being said, just like with 1.5 and 2.5, I thought about how I wanted to package KH3D's essential story with a product that was a part of KH3 and its technology. In result, it was inevitable that the console would be the PS4.

--I'm really excited to play KH3D on a non-portable console, but in regards to X[chi], why did you decide to make the story into a theatrical production?

Nomura: Kingdom Hearts X[chi] and Kingdom Hearts Unchained X[chi] are both still running games, and they've still got a lot left to cover. For that reason, our intention is actually not to show the story as it is right now. In X[chi] and Unchained X[chi], from the players' perspective, the story is continuing onward, but in Kingdom Hearts X[chi]: Back Cover, the story is told from the character of the players' affiliated unions, the Foretellers. Since X[chi] and Unchained X[chi] are online games, there are probably fans that think the hurdles to jump are too high. However, in order to tell the full story of Kingdom Hearts, the Foretellers are very important characters, so I wanted to make sure players encountered the world of X[chi] and Unchained X[chi] some way or another. The Foretellers aren't really characters that can be fit into the timeline somewhere, so we are dedicating their story to a theatrical production.

--Please tell us more about the details and aim of the brand-new supplement based on BBS, which is different than any of the HD remasters so far.

Nomura: Actually, this was what I worried about the most. We showed this for a bit in the secret episode of BBS: Final Mix, but the concept for two chapters of BBS is something we've had for a while, and because of problems with time, it's become just a morceau. That concept itself is living on as a setup, so it was our plan to show it at the beginning of KH3, but since the volume of material in KH3 has increased, I was thinking it was something we just touched on a little. Just as I explained in your previous question, we won't show the whole thing of the initial concept, but we decided to show it ahead of KH3 as a short episode.

--Could you please tell us precise release dates, as well as the progress in development at this time?

Nomura: It's not quite time for us to give an exact release date, but we're planning on a release in 2016. As far as production goes, since we're working on it alongside KH3, we're using the same technology in some parts, and I can't talk about what current phase we're on.

--Can you tell us more about what you've had to change for KH3D, such as going from two screens on the handheld to one on the console, etc.?

Nomura: Since everything in the original was developed with the idea of having two screens, we're having to reproduce everything so that it fits one screen, so it's much different than the other HD releases, as it is more of a “remake.” Since the original design for the 3DS was a lot of fun to play with, in order to keep that same fun while remaking it for the PS4, we're having to cover a lot of ground and make lots of changes. I will have more details in the next interview, so please wait until then.

--Do you have any kind of added elements decided?

Nomura: Unlike 1.5 and 2.5, we're working with three productions that are not simply a change to HD. As I said before, we're combining KH3D into one screen so it's basically a remake, and the other two productions are completely new and both utilize KH3 technology--since the density of the original products are so great, we don't really have any big added elements. There will be items to collect that are newly added, like what you saw in 1.5 and 2.5.

--Will the movie for Kingdom Hearts X[chi]: Back Cover be a completely new product?

Nomura: Yes, it's completely new. We're making it with the same technology used in KH3, and the characters that appear are all new characters, so the Foretellers and Chirithy will need voices, so we have to work on casting as well as making their models, the scenes...everything will be made from scratch. However, while deciding the scenes, we were writing scenes for the base game Kingdom Hearts X[chi] at the same time, so we inserted some of those scenes into X[chi]. So, the story will be one that players of X[chi] will more easily understand in the timeline.

--Can you tell us what you mean by the title “Back Cover”?

Nomura: Both X[chi] and Unchained X[chi] were made with the concept of a “fairy tale,” so based on the other side we chose the title “Back Cover.” X[chi] and Unchained X[chi] are told from the players' perspective--the front side, so the perspective of the Foretellers is considered the “back side.”

--Could you tell us more about the movie's details and highlights, as well as the amount of content?

Nomura: People currently playing X[chi] and Unchained X[chi] already know this, but we have not really seen much of the Foretellers as individuals outside of each of their organizations. In this production, we hope to make clear the thoughts of each Foretellers, as well as why they formed their unions, and I think what they'll have to say will be very interesting. As far as the content volume goes, since this won't be the length of a full game, I can only tell you that it will be in the format of a short story.

