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Tai Yasue talks HD remasters and the future of Kingdom Hearts with RPG Site

Posted by Misty : Jul 1, 2014 at 2:01 PM ( 17 , 1,963 )

Adding yet another entry to his impressive collection of recent interviews, RPG Site had the opportunity to sit down with Tai Yasue, the co-director of the two Kingdom Hearts games currently in development: Kingdom Hearts 2.5 HD Remix and Kingdom Hearts 3.

They set off by discussing the HD remasters the series is now touting, what 2.5 will include, plans for a Dream Drop Distance remaster, and the development process & decisions behind Kingdom Hearts 2.5. They finish off with some discussions about the future of Kingdom Hearts, like what worlds might appear in future games and whether any games might bridge the gap between Kingdom Hearts 2.5 and Kingdom Hearts 3.

You can check out the full interview below.

RPG Site: So, let's kick off with the why! What's the thinking behind these comprehensive packages featuring spin-off games rather than a simpler HD rerelease of both PS2 games together?

Tai Yasue: When we first started developing Kingdom Hearts 3, we really wanted to bridge the users, so we made 1.5 and 2.5 HD. Story wise it can be very complex - for example my kids, your kids - they might not know what KH is, so we wanted to re-introduce a wide spectrum of players, and that's why we created these two HD remixes. They contain all the important story events and so it gives a deeper understanding of Kingdom Hearts.

RPG Site: You mentioned the importance of story - but Dream Drop Distance seems fairly important in that sense. Can you explain its exclusion?

Yasue: Well... we made this very recently - within the last two years - so we were originally only considering Birth by Sleep and Re:Coded for Kingdom Hearts 2.5, so we don't have any plans for Kingdom Hearts 3D. Although it is on the table we haven't decided anything.

RPG Site: So perhaps a downloadable title or something?

Yasue: Something like that, yes, although we can't really say as of right now.

RPG Site: Can we expect to see all of the original game content in the HD collection including the secret movie from Birth by Sleep?

Yasue: Everything that was in the original Birth by Sleep Final Mix will be included in the 2.5 HD ReMIX, the same as KH2 Final Mix. For Re:coded we've got three hour’s worth of cutscenes, with two hours being totally new. These explain some more back story to other Kingdom Hearts titles, and you'll be able to get a better understanding of it.

RPG Site: So, to be clear - what's the timeline here, for people new to these games?

Yasue: Re:coded takes place after Kingdom Hearts 2. In order, Birth by Sleep is the origin story before Kingdom Hearts ten years before, then there is Kingdom Hearts, then Chain of Memories, Kingdom Hearts 2 then Re:coded. Re:coded takes place in a virtual world, where you’ll find out about three characters that are trapped there from Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep.

RPG Site: With Re:coded, did you ever consider remaking the game itself rather than making a movie-style recreation?

Yasue: We did consider this, but because the game was on the DS it had totally different gameplay, and the touch screen was important. If we had a clear schedule I think it would have been possible but we've been making Kingdom Hearts 3 simultaneously, as well as 2.5 HD ReMIX, and we couldn't really run them, and another project. We figured this would slow down the Kingdom Hearts 3 schedule, and that's not something we would want.

RPG Site: As we understand it, the development schedule for Kingdom Hearts 1.5 was rather troubled because there was the whole situation with the lost data for the first game. How has the 2.5 ReMIX been in comparison?

Yasue: 2.5 has been so much better because we haven't had as much lost data due to all the recent titles such as Birth by Sleep - it's been much easier.
The system itself which runs off the PS3 which assists in porting the title as it was developed and made the whole work flow easier.

What we've concentrated on this time around more so is bringing the quality of the titles up, such as the sound and the graphics. That's where the most man hours have gone.

RPG Site: As far as the quality is concerned, Birth by Sleep was a PSP game - was it a challenging process bringing that up to PS3 level, and will the PSP-specific features such as multiplayer be transferred over?

Yasue: For the quality question, it's a PSP game so a lot of the characters are a little more rough and we had to re-do a lot of that. We re-made a lot of the models, textures and player characters in particular had a focused effort, they look great now.

As for the Multiplayer question, again related to the Re:coded thing and the schedule answer... it's a very similar situation - although we did re-arrange it so you can tackle the Mirage Arena solo now. It now has a challenge system where you can accrue bonuses. We also tweaked it so that the balance is much better, and the AI has also been updated in regards to some of the bosses. For example the last boss of the Mirage Arena is much quicker and complex. I've heard a lot about players wanting to play multiplayer, but that's another thing that would have slowed down the KH3 process.

