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Famitsu: Kingdom Hearts III Interview with Nomura

Posted by libregkd : Sep 24, 2014 at 1:13 PM ( 22 , 3,680 )

We didn't hear much about Kingdom Hearts III during TGS, however Famitsu was conducted an interview with Nomura where he shares the latest information about the game as well as the possibility of a HD remaster of Dream Drop Distance. Here are some tidbits from the interview:

There have been reports from the media that Frozen was going to be a world in Kingdom Hearts III. This is false as there have been no confirmed worlds for the game yet, however Nomura says that Frozen is neither "confirmed or denied" for inclusion.

Choosing new worlds for Kingdom Hearts III is proving to be a difficult task.

Square Enix is strongly considering creating an HD Remaster for Kingdom Hearts 3D.

There are some engine-related issue that is giving the development team some issues, however right now they have advanced in the scenario writing and world choices, as well as deciding on new designs for Sora and Riku's outfits.

According to the the Osaka team, Sora’s mobility needs to be nerfed as he feels almost invincible by his end-game levels.

They are currently a great variety of Keyblade transformations and Nomura compared it to Birth by Sleep's original way of fighting with Keyblades.

There is more to the interview, which you can read in full at SiliconEra.

Update:

Fully translated interview courtesy of Goldpanner from KHInsider:

---Were there any parts you were particularly attentive to during production of KH2.5?

Nomura: Due to size issues, in the KH 358/2 Days cinematic work included in KH1.5 we left out combat and just went with text intermissions that explained, but many fans pointed out that it was a shame, and that weighed on me. As KH Re:coded didn't have the volume of Days, we were able to follow-up on that part by creating cinematics for the battles and Disney world stories as well as adding some narration by Mickey. Mickey both opens and closes KH Re:coded, so he was the best choice for the narrator. Also, as KH Birth by Sleep was going from a handheld console to a non-portable one, we needed to adjust the controls and such. At first, we were also looking for a way to include the multiplayer section as it was. This wouldn't have been too difficult if we were only working on BBS, but as we had three titles' worth of work on our plates for KH2.5, we included it as reworked into a single player feature.

---What was it like to reexamine your own past work when producing KH1.5 and KH2.5?

Nomura: Replaying games made years ago often does let you feel their age, but I've never felt that way with KH games. I think perhaps the HD remastering has made them even more universal. Also, my impression from playing it after so long was, wow, I didn't think there were so many specialised worlds in here. Perhaps that's because they were easy to use game-wise when I included them. For Olympus Coliseum etc, we staff went along with our planning under the assumption that, while we still hadn't decided on whether to include something, there might always be a KH3 (laughs). There's also Sora's growth as a character. In KH1 I was incredibly conscious of keeping things 'Disney-like', but as the titles have added layers I think an originality has appeared.

---What are you careful with when it comes to guest characters?

Nomura: On original worlds, that their outward appearance and personality is close to that of the original work, or I adapt them a little like with YRP. If they appear in Disney worlds, I match the aesthetic. I even made Zack's waist thinner to match with that world.

---After your long involvement with the series, what do you think is the particular charm of Disney works?

Nomura: It is the extremely loving and careful way they show and handle their characters both inside and outside the works themselves. I think this is what makes Disney works top class worldwide. This is very important with games too, according to the type, and the whole thing can become good or bad depending on the way the characters are handled. I've learned a lot.

---Is that so. That's rather deep. Can you please recommend any Disney works, or talk about any you've seen recently?

Nomura: I think I've spoken about this before, but I like The Lion King, that hasn't changed. Recently, I was invited to the preview of Frozen, and I thought it was really good. Now that Pixar's Mr Lasseter has also become the chief creative officer at Disney, I expect that from now on there will be even more works that are even more challenging. As a fan I am really looking forward to Big Hero 6 which premieres in December.

---Speaking of Frozen, there were reports that co-director Mr Tai Yasue made a statement regarding content with a point about 'if Frozen were to appear in KH'.

Nomura: That surprised me too. I checked with Yasue, because we haven't touched upon it at all, and there's been no talk about what we'd do 'if we put it in for now'. I do understand, though, because interviewers overseas do talk about their wishes for what they'd like to happen. In response, we Japanese don't give clear yes or no answers. Then sometimes they take it as as 'fact'. It was misinformation that came from a difference in culture.