--Will Aqua be the main character in the realm of darkness for Kingdom Hearts 0.2 Birth by Sleep? Also, will the story be about what's happened in the ten years that have passed? (As in, the period of time before the BBS secret episode, where she met Ansem the Wise?)

Nomura: That's right. Aqua is the main character, so the story will follow Aqua through the realm of darkness. However, the flow of time in the realm of darkness is different, so it's not simply ten years that have passed. The beginning of the story is after the secret episode in BBS: Final Mix, but the story's ending is the finale, so I can't talk about it. Actually, we prefaced to it in the secret episode, but in the opening, just before the new journey in KH3, we'll tell you about King Mickey meeting Aqua again, who has been hidden away all this time...it will be that kind of introduction.

--As far as gameplay goes, how has the system and action changed? Please tell us about this along with the content volume.

Nomura: It is similar to the flow of BBS, but we plan to include a portion that resembles KH3. For details, please wait until the next information release. As far as volume content goes, this short story will be about the length of one world in the usual KH series. We want to give the players something they'll be satisfied with by letting them experience KH3 gameplay in a sample size.

--Can you tell us about the meaning of 0.2's title, “Fragmentary Passage?

Nomura: As far as content goes, we can't include a full volume of content to play with like the second chapter of BBS, so it's just a “fragment,” and we left that part of the subtitle. '0.5' is one of the letters and numbers that appeared in the secret episode of BBS: Final Mix, and that meant full volume, so we decided on '0.2' this time, to indicate that there will be more content to come. However, the remaining passage will be told in KH3, so we wanted to show that this production is closely related to KH3.

--Finally, 2.8 will be an extremely important bridge title to KH3, won't it? Can you tell us about any noteworthy points in that connection?

Nomura: For 1.5 and 2.5, we added the word 'ReMIX' to the title, but for 2.8 we're adding 'Final Chapter Prologue'. This is not to say that this is the final chapter in the KH series, but it does mean that 2.8 will continue to pull the curtain closed on the story of the Dark Seeker. As I stated earlier, the content serves as a preface to KH3, starting with the Dream Drop Distance HD, and Kingdom Hearts X[chi]: Back Cover will also be very important to the KH series. I mentioned this in a previous answer, but 0.2 Birth by Sleep is closely related to KH3. It's definitely no mistake to say that the three productions packaged in 2.8 are all in preparation for KH3.
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Source: KH13.com

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KH-Vids Podcast Episode #107: Kingdom Hearts 2.8!

Posted by libregkd : Sep 22, 2015 at 11:00 PM ( 4 , 3,358 )

It's time for the KH-Vids Podcast!

Last week we talked about rumors of a Kingdom Hearts 2.9 release, but since then Kingdom Hearts 2.8 Final Chapter Prolgoue has been announced which brings us to the topic of conversation for the week! We have our usual hosts @Misty, @libregkd, @Calxiyn, joined by staff guest @Plums and member guest @Scarred Nobody to discuss the ins and outs of the newly announced collection and our personal feelings on what the collection is and our thoughts on the series' future.

Our user-submitted questions this week @Kingdom Hearts530 asks us what our favorite colors are and @Nobodyslight has us weight in on the smartphone OS wars. This week for Table Topics, everyone talks about their bad habits they wish they could stop as well as discussing what our dream (and not so dreamy) job would be.

Please support and participate in the KH-Vids Podcast by leaving us a comment, answering our user-submitted questions, submitting to be a guest, or sending in questions of your own!

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Download Episode #107 (MP3)
Subscribe to us on iTunes or through our RSS feed

Interested in being a member guest on the podcast? Fill out our form here and we'll be in touch. Ask us a question by visiting this page or sending an email to podcast@kh-vids.net!

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Famitsu's interview with Nomura about Kingdom Hearts 2.8

Posted by Calxiyn : Sep 20, 2015 at 5:47 PM ( 4 , 1,783 )

Famitsu recently had an interview with Tetsuya Nomura, The Kingdom Hearts series Director, to talk about the newly announced title in the series The Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue! In the interview he speaks about the Battle System for 0.2BBS, as well as how the title will affect Kingdom Hearts 3's development. The interview also speaks about Kingdom Hearts' X (Chi)

––So after KH1.5 and KH2.5, then came 2.8. I was surprised. Please tell us the origin of the title that contains 2.8.