RPG Site: I remember previously that the main characters had capes, but you said you removed this due to the hardware limitations of the PSP. How come you didn't get this back in?

Yasue: Well the reason we didn't add this in is because if we added the capes back in, we would have to change all the character actions and animations to fit. Our animation team is under a lot of workload right now due to Kingdom Hearts 3, and so we didn't want to change everything and remake everything.

The Lingering Will battle in Kingdom Hearts 2 has been introduced from Final Mix, and he's wearing a cape there, so you can enjoy that. We're doing a lot of experimentation with the cape system, but it's a very costly and difficult process.

RPG Site: How many people worked on the 2.5 HD Remix?

Yasue: Just over 70 people worked on the title, a lot of them worked on the cutscenes - around 35 - and we also had 5 programmers, designers, sound staff, actually maybe a lot more than 70, 80 maybe?

It wasn't just a programming thing - we couldn't press a button and magically get a HD version. There's a lot of work by the designers re-writing this stuff that took a lot of man hours.

RPG Site: Final Fantasy X's HD Remasters made their way to the Vita, but the Kingdom Hearts ones skipped the platform. Many fans would like to see Kingdom Hearts on the Vita - is there any possibility of this?

Yasue: Well there is the possibility, but for 1.5 and 2.5 ReMIX, we really wanted to concentrate on the PS3. After that we will look into considerations for other platforms, such as evaluating the markets and schedules.

RPG Site: Has any feedback that you got from 1.5 affected the development or content of 2.5?

Yasue: One of the largest bits of feedback from 1.5 was that with 356/2 Days, people wanted to see more battle scenes, and so with Re:coded there are a lot more battle scenes now - it's more of a movie - and we've re-created some of the battle scenes full with sword, Keyblades, etc.

RPG Site: Does the soundtrack for 2.5 feature rearranged music once again?

Yasue: Yeah, there is a lot of the sound in the game we re-recorded - around 90 of the songs were re-done. We had a 40 member string orchestra and lots of live instruments for Kingdom Hearts 2. Originally we only had virtual instruments. Our composer, Yoko Shimomura, oversaw all the changes so that made the process much more special.

RPG Site: Players will soon be revisiting their memories of these games - but what is your strongest memory from making it?

Yasue: Well, I really enjoy working with the team, they are very funny. We have a programmer, we call him Eggplant, his name is Nasu, which means Eggplant in Japanese - sort of looks like one too! He has a purple car and a purple house. He's very funny. I think I get a lot of joy with talking from everyone, they are all very motivated and a happy environment to work in. When we compared the originals with the new HD games, I think we appreciate what everyone and the designers have done to change it. You really notice the changes if you have a good monitor or TV.

RPG Site: You speak about how the game looks there, but do you feel that reflects in the gameplay too? For instance, Birth By Sleep has a very active combat system that many enjoyed. It flowed more fluidly to the original two games. Will you be taking that sort of Birth by Sleep style forward in the future?
Yasue: I personally enjoyed Birth by Sleep, I liked the active command style system, and in the future we want a wide range of things - this is one of the things that we're thinking of right now.

It's under consideration, and I can't say what they are, but lots of new features will be added for Kingdom Hearts III. We've already said how we will be incorporating a lot more Disney themed rides and actions - that will be something new. The controls will also be adjusted to something better fitting the style.

RPG Site: Is there any specific moment in 2.5 HD ReMIX that is your personal favorite?

Yasue: Personally, the Roxas battle in Final Mix is very enjoyable, and very difficult playing it in Critical Mode. You get to take his Keyblade and then have several keyblades to attack him with. He's very strong but I really like the limit form that is introduced in Final Mix, I can use his old suit and old abilities.

RPG Site: Over in Japan you've announced that there will be several different versions of Kingdom Hearts 2.5 ReMIX. One of them includes 1.5 and 2.5 together, along with a Collector's soundtrack and such. Is there any interest in doing similar for the western audience?

Yasue: Right now we don't have any plans, but we are looking into what we can do, but nothing has been finalized.

RPG Site: Kingdom Hearts as a series is now in the hands of the new Osaka Team - is your development philosophy different or similar to that of the original team that created 1 and 2?
Yasue: It's an active industry so a lot of people come and go from different departments and sections, there is a continuous change of people. I don't think that's a region specific thing - we have people from Tokyo and Osaka working together on Kingdom Hearts 2.5 and the important thing is that we teach new people who join the team what it means to be making Kingdom Hearts.

