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Dengeki Playstation Interview w/ Tetsuya Nomura

Posted by Meilin Lee : Jul 21, 2017 at 7:07 PM ( 0 , 814 )

In a new interview with Dengeki Playstation, 'Kingdom Hearts' series director, Tetsuya Nomura, got to speak more about 'Kingdom Hearts III' following the major news from D23 last Saturday, explaining more about Keyblade transformations, Twilight Town's role in the game, and a few words on 'Kingdom Hearts Union X[cross]'. Check out the fully translated interview below (courtesy of Zephyr of KHInsider):

Recently, a variety of information has been revealed from the latest footage. Many fans were surprised from the announcement of the release window “2018”.

Nomura: I had no choice but to be cautious for the announcement of the release date. Therefore, it is just the year but the release window is fixed and we're working towards that. I wanted you to have a peace of mind with that announcement.

To suit their appearance according to the world, Sora and the gang have changed into toys.

Nomura: The design progress it took to make that appearance was long. I’ve tried to make it look like a figurine and I’ve explored various ways of stylizing the graphics into a 3-dimensional bit image.

In the battle scene, Sora, Donald, Goofy, and in addition to Woody and Buzz made it a five-team party?

Nomura: In the footage, there are five people fighting at the same time. Depending on the world, it’d be possible to fight with up to 4 or more people with guest characters. Teaming up with others is also possible and please wait for the next report regarding the party system.

With Sora being toy sized and battling outside the house, the world felt large.

Nomura: With that size, it’s not possible for them to go anywhere far (laughs). The main area in the Toy Story world is the toy shop. The footage showed a toy shop called “Galaxy Toys” which is such a large area.

There are situations where Sora fights inside a robot.

Nomura: The idea of controlling a robot has been around during early development. There are different types of robots you can board and each of their fighting styles are different. There is another gimmick on another floor.

In Olympus, there is an impressive battle between Rock Titan, and there seems to be more variety of elements in each world.

Nomura: We were pretty conscious about it while making it. Even in KH0.2 Birth by Sleep -A Fragmentary Passage-, I believe the maps have expanded platforming-wise and there is a need for exploration. KINGDOM HEARTS III has fewer Disney worlds than KINGDOM HEARTS II but the quality of each world is greater than in previous works.

In KINGDOM HEARTS II, after visiting each world once, there was a scenario incentive to revisit them but what about KINGDOM HEARTS III?

Nomura: I personally liked having to revisit the worlds twice but KINGDOM HEARTS III has a different flow.

Keyblade transformation is one of the main features in KINGDOM HEARTS III, and in this video, we see the transformation of the drill and hammer.

Nomura: The Keyblade can transform into various shapes. In any case, the drill is very lovely (laughs).

Can the drill and hammer only be used in the Toy Story world?

Nomura: It’s not restricted to the world but its ability is from the Keyblade obtained in the Toy Story world. Essentially, every Keyblade is capable of transforming and the Toy Story Keyblade transforms into the drill and hammer. And in KINGDOM HEARTS III, the Keyblade and Form are systematically attached together.

What does that mean?

Nomura: In KINGDOM HEARTS II, you could decide which form to switch into during battle but this time, forms activate when you transform your Keyblade.

Are there forms as many as the number of Keyblades?

Nomura: Actually no. Each Keyblade has an attributed type such as attack or defense and those are the forms that exists for each type. You switch into the form while transforming the Keyblade. By the way, the series’ iconic Keyblade Kingdom Key changes Sora into Second Form (Tentative Name) w/ KH2 color scheme but this form is exclusive to Kingdom Key. The Keyblade doesn’t transform but your tactics change. Some forms are specific to certain Keyblades.

Fighting with the Keyblade transformations, it seems pretty fun.

Nomura: Regarding battle actions, everything is pretty elaborate. Like I mentioned earlier, the transformations are unique to each Keyblade. When using the Olympus Keyblade, it transforms into a shield. Also, in the recent footage, arrows and a bazooka were used alongside each other. Once you acquire the Keyblade, you can immediately start using the abilities seen in the footage.

In the battle scene in the Toy Story world, Sora seems to be in a new form?

Nomura: Even in the Toy Story world where their appearance reflects the world, so does the form. In the footage, when you use the drill and hammer, the form also changes.

From the previous E3 footage, there’s a cutscene in Twilight Town. It seems to be an important world again.

Nomura: Twilight Town is a place where you’ll have gameplay tutorials and it’ll be one of the earlier stages.

In the recent E3 footage, there was some interesting dialogue about Roxas and I’m concerned about the development of KINGDOM HEARTS III.