Nomura: It contains a bit of meaning. First, we considered the types of games that are being included such as KH3D and with the previous work being 2.5… it would be positioned as “2.6” corresponding to the works. And there’s χ, Unchained χ, and χ Back Cover, being part of the Chi series, I believe would be called the “0” with Sora’s absence. In KHBBS it’s “0.1” and this time KH0.2BBS includes the title “0.2”. So, “2.6”+”0”+”0.2” comes out as a number that turns into “2.8”.

––I see! Numberings along the timeline of the series have been brought so adding them together would bring it to that.

Nomura: In the secret episode of KHBBSFM, I believe it displayed “0.5”. After that it would be a full volume sequel to BBS. Being a sequel to BBS as a full volume, it was supposed to advance as “0.5”but because KH3 is still a priority, this time “0.1” went up one step to “0.2”.

––So, is it possible that KH2.9 might be released?

Nomura: The next one is KH3 (laughs). There is a subtitle in 2.8 that has “Final Chapter”. Because of its prologue implications, KH3 would be the final chapter of the Dark Seeker series. With the meaning of 0.1 left, you will understand it in KH3.

––That “0.1” is worrisome… with KH2.8 being only on the PS4, KH1.5 and KH2.5 was released on the PS3 and was it difficult to transition?

Nomura: Because of the gameplay of KH0.2BBS, it uses KH3’s tech and it will only work on the PS4. Since the current development situation has become one for the PS4, it would be difficult to make it for the PS3. In addition, for the players, we wanted to show the atmosphere of KH3 even just a little. For KH0.2BBS, it’s not exactly the same but it incorporates some of the system from KH3.

––For KH0.2BBS’s system, will it be different from BBS’s?

Nomura: We’re taking into account elements from BBS and KH3 so it becomes a hybrid.

––With the additional lending hand up there, should we worry if it has any effect on the progress of KH3?

Nomura: For KH3, realize that the numbering seems to affect the quality and volume but over time, since it’s not produced in a range of influence, there are no problems concerning that. However I felt that I wanted you to experience something early and that you would be able to experience soon even for a little bit through KH0.2BBS’s game system experience and how it connects to KH3.

■ Of the three included works, it has started with Unchained χ.

––KH3D has been HD remastered and I thought it would become video footage because of its form. Despite the console correspondence, it has become playable.

Nomura: So, the staff who worked on KH1.5 and KH2.5 made me realize this opportunity. This time, in addition to the HD, it used to be a system where it uses the lower screen of the Nintendo 3DS version and we’ve changed the game design so it can be on a single screen. Like HD remastered works previously, it can be said the colors are vibrant in the remake.

––Are there additional elements?

Nomura: As far as the story goes, there are no large additional elements because it exceeds the work for HD remastering but just like the elements of the collections that were in HD, it has trophy support and so forth. Because KH3D has a story that is very complex and it being before KH3, we wanted you to play KH3D

––So playing KH3D will show KH3. So I will ask about KH0.2BBS. Where does it begin in the timeline? In regards to the secret episode of KHBBSFM?

Nomura: It will begin immediately after the secret episode. Where she found Cinderella’s Castle (Castle of Dreams) in the Realm of Darkness, it will start there.

––So Cinderella’s Castle (Castle of Dreams) has become an area.

Nomura: I guess so (laughs). However it being the case of the secret episode, you won’t wonder the world endlessly in darkness.

––In the secret episode, we saw “A Fragmentary Passage” and that has become the subtitle for KH0.2BBS?

Nomura: Although there is a story that exists for this, there are no plans to release it as a package that was shown in KHBBSFM’s “A Fragmentary Passage”. However, since it is exists as a setting, I had touched a little in planning the beginning of KH3 and I thought it would be good opportunity. However, it’s not affecting the progress of KH3 and because “0.5” is not a full volume, it would be “0.2”. Because it is a fragment, “Fragmentary Passage” was left as a subtitle.