There are a lot of things that are unique to the series, such as the art work, the colors... everything is very specified, and there are many constraints to making it look right. I think making 1.5 and 2.5 is very beneficial to us as it's allowed us to show a lot of people how to develop Kingdom Hearts and we can relay that experience to Kingdom Hearts 3.

RPG Site: Are there any specific character you would like to see in the future of Kingdom Hearts? Now that Disney owns Marvel Franchises, Star Wars... you must get this one a lot.

Yasue: Star Wars and Marvel is great, but I of course can't make any announcements at all!

RPG Site: Out of interest, how open is that process? Do you guys get a pretty clear pick, or does Disney hold a tight control over that sort of stuff?

Yasue: We have to discuss with Disney about how we're going to proceed with each world to make sure they agree with our vision and feel it fits. On a personal level... I would really like Frozen. The snow, ice formations and story are very magical, the music too of course. I saw it with my daughter and it was very enjoyable.

"I would really like Frozen. The snow, ice formations and story are very magical."
RPG Site: When you approach Disney with an idea of a world, how strict are they in the design process and in the way things must look?
Yasue: We have a very good working relationship with Disney. There is a lot of back and forth with them and we're used to talking thoroughly about things. People have this image of them being really restrictive, but it isn't that bad.

They are very positive and have a lot of love for Kingdom Hearts. When we explain to them our plans, we show our designs, but it isn't difficult, we understand what works for them, and what works in regards to the gameplay.

RPG Site: Are you working with Disney's home offices in the states on these matters, or the Japanese arm?

Yasue: It's mainly the Japanese side. The people I work with at Disney in Japan are very enthusiastic and excited for Kingdom Hearts. It's an important franchise to them. We respect the fact that they are meticulous in their checking and rules, as that's the way we would be if we had someone making a game for us, it's very understandable.

RPG Site: With 2.5 coming out this year, and KH3 not coming out any time soon, do you guys have any plans to bridge that gap with other Kingdom Hearts titles? I know you have the browser game in Japan, is there any chance you will bring that outside of Japan?

Yasue: I can't comment on Kingdom Hearts X[chi] as it's a different team, but between Kingdom Hearts 2 and 3, there is always the possibility of another Kingdom Hearts. We are taking into consideration a lot of different titles but there is no decisions as of yet.

RPG Site: It's a bit of a personal note, but I'd quite like to see more of the cast from Birth by Sleep.
Yasue: I think they are great too, and perhaps they will be resurrected one day. That's a possibility.

RPG Site: In the E3 trailer for 2.5 HD ReMIX, there was a small segment at the end that showed a tiny bit of KH3D and the text that was teasing Kingdom Hearts 3, obviously the game isn't here at E3, so why did you decide to include that?

Yasue: Well we wanted something of Kingdom Hearts 3 here, 2.5 is the biggest thing here, but at the same time we wanted a tease. The bit right at the end actually starts at the beginning of Kingdom Hearts 3 - it's an integral part to the game, and Nomura has a very clear vision for that scene in the game: two characters side by side, we voice recorded it and put it in. It's really the start of Kingdom Hearts 3, and it shows that 2.5 HD brings it together.

RPG Site: Can fans speculate on the characters that are involved in this scene due to voice actors that are used?

Yasue: Of course, that's what we want people to do, they are very important characters in the series, and it's not impossible to guess if you know the voice actors.
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Source: RPG Site

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Kingdom Hearts 2.5 ReMix Playable at Japan Expo!

Posted by Calxiyn : Jun 20, 2014 at 1:25 PM ( 5 , 1,039 )

Very exciting for European Kingdom Hearts Fans! This Japan Expo will be the perfect opportunity for fans to test French KINGDOM HEARTS HD 2.5 ReMIX before its release.

The Japan Expo will be taking place from July 2 - 6 at the Paris-Nord Villepinte Exhibition Center.

Square Enix France has confirmed several titles to be playable:

Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King
Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 ReMix
Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: Curtain Call
Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn (Special Guest - Director & Producer: Naoki Yoshida)

The event will be going on for 5 days for not only video games, but manga and anime as well.

This is the first time European fans will get a good look at the new remaster! If you're able to attend this is not something you want to miss!