Nomura: Because there are too many characters that are appearing, the storyline has become complicated. There are quite a number of main characters that have appeared in the series, and every character will appear in some form.

Will KINGDOM HEARTS III be able to solve all the mysteries concerning certain characters?

Nomura: The final chapter of the Dark Seeker Saga will form their conclusions.

In the recent footage and the previous E3 footage, what is the meaning behind the quote?

Nomura: “Don’t assume your dreams are just fantasy. If you can imagine a world, believe in it…and dive in.” was it? It means: “jumping into an imaginative world without dreaming of it being fantasy.” That is a catchphrase for the promotional trailers. It doesn’t necessarily have a deep hidden meaning involved with the storyline. Since the recent footage began with Sora’s dive scene, I tried to convey such a message.

For smartphones, KINGDOM HEARTS Unchained Chi was renamed as KINGDOM HEARTS Union Cross. What was the intention of changing the title?

Nomura: Since we were implementing multiplayer, we’ve decided to change it and present it as a renewal of the title. One of the reasons was the new story expansion focusing around the Union Leaders.

During the time of KHUX’s re-release, many people were surprised Ventus was revealed as the third Union Leader.

Nomura: KINGDOM HEARTS Union Cross draws an important development in the series, so I’d like for you to play it now. Blaine recently appeared as the fourth Union Leader and the fifth person will appear in the Main Quest updated in August.

Finally, the new five Union Leaders gather together.

Nomura: That’s right. After the gathering of the five, the main storyline for Union Cross starts to progress.

I’m interested about its connection with KINGDOM HEARTS III.

Nomura: If you play KINGDOM HEARTS III, you will also recognize the story of KINGDOM HEARTS Union Cross. For those who are anticipating KINGDOM HEARTS III and interested in the series’ story, I recommend to play KINGDOM HEARTS Union Cross.

In the event of the gathering of the Union Leaders, Ventus made remarks such as “stray” and “ranking” and I felt like I could relate (laughs).

Nomura: I did not mean to have such “meta statements” but I’ve intended to show that Ventus wasn’t using a special Keyblade.

Nomura-san, how far into the future will KINGDOM HEARTS Union Cross still be considered?

Nomura: I’ve thought of a rough story concept in advance. But for now, I will continue to make connections to the main storyline.

Nomura-san, for KINGDOM HEARTS Union Cross’ scenario, events, and raise draws, how much are you involved with those?

Nomura: I always direct the scenario, design, and game system. Regarding ordinary management work, it’s left to the management team. We frequently discuss and consult about developments for the distant future.

Do you have any plans to celebrate the 2nd anniversary in September?

Nomura: Time sure flies. KINGDOM HEARTS Unchained Chi will be reaching its second year. For the anniversary event, naturally I’ll continue to add to the main scenario and new elements so look forward to it.
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Miyu Irino Panel Transcript Released

Posted by Heart ❤ : Jul 20, 2017 at 10:02 PM ( 0 , 966 )

As we previously reported, earlier this month, Miyu Irino, the Japanese voice actor of Sora, attended Anime Expo 2017 in Los Angeles, California.

While there, he participated in a panel and autograph sessions. Thanks to Nerd Reactor, there is a summarized transcript available. An excerpt from the transcript (in which Kingdom Hearts is mentioned) will be linked below but I highly recommend checking out the full version over on their site for Irino's other roles, such as Haku from Spirited Away and Yuuichiro Hyakuya from my personal favorite, Seraph of the End (Owari no Seraph)!

Sora (Kingdom Hearts)
You’ve voice acted for video games. Do you enjoy playing video games yourself?

Of course, in primary and junior high school, I’d play a lot of video games. In summer, I’d spend 8-12 hours a day playing video games, like Final Fantasy, Mario, action games, RPGs, lots of different types of games. I recently purchased a PS4, and I’m playing Kingdom Hearts 2.8 right now.

We’ve talked about many roles today. Are there any types of roles you’d like to do?

It’s a very difficult question; it’s not really a question of what role I like to play, but more about how I am able to develop the character. If I really had to choose, I’d say Sora from Kingdom Hearts, as it has been 15 years since I first started the role. Being involved with a project for that long is something special, and I’d like to continue being involved and see where it goes.
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Source: Nerd Reactor

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Kingdom Hearts to Appear at Japan D23 Expo 2018 in February

Posted by Heart ❤ : Jul 19, 2017 at 6:53 PM ( 3 , 900 )

Good news for the Japanese Kingdom Hearts fans!