---So that's what it was. Now, how do you actually choose new worlds?

Nomura: The shape it's taking for KH3 is everyone sharing what sort of things we'd like to do on what sort of worlds, and then making decisions looking at that. A wide range of works fall within our targets so there are a lot of candidates, but we can't make them all, and in the end we also need the OK from Disney. But, the staff working on KH3 are pushier than they've ever been (laughs). They get highly passionate on the spot, elaborating to me exactly why we 'just have to do this!', so it's difficult to make choices.

---How did the KH LINE stickers come about?

Nomura: Disney spoke to me, and then I chose the characters and lines myself. I love Vanitas' 'Tch', but the one I use the most is Sora's 'OK'. I use it when responding to things I'm supervising with (laughs).

---You used the opening section of KH3 in a recently released trailer for KH2.5, didn't you. The conversation between those strangers was rather enigmatic.

Nomura: I had received so many responses after releasing that play video previously, and I could feel that people were eagerly anticipating KH3. I really wanted to put out some sort of message, even though I couldn't show any content at that time. And, I wanted to show everyone that KH3 begins somewhere nobody is expecting, with speaking from new voice actors that haven't appeared in the series before. I really enjoyed seeing everyone try to guess who those two are.

---We definitely were surprised. We hadn't expected it to begin like that at all.

Nomura: I wanted to go with an introduction that wouldn't make fans be like 'yeah, we knew that' upon seeing the opening section, and that would have both fans who knew the series and fans who didn't be like 'what's this? What's going to happen next?' and start feeling anticipation. I do this every time, but I want to try and make things even for both fans and newcomers. By the way, the conversation between those two is actually a lot longer, it goes for over two minutes. When you hear their conversation, you'll understand the flow of everything so far.

---With the shift to the next gen consoles underway, especially overseas, would you say you want to release KH1.5 and KH2.5 on the Playstation 4 or the Xbox One?

Nomura: Since we've only just finished work on KH2.5, we would need a little more time to look into the technical aspects of HD remastering for next gen consoles.

---The phrase 'Lost Masters' appeared in the conversation…

Nomura: That may not necessarily deserve capitalization. It just means what it says, 'Keyblade Masters who have been lost' (laughs).

---Oh, is that so (laughs). We are very much looking forward to KH3, but there will be a bit of a wait to go after KH2.5 is released. In the meantime, are there any new developments for the series?

Nomura: Counting the developments in PC browser game KHχ [chi], I'd like to think that fans will spend the least amount of time possible separated from works from the series.

---We do wonder how KHχ [chi] will turn out. Among the scenes added to KH Re:coded, there is a 'Tome of Prophecy' episode which is related to KHχ [chi], isn't there?

Nomura: The scenarios of KH3 and KHχ [chi] are intimately related, so they are being written at the same time. That's why the plot of KHχ [chi] has been on pause for a little while, and I am very sorry, but I have to ask you to please wait a little longer. We are also currently investigating developments that would allow more people to experience KHχ [chi].

---By the way, what about KH3D? It's not in KH1.5 or KH2.5.

Nomura: Aside from KHχ [chi], which is currently still underway, KH3D is the only title in the series not remastered in HD. I personally don't like leaving it as the odd one out, so I think it's an issue that requires consideration.

---So, what is the current stage of development for KH3?

Nomura: It's moving steadily along the estimated schedule. However, we are having a lot of trouble with the image creating part of things due to the engine. While that's going on, we are carrying out the scenario writing and world selecting. I've also drawn new clothes for Sora and Riku and the others.

---Are Sora's action sections also evolving nicely?

Nomura: When I went to Osaka the other day and saw how development was coming along, Sora's mobility was too high. He'd reached a level where just moving around would probably make him invincible (laughs). Of course, he can't move like that from the beginning, but it looks like by the end he will be incredible. I'm looking forward to the next check. In a previous trailer Sora fought by transforming his Keyblade. The variations of those are also turning out to be amazing. It's close to the way the original Keyblade wielders fought in BBS.