––During this period, how far would it elaborate on?

Nomura: I can’t say because it would lead to a punch line (laughs). When introduced, while Sora embarks on a new journey, it talks about the episode where The King was hiding until the present. It will take place in the form of KH0.2BBS and it is a portion that is closely related to KH3.

––So the King also holds the key. Following KHχ Back Cover, the service for Unchained χ recently begun and is it possible you can talk about a little bit about the situation?

Nomura: I apologize for the server difficulties when the service began. Up to this point, we asked to cooperate in departments that have a like-house server management and we are continuing to improve it. First, we are working on server stability, and eventually corresponding to other parts of the inconvenience. Gradually, there will be events and the like that will appear.

––For stability, it recently is running very smoothly. Playing it skillfully will be addicting.

Nomura: Smartphones are kept close in our lives so it has come to mind that we can enjoy the feeling of KH even for a little bit. It really has become such a game. From now on, we have announced to continue adding 50 quests each month until January. Because of the continuing updates, I think you will enjoy it.

––I definitely wanted to experience that feeling of crispness. However again about KHχ Back Cover, it is drawn in the perspective of the five Foreteller?

Nomura: There is also the Foreteller’s leader, “Master of Masters”. The person Chirithy talks about is “this individual” being referred to as his “master”.

––So Chirithy was created.

Nomura: Yes. However, the Master of Masters is regarded differently and isn’t what people call normally as a "master”. Because it’s being referred to as a Master of Masters, it indicates the person’s standing position. The Foretellers themselves are Keyblade Masters. Their teacher however is the Master of Masters. That is what I mean by Master of Masters.

––There are a lot of mysteries surrounding the Foretellers and their master deepens the mystery even further.

Nomura: In KHχ Back Cover, there is quite a turn of events for them. By the way, there was black coated person in KHχ.

––Ahh, the five Foretellers were the ones speaking…

Nomura: KHχ and KH Unchained χ proceeds in the player’s point of view and there are the Foretellers we don’t know very much about. In “Back Cover”, which had recently shown a little in the trailer, you can draw on the differences of their personality and speculation between each of them. Maybe then, we can glimpse the nature that belongs to each of the unions and question “why were they thinking about that” and maybe this is where their interests become divided (laughs).

––Expecting this from the series is a real thrill. At the same time in the trailer, it was refreshing to hear Chirithy’s voice. Was the person in charge of the voice Tomoko Kaneda?

Nomura: Yes. We have recorded in mind of “sadness/heartrending” and I think it turned out well.

■ This all leads to KINGDOM HEARTS III

––So all of the stories in KH2.8 connects with KH3 and recently Big Hero 6 was announced to the world. There were great responses.

Nomura: Because we have finally decided on most of the worlds, I’m happy about the fact that this will be available. Big Hero 6 takes place in the near future, with modern cityscapes, it would be a fun world for action and we were decisive in choosing it.

––To summarize, Baymax and Sora confronts the other Baymax the Heartless have taken over?

Nomura: That’s right. It takes place after the movie version. Yasue (Co-director Tai Yasue) was eager in saying “I really want to do it!” Because I also like this title, please enjoy and anticipate it when it finishes.

––Mr. Nomura, another work you’re directing is a full remake of FINAL FANTASY VII. How is that?

Nomura: In Famitsu’s interview (9/20/15), Kitase also answered that. In particular, we are continuing to polish the strategy and feel of battles while being faithful. Although it’s pretty far for us to show something, we will do a follow-up in winter. Wait until then.

––In November, D23 Expo Japan 2015 will be held in Tokyo Disneyland for three days and there is a special KH event. And so in the winter, there will likely be more news for the full remake of FINAL FANTASY VII.

Nomura: In addition to preparing them, we are also running a DISSIDIA FINAL FANTASY arcade version. KH2.8 and World of FINAL FANTASY has been announced to be launched in next year’s schedule. We also want to continue improving KHχ and KH Unchained χ. The good news is that we are getting help from external sources but even still, I have my hands full in many places (wry smile). We will stay committed to please the fans.
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Source: Thank you to KHInsider for the fully translated interview!

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II.8 Final Chapter Prologue

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