Source: Kingdom Hearts Destiny

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Game Watch interview with Tai Yasue

Posted by Meilin Lee : Jun 19, 2014 at 8:20 PM ( 6 , 1,175 )

Japanese gaming site Game Watch has conducted an interview with Kingdom Hearts co-director Tai Yasue, where he discusses more on the development on Kingdom Hearts 2.5 HD ReMix and when it started, 2.5 HD ReMix PS3 themes, additional things unlocked if the player has completed 1.5 HD ReMix, and the usual KH3 tease. The translated interview can be viewed below:

- Following Kingdom Hearts 1.5, Kingdom Hearts 2.5 is in it’s final stages of development. With the know-how acquired with KH1.5, was developing KH2.5 that different? Was it easier? Or on the other hand, was it more difficult?

Yasue: When we started KH1.5, we had trouble figuring out just how we were going to HD-ify it, but by the time we approached KH2.5 we had it figured out. Technically it’s better, but the staff themselves feel more reliable too. (Laughs) I feel like the team is accustomed and I don’t have to worry too much. Things went smoothly. However, as a creator there are things that I want to see happen too. If time allows, there are parts I want to elaborate more on. As a result, KH2.5 feels more extensive. As a whole, programmers, designers, UI designers, effects people, etc., basically everyone did their part in carefully remaking it. We really pushed each other. (Laughs)

- It sounds like you had an “if we can do it, we will” kind of attitude.

Yasue: You could say that. We pushed the textures to the limit of the PS3’s capabilities. It really made the programmers crazy. We HD-ify to the max of the PS3’s potential.

- Were there things that you fussed over specifically?

Yasue: Well to start, both KH2 and BBS are games with good reputations, so I figured we’d work without changing their charms. I wanted to leave what you see on screen the same, but prettier. The original KH2 had a screen ratio of 4:3, but now with a 16:9 ratio it feels more open. BBS was for PSP so it already had a 16:9 ratio, but we made a lot of necessary adjustments to the polygons and textures. For example, Keyblades seem kind of thin in the PSP version, so we made them appear thicker. Being fastidious like this really improves the quality. We especially spent a lot of time making all three playable characters, Aqua, Terra, and Ventus, look their best.

- Under what kind of structure does development take place?

Yasue: The Osaka team does the mother lode of work relating to KH2.5 and KH3, while cooperating with Tokyo staff. They are working on KH3 while working on KH2.5. There are staff working on KH3 that are pretty involved with KH2.5 as well. Programmers working on KH3 and KH2.5 are completely separated, however designers and planners related to cutscenes etc. work on both.

- It sounds like they work fluidly for such a large team.

Yasue: They do. It’s more efficient to make titles in the Kingdom Hearts series as a team since many people have inherited know-how they can share with each other.

- Do you feel like it’s a unique structure or rather, a better way of doing things?

Yasue: I think that it’s good since everyone motivates each other to keep busy in high spirits. You could say that working as a team keeps productivity consistently high. Normally when one thing ends, that’s one conclusion, but I feel like this isn’t the case, we keep moving. In that sense, no one ever rests. (Laughs) Lately whenever I talk to the character section leader, he stares at me like a deer in the headlights. (Laughs) Also, when we’re making KH3, it’s pointless if we don’t understand where the series’ merits are. It’s why the new people added to the team come along knowing the merits of the first KH and KH2 as well as what was good about BBS. It’s an environment where they can inherit invaluable skills and knowledge.

- It seems in many cases specifically planners are working on both titles, must they have a good grasp on the details of the storyline?

Yasue: Of course that’s necessary. Since Nomura depicts such a terribly grand storyline, even members of the development team sometimes have trouble keeping track. Therefore KH1.5 and KH2.5 are being put together is so it’s easy to get a good grasp of what’s going on. We wanted players to relive these titles on the PS3 so they could easily grasp the foreshadowing presented in the past works.

- Obviously KH1.5 and KH2.5 are considered prerequisites for players of KH3, are they necessary for the development team too?

Yasue: When we started the KH3 project, we were also starting the plans for KH1.5 and KH2.5 too. There are staff who haven’t played the series, as well as those who haven’t played since their original release, so the remixes are a refresher for the team too.

- KH1.5 and KH2.5 envelop 3 games each, and if you include the 3DS title, Kingdom Hearts 3D Dream Drop Distance, that’s 7 titles total. You don’t see stories that are spread over so many titles very often.

Yasue: It really is expansive, so it’s tough to grasp. But, that’s also one of it’s merits. The more you see of the past, the more you’ll understand why things happened in the present. I think it’s fun to put everything together in your head. I think it’s something player’s enjoy together.