---We want to get our hands on it ASAP! Now, we'd like to ask about your work outside KH3. You said previously that various jobs have fallen into your lap.

Nomura: I do have many projects other than KH3. For some reason, with this timing, I have received many offers from both inside and outside the company, and I will be responding to those first. There are things that were given to me individually, and there are many things related to games, things outside games, and things that are yet to be announced. The closest thing is that at in October I am going to Comic Con which is being held in New York. While I have been given those jobs, I do intend to keep moving my own projects forward.
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KH-Vids Podcast Episode #65: Tokyo Game Show 2014

Posted by Misty : Sep 23, 2014 at 11:31 PM ( 11 , 4,909 )

( IT'S STILL TUESDAY IN NEW YORK GET OFF MY BACK )

This week your usual podcast crew -- @Misty, @Llave, and @libregkd, joined by @cstar -- sit down to cover the East's biggest gaming convention, Tokyo Game Show 2014. It's a video game filled podcast! We begin with some rumblings from Sony, then launch into the meat of our episode, which focuses on Square-Enix's many showings and announcements from the event, for Final Fantasy XV, Type-0 HD, Final Fantasy XIII (Lightning rears her head once again!), Final Fantasy XIV, and Dragon Quest Heroes.

From there on we cover several other games, including but not limited to Deep Down, Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, Silent Hills, Persona 5, and D4. It's an episode sure to entertain any gamer, whether you've been keeping up with TGS or not!

As per usual we answer user-submitted questions, this time from podcast question veterans @Graxe and @. : tale : . . Our randomly drawn question asks us whether or not we would explore Space: The Final Frontier.

Please everyone listen, comment, and enjoy!

Download Episode #65 (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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KH-Vids Podcast

Project Destati: LIGHT Review

Posted by Misty : Sep 22, 2014 at 6:48 PM ( 3 , 2,232 )

As we reported when the album first dropped on September 9th, the Project Destati team has at last released their long-awaited homage to the music from the Kingdom Hearts series.

Released 358 days (sound familiar?) after their debut Awakening EP, Project Destati: LIGHT is the first entry in what will eventually be a three volume collection of re-orchestrated tracks selected from the entirety of the Kingdom Hearts musical score. Sebastian of the Project Destati team was kind enough to hook the KH-Vids Staff up with a few copies of the album. We had seven copies, which were randomly distributed to members of our team – except for one that I kept for myself. I’d heard of the project before but never had a chance to check it out firsthand, so I was naturally excited to have a listen!

Beginning with the selection of songs, they start out their project with some really solid and well-known tracks from the series (see below). The main characters’ themes – Sora, Kairi, Riku, Roxas – are all here, with classics like Hikari, Hand in Hand, and Dearly Beloved joining them.

One thing I loved about the album was that they included some more minor tracks from the series – it wasn’t just the ones we’re all familiar with. In particular, Waltz of the Damned has always been one of my favorites from the Kingdom Hearts II soundtrack, but one few people recognize when listing their favorites from the series. I was overjoyed to find that it was not only included, but that it’s been beautifully redone. Mkaukau? was never a track I recognized or had particular feelings about, until I heard it on LIGHT. The Project Destati team has also produced a version of Destiny Islands so enchanting that even me, someone who has historically hated the original theme, has gone back and played the redone track on repeat more than a few times!

I’m not musically inclined in the sense that I understand the particulars of the work that the Project Destati team has put into this collection, only that it has been lovingly and artfully done. For me one of the selling points of the HD Remixes has been the tracks re-orchestrated by Yoko Shimomura, so to add even more redone tracks to my Kingdom Hearts playlists is a welcome notion indeed.