The Japanese Disney website recently announced that Kingdom Hearts will be present at D23 Expo Japan 2018; in fact it looks like Kingdom Hearts will have its own panel which is currently being called "Kingdom Hearts Fan Event". This name is tentative however, and thus will change in the future.

D23 Expo Japan 2018 will take place from February 10 to 12, 2018 at the Tokyo Disney Resort and surrounding areas. More information can be found on their website if anyone's interested in making the trip!

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Daily Mirror Interview w/ Tetsuya Nomura

Posted by Meilin Lee : Jul 19, 2017 at 6:30 PM ( 2 , 895 )

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In yet another interview following the major KH3 news reveal this past weekend at D23 Expo, 'Kingdom Hearts' director, Tetsuya Nomura, got to speak with Ryan Brown of the Daily Mirror. This time though, the questions are from fans of the KH series, with Nomura's responses to them ranging from interesting to hilarious. Check out the interview below:

Ryan: Is there already a plan for what happens after the Xehanort Saga that concludes in Kingdom Hearts III? Are there ideas for what future mainline and non-mainline titles might consist of already?

Nomura: Of course there are different plans that are in my mind and things that I would like to work on or depict in terms of narrative, but it's not like we have anything finalized with Disney as of yet, so I'm not able to introduce it or mention it at this time, but again, I do have different ideas in my head.

Ryan: What did you think of Kingdom Hearts III being announced back in 2013? Were you consulted about the announcement and did you think it was the correct time for it to be announced?

Nomura: I understand some of the voices that are raised state that the announcement timing was a bit too early and I acknowledge that, but I do not like information going out in the form of a leak. Rather than having that leaked out unofficially, I'd rather make an official statement.

Ryan: How far in development is Kingdom Hearts III at the moment, percentage-wise?

Nomura: In terms of percentage of completion, and this is from previously as well, I tend to not describe it in terms of percentage because it's difficult to sort of say it as a straight number. But we do have a plan of development and we have said a period in which the project is being developed. Based on that, we have made our announcement for the release timing. Of course, there are things that are out of the development team and my control which includes company decisions, the decision to change the engine that we're utilizing or having personnel being shifted so that we have more resources to develop; things like that may have contributed to our development period being shifted, but that period itself we feel is still on track. It's not like the development team had any sort of issues or troubles amongst ourselves in terms of the scheduling, but due to things out of our control that period sort of got shifted a little bit, but I feel that we are still working as planned in terms of our development period.

Ryan: With so much action going on in the game, such as Keyblade transformations, situation commands and the attraction flow rides, how have you balanced things so that nothing feels overpowered or so that players don't forget all the different things that they can do?

Nomura: So with these various different actions that are available in the game, each of them are very unique and very different if you compare the different actions that are available. For example, with the attraction flow that you brought up, you see the train and the spinning teacups and a ship was introduced. What's unique about those is that they're not part of a repertoire that you accumulate and choose from. It will depend on what situation you're in, so depending on what enemies you're facing and what world you're in, what attraction will show up is unknown until you've actually activated it. Once you do activate it it's a very flashy move and you can attack your enemies in that way. In terms of the Keyblade transformations, similarly it's very unique because it's not activated until certain conditions align and you are given that opportunity to execute the transformation. Even then, you can also choose to not activate it and continue your melee attacks, but when you do activate it as you continue hitting your enemies and your combos continue to chain, then it will transform yet again. I tried to make it so that it's a freedom that the player has and they can choose; each of them are sort of unique in its own way and you also have your regular attacks as well; your melee attacks, your magic attacks. Depending on what timing you're faced with in your battles or whatever conditions that are involved in your combat kind of depends on your strategy. We're hoping that the conditions to activate these special moves are different enough that it doesn't seem like one is preferred over the other and depending on various situations sometimes you have to accomplish a task and execute in that way. I feel that it'll allow for a wider range of options to choose from for our players depending on what you prefer is easier to use or less comfortable to work with. They're all sort of unique so I'm hoping it will broaden the strategic element of it as well.

Ryan: What are some of your favorite Disney and Pixar movies? I'm not asking hoping for a world reveal!

Nomura: In terms of favorite movies then, I like Lion King. Something more recent would be Alice in Wonderland; it'd be kind of cool to have The White Queen appear in Kingdom Hearts.

Ryan: How many of the worlds and Keyblades will there be and how many of them are going to be new?

Nomura: I can't reveal all of that information! (laughs)

Ryan: Is there a chance of more Final Fantasy characters making an appearance, or other Square-Enix properties like NieR and Dragon Quest?

Nomura: Of course, we do have precedence. There have been characters that have appeared throughout the series, so I don't think it's impossible but I'm not actively seeking to incorporate