- About how long has KH2.5’s development period been?

Yasue: Programmers started working spring of last year. We started with researching the data and structure of KH2 and BBS, and then we built the foundation for the remake. Around fall the designers and planners were working on it too and we were in the flow of HD-ifying.

- Was it easy to prepare the original KH2 data for use on the PS3? Did mishaps happen like losing original data or it being unusable on other hardware?

Yasue: Regarding that, we were able to use KH2’s data. The original data had been made extremely detailed. However, it’s still necessary to treat it before putting it on PS3, adding details to the characters, background scenery, and textures. I think in comparison, KH2.5 looks exceptionally beautiful. Like I mentioned previously, the screen is wider, so the gameplay has inherently improved, for example it’s easier to see an attack approaching from the side in battle.

- I had a chance to play it, and I felt like the redone textures look fantastic.

Yasue: If we’re talking about BBS, the texture data of the characters is about 4 times the original. The data for KH2 isn’t that different, but nevertheless all of the textures were retouched.

- I’m sure that when you HD-ify a game, the impressions about the original version are bound to change. Things like, “I can see too much now!” or “I can see that the facial nuances have changed somewhat.” What do you think about that?

Yasue: We prepared in anticipation for that kind of response. Particularly regarding the character’s faces, we were very careful to retouch without changing their expressions. Part of Kingdom Heart’s charm is the non-realistic graphics and Disney animation type depictions. Even when we raise the graphic quality, our concern isn’t to make things more realistic, but rather we aim to have smoother gradations, brighter colors, and keep the Disney-esque merits.

- We talked about the screen ratio changing in the HD version, but one of the other issues that cropped up was that since more of the screen was visible on the sides, the cutscenes unintentionally showed things they weren’t supposed to. How was that handled? Were there a lot of scenes like that?

Yasue: Yes, since the screen ratio change in KH2 was a big difference, there were plenty of spots we needed to change. Spots where the effects were lacking, animation was suspended, or the menu didn’t appear at all, etc.

- How was working on different hardware? Speaking from the programming side, were you able to transplant the shaders smoothly?

Yasue: We were able to inherit the structure itself as is and we made it with the intention of retouching things in detail rather than just boosting the original presentation. For example, the KH3 shaders being made for the PS4/Xbox One are altogether different, we didn’t add a lighting mechanism to KH2.5, the original data is reproduced and retouched.

- I’m sure when you brought BBS, originally a PSP game, to the PS3 there was a lot of spec room for improvement. Did you come across any hardware restrictions with this HD remix? Or were you able to improve the PSP quality base to the utmost?

Yasue: That’s right. Like with KH2, we aimed to use the PSP data as a base and then increase the resolution and amount of texture data. We retouched as much as the PS3 could handle. While the fundamental structure didn’t change, we increased the quality as much as possible within the PS3’s limits.

- How about the loading timing and frequency?

Yasue: That hasn’t really changed compared to the original. Just like the original version, the loading time exists while the PS3’s memory is being maximized to create the best quality image. Back when we were doing trial and error on KH1.5, the programmers were really troubled by this. This time the know-how acquired from that experience helped work go more smoothly, so to that extent it was easier and allowed designers to do more within the limits.

- Have the game controls and systems become easier to use than the original?

Yasue: BBS certainly changed, since it was originally on the PSP. We arranged the controls to suit the PS3, making the camera easier to use, etc. The PS2 and PS3 operability are close to each other, so there aren’t any big changes to KH2.

- BBS had a world called “Mirage Arena” where players could use multiplayer, is that still the case?

Yasue: We’re redone the Mirage Arena so it’s an enjoyable place in singleplayer mode. We’ve regulated the battle movements and AI as well. We’ve also put in a challenge mode component, where you can receive medals and bonuses for clearing.

- The Nintendo DS title Kingdom Hearts Re:coded is being remade into an HD cutscene compilation like 358/2 Days was in KH1.5, could you tell us more about that?

Yasue: Compared to 358/2 Days, there is more footage in this compilation. 358/2 Days had about 2 hours worth, but Re:coded is about 3 hours long. We had originally planned for it to be shorter, but.. it just kinda grew and grew. (Laughs) One of the features in this compilation is the inclusion of new cutscenes that were once battle scenes in the original. Including the battle scenes in between intervals makes the story easier to understand. Voices were added to the story outline cutscene as well as all the new cutscenes. The camera production was improved as well, as fit for an HD version of Kingdom Hearts. In addition, we added a “secret episode” thing, though I can’t talk about it’s contents. When you watch it, it’ll connect the missing links of the other Kingdom Hearts titles and deepen your understanding of the story.