I asked the staff members who received copies to let me know what they thought about the album or, at the very least, what their favorite track was. I’ve included their thoughts below:

“Project Destati has done a terrific job of paying tribute to the Kingdom Hearts series and Yoko Shimomura's music that has captured the hearts of many Kingdom Hearts fans throughout the years. Instead of feeling like simple remixes, the guys at Project Destati took several tracks and made them feel fresh and new. I may be biased here, but if I had to pick a favorite track from their first volume, it would be Roxas/The Other Promise. Listening to that track teared me up, and I truly believe this is the best fan rendition of Roxas's theme ever. I look forward to Project Destati's next two KH albums, and I hope that one day, their take on the music of Kingdom Hearts would be performed live.”
-- @Ami Mizuno

“Favourite song is Lazy Afternoon Streets.”
-- @Karuta

“General about the album: The recording quality is great with the track selection having a little bit of everything for a Kingdom Hearts fan. Project Destati takes rather large liberties with a lot of the tracks on their album. It makes the music selection a mixed bag of goodies and not so goodies, but overall the songs presented on the album are solid and makes Project Destati: Light a good debut for the project.

Project Destati: Light opens with Introduction: It Began With a Letter. The lead off track is a medley of songs that begins with a track with the same name, It Began With a Letter, and slowly builds up to renditions of Dearly Beloved and Dive Into the Heart, at times combining the two. The track flows beautifully from song to song and the arrangement of the songs included are very well done.

Hollow Bastion too is an incredibly well done tribute. The song starts with Project Destati's take on Radiant Garden and flows wonderfully into the field and battle themes Hollow Bastion is known for. Project Destati is able to combine all the variations the song has received over the course of the series and adds their own twist to it. Their version of the track is able replicate the magic of hearing the song when arriving at Hollow Bastion for the first time and I could listen to it on repeat for hours on end.

Rage Awakened is one of the few boss battle tracks on the album but it is the best one of the bunch. Project Destati manages to re-create the frenzied theme and make it even more frenzied and raw. It captures the feeling of the boss fight against the Lingering Will perfectly; it brings forth a lot of background instruments that were not as pronounced in the original song. Project Destati's Rage Awakened is a track that I would insert into the upcoming 2.5 Remix if I could.”
-- @libregkd

“My favorite track was Hand in Hand, which has always been one of my favorite Kingdom Hearts tracks because of the epic emotional feel of it. Sadly, the track is usually pretty short, so of course I was stoked when this arrangement was over five minutes. The whole album was beautiful and creative while keeping that nostalgic quality the Kingdom Hearts soundtrack has always given me.

... Yeaaah! ヾ(@°▽°@)ノ”
-- @Jayn

Overall, Project Destati is an incredible celebration of the tracks – and series – we all know and love, and is, I think, a fantastic testament to the amazing creative ability and dedication of Kingdom Hearts fans. Kingdom Hearts preaches things like friendship and connection and togetherness, and while it might be cheesy and all that, to think that three fans came together to make something beautiful like this… I am overcome. I know, I know. If you’re not into re-orchestrated tracks or fan-projects like this, feel free to pass the album over, but if you’re even at all dubious, I definitely recommend checking it out.

We’d like to thank Project Destati for sending us copies of the album and urge everyone to purchase the album for themselves, DRM-free, in MP3 or FLAC format, from Loudr or iTunes. You can find out more about Project Destati by visiting their website, or by following them on tumblr, Twitter, Facebook, Google+, or YouTube.

For those who have bought the album – or at least listened to it – what do you think of the project? What’s your favorite track? For those who haven’t yet, stayed tuned… copies of the album sound like great giveaway prizes to me. ;)

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Kingdom Hearts Series

Kingdom Hearts 2.5 Gameplay footage from TGS

Posted by libregkd : Sep 19, 2014 at 2:06 PM ( 2 , 1,241 )

The folks over at IGN are in Tokyo right now to cover TGS and have been posting some off-screen gameplay footage of themselves playing the upcoming HD remaster. It includes a look at using summons as well as exploring one of the new areas that was exclusive to the Final Mix release of the game. Enjoy!

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II.5 Remix

2.5 HD ReMix to Feature Scenes Tied to Kingdom Hearts X[chi]

Posted by Meilin Lee : Sep 18, 2014 at 6:04 PM ( 9 , 2,524 )

In addition to the secret movie we'll be getting with Kingdom Hearts 2.5 HD ReMix, Famitsu has revealed in their review of the remaster that there will also be new scenes connected to the currently Japan-exclusive browser game, Kingdom Hearts X[chi]. The review states:

Credit to @iwantedtoexplode for the find, and @Karuta for the translation.

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