- I see. Are there any other new elements?

Yasue: You’ll receive a custom theme for each title you clear, as well as trophy content and additional things for continuing on from KH1.5. As for game content, the original version is popular enough so we didn’t change anything. We devoted our power to making it look as beautiful as possible.

- Most of the staff must have a deep fondness for the series, has there ever been occurrences where out of that fondness, they’ve become too nitpicky?

Yasue: Heh, well. (Laughs) There are character designers on the Tokyo team that have been working on the series since the first Kingdom Hearts, they definitely love Kingdom Hearts. They did amazing retouching work on the characters this time, but they also said, “There’s not enough memory for this.” (Laughs) All the staff on the team really love Kingdom Hearts. When they get picky, it’s hard to compromise with the PS3’s specifications. I did my best, shouldn’t they be happy?

- Speaking of discerning refinement, have you ever looked at an enhanced scene and said, “Oh this scene looks beyond recognition…”

Yasue: Honestly, I feel that way as a whole whenever I see the enhanced scenes. Recently, when I watched the scenes in the Pirates of the Caribbean world, I really noticed how pretty it was with the wide screen, the enhanced details, and vivid colors. The KH2 fight with Roxas is really good too. Even the gummi ship menu looks really nice. I feel like as a whole it’s generally beyond recognition. My first impressions are how striking and clear it is. I think anyone who sees it will understand.

- You’ve worked on both HD compilations, KH1.5 and KH2.5, as well as Kingdom Hearts 3D, so from your point of view, what is the being reflected in the Kingdom Hearts tites?

Yasue: That’s a tough question. (Laughs) Especially since it’s such a grand story and we’re approaching the ending point of the Dark Seeker chronicles. We’ve been foreshadowing since the beginning and adding new things as well. When Nomura says something new about the Kingdom Hearts universe or story, even sometimes I am surprised by what he reveals. Since old things from the past titles are important and pop up somewhere new, they don’t feel old. The titles are always fresh. Especially since we work with Disney, who is also putting out new content as we go along. There’s steadily more to work with. You never grow weary working on Kingdom Hearts titles.

- Among the titles that you didn’t work on the original versions of, are there parts that you were particularly impressed with or surprised by?

Yasue: There’s a fair amount to be impressed with. Right now, just about everyday I’m working on KH2 boss fights in KH2.5, and I am really impressed with how well the Organization XIII members were done. If you don’t figure out how to fight them, you’ll definitely lose. I think that a really good job was done on them. When I win, I really savor the feeling of achievement. Also, even on things that I worked on in the past, I’ve completely forgot about since so much time has passed, When I’m replaying, I remember the schemes and think, “Oh, you’ve got to go about it like this!” Especially in BBS. Most recently I was playing Ventus’ chapter in the Cinderella world, checking how the enemies flew about when you ride on the ball of yarn, and got the urge to play for real. BBS was my first title, and developing a game system with new elements was really stimulating. On that point, KH2 is very refined, it’s something that anyone can be deeply moved by. Even people who aren’t heavy gamers can enjoy it.

- A wide variety of gamers are Kingdom Hearts fans, it must be important for the games not to be too simple but not too complicated as well. On the other hand, I think there’s a gap when often you are pitted against a challenging boss.

Yasue: That’s how it is. There’s always a scene with a boss that appears offering some resistance. I think as a whole there is an impression that the series is for light gamers, but if you play it you realize that’s not the case. Those kind of challenges are one of the content’s charms that I want to exploit, the challenges give players a chance to savor their victory. It’s something that I don’t plan on changing from hereafter. By the way, that kind of battle balance hasn’t been changed in KH2.5. The original versions of KH2 and BBS are popular among players so we didn’t change anything. We progressed there without tampering with anything.

- I see. How is the current development status?

Yasue: Right now each part is just about finished up, one of the last things we’re doing is embedding the cutscenes. After this we’ll be debugging. At this rate we’ll meet the sale date without any problems.

- This time at E3 there were demo’s for KH2’s Halloween Town and Beast’s Castle as well as BBS demo’s of Ventus’s cute search in Castle of Dreams, Terra’s battle in Enchanted Dominion, and Aqua’s chapter from story to boss in Radiant Gardens(this report orginally said Dwarf Woodlands, but that seems to be a mistake). Was there a reason for picking these specific settings?

Yasue: Well, they’re all settings that I particularly like. I like the atmosphere of the Halloween Town and the Christmas costumes, and I really like the boss fight at Beast’s Castle. As for the BBS scenarios, in Aqua’s demo you see a good glimpse of the story as well as how the 3 main characters are connected. Also the boss in her demo is one of the fairly powerful ones in the whole of BBS. In Terra’s demo we see a somber cool man in a tough spot make a choice, and in Ventus’ demo we see a cute pop atmosphere setting. Those worlds were some of the first ones that were planned, so they are unforgettable places.

- Speaking of E3, do you pay attention to how many overseas fans the series has? Or how excited they are for the series?

Yasue: There are a lot of fervent fans overseas as well. It’s also a Disney title but on it’s own it’s really loved. When it’s time for E3, you can really feel it. When we announced KH3 we streamed the trailer online, and the overseas fansites exploded with excitement. You might say that seeing that kind of reaction gives me strength as a developer. It made me want to do my best for the fans. Contrary to thinking that most people who play the Kingdom Hearts series are just playing for fun and take it lightly, there are a lot of people who feel a deep enthusiasm for it. The same is the case in America.

- It seems there a lot of people who don’t really play games, but when it comes to Kingdom Hearts, they become hardcore about it.

Yasue: Indeed. There seem to be quite a few people who are strictly Kingdom Hearts fans. They’re very special players, I don’t want to disappoint them.

- With so many people who are passionate about the series, the pressure must be terrible.

Yasue: I guess. But when I look at the comments online, they’re mostly warmhearted. I’m terribly thankful for it.

- Speaking of the fans opinions, this time the HD releases are on PS3, but I feel like a lot of fans might have wanted them on a different platform. For example, on PS4 or PS Vita. What do you think about expanding development onto other platforms?

Yasue: Immediately, it’s hard for me to comment about that. Right now it’s only on PS3. Since KH1.5 and KH2.5 are first developed on PC and then onto other platforms, I think it’s technically possible, so I’ll keep my ears open to the fan’s voices.

- There was a profound scene at the end of the new trailer presented at E3, what’s the significance of it?

Yasue: That is a portion which also becomes the beginning of KH3, talking about the time of the Keyblade War. How long ago was it compared to the current point in time? (Wry laughter) It’s important and becomes central to KH3. Nomura was really picky about that scene. Even though this time we’re showing just a teaser, the scene and atmosphere have been determined.

- It’s because it connects KH2.5 to KH3, right? I feel like the scene demonstrated the merits of the teams working on both KH2.5 and KH3 moving from one work to the next. The Kingdom Hearts series is extensive, I imagine that it must be truly hectic making titles for it.

Yasue: I don’t think it’d be possible without the team continuing on as a group. We’re always continuing, and when new people are added, they’ll inherit the base knowledge from their peers. If the staff isn’t familiar with Kingdom Hearts’ merits and tastes and they don’t become experts about the series, we couldn’t make the series. As a series it’s huge, so I think that engaging in development would be difficult without flexible people. You have to be particular about the series and the direction of the game’s nature, but also be particular about the Disney titles too. Each Disney title has specifics that need to be adhered to as well. You have to make something new while paying respect to the original and exceptionally flexible correspondence is required. Regardless of what I say, it’s because the creator Tetsuya Nomura is firmly fixated himself. He’s very easy to work with, and he doesn’t stir. He’ll clearly suggest something and say, “This goes like that.”

- Lastly, a word to the fans please.

Yasue: Without bending to the self-satisfaction of developers, we enhanced KH2 and BBS as a whole for the fans who loved them. The quality has improved greatly thanks to the time and labor of over 70 staff. I think it’ll be a fresh experience for those who haven’t played the originals before and for those who replay it, I hope that they appreciate how beautiful it’s become. Right now the details are being steadily tweaked and finished up very, very carefully. An ending point is reached in Kingdom Hearts 3 and I think if you play KH2.5, you’ll be able to enjoy KH3 even more.
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Source: SQEX.info

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Kingdom Hearts Stickers added to LINE App

Posted by Meilin Lee : Jun 19, 2014 at 7:30 PM ( 1 , 1,414 )

The instant messaging smartphone app LINE has added Kingdom Hearts-themed stickers that can be used during chat sessions in the app. The stickers (part of a $1.99 package, and available in both English and Japanese), can be seen below:

[IMG]

Source: @_KINGDOMHEARTS

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KH HD 2.5 ReMix Appears in Famitsu (including an interview with Tai Yasue)

Posted by Meilin Lee : Jun 18, 2014 at 6:57 PM ( 13 , 1,545 )

The latest issue of Famitsu has included Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 ReMix in 8 pages, focusing on Kingdom Hearts 2: Final Fix specifically, discussing the characters, gameplay, and plot of the game, as well as including images (with a SD vs. HD comparison image of one scene). In addition, Famitsu has also conducted an interview with HD 2.5 ReMix co-director Tai Yasue. Both the scans and translated interview can be seen below:

[IMG]

Tai Yasue Interview:

- KINGDOM HEARTS HD 1.5 ReMIX, three games from the series have been HD remastered for the first time, was released last year. How were the fan reactions?

Tai Yasue: KINGDOM HEARTS HD 1.5 ReMIX in general received positive feedback. However in the cutscenes of KINGDOM HEARTS 358/2 Days, we received opinions that it was “difficult to understand because there were no battle scenes”. So KINGDOM HEARTS Re:coded was created in the same manner in KINGDOM HEARTS HD 2.5 ReMIX as footage with both battle scenes and event cutscenes. The battles will be one of the highlights of this title.

- KINGDOM HEARTS HD 2.5 ReMIX has been decided to release on October 2nd. Is the development progressing smoothly?

Yasue: About 90% of it has been finished. Further events are followed by fixing bugs. During the time of KINGDOM HEARTS HD 1.5 ReMIX, there were times where we felt progressing was troubling. However this time, it has been progressing much more smoothly. In KINGDOM HEARTS II and KINGDOM HEARTS Birth by Sleep, concentrating on making the models and textures more beautiful has been going good so far. Especially for the PSP title KINGDOM HEARTS Birth by Sleep, we are raising the quality of each character model about 4 times and we are pushing the limits of the PS3’s memory with the quality.

- When working on the HD Remasters, what kind of work was done specifically?

Yasue: We had to redraw almost all of the textures. It’s surprisingly low tech (laughs). The programmers were asked to convert updated textures (with software technology to clean the images). In the KINGDOM HEARTS series, a whiff of the Disney titles have a smooth gradation and we are putting our efforts on color saturation. So designers with skilled techniques are very important.

- So the craftsmanship of the designers have achieved the graphical look?

Yasue: That’s right. Because of concerning parts from the original version, HD remastering it has to be done by hand. If done otherwise, the quality cannot be obtained. Thanks to the hard work of designers working diligently, the differences between the original version and the HD version is evident.

- That’s the KINGDOM HEARTS team for sure.

Yasue: Yeah. The look on Tetsuya Nomura’s face was priceless because we took particular care and attention. (laughs)

- In the latest promotional video of KINGDOM HEARTS HD 2.5 ReMIX, we have been wondering about the two character illustrations, “Lost Masters”, and “On that land, darkness shall prevail and light will expire”. Is that KINGDOM HEARTS III?

Yasue: You are correct! In fact, the project of KINGDOM HEARTS III has been proceeding considerably. It was an excerpt of the beginning of the storyboard Nomura drew in the footage.

- Those two are new characters?

Yasue: It doesn’t seem to be, it definitely isn’t. Our hint is that it’s someone from the past. I wonder if I said too much. (laughs)

- Interesting. (laughs) Concerning the action, it looks like the Keyblade can transform. Nomura said there were also “ridiculous transformations”.

Yasue: Yeah. (laughs) [omitted] in a world, the Keyblade can change into [omitted]. The Keyblade will also be reflected on the style of the world.

- Give us a roundup of KINGDOM HEARTS HD 2.5 ReMIX!

Yasue: The staff has putted all of their emotions into this title for the KINGDOM HEARTS series. All of these works have been building up to KINGDOM HEARTS III. By playing KINGDOM HEARTS HD 1.5 ReMIX and KINGDOM HEARTS HD 2.5 ReMIX, you will have a deeper understanding of the story and you will be able to experience KINGDOM HEARTS III more deeply. Personally, my favorites are KINGDOM HEARTS Birth by Sleep and KINGDOM HEARTS II and they can be enjoyed in this collection in its best state. Please look forward to it by all means.
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Credit to @ExeForce87 for the scans, and Zephyr of KHInsider for the translated interview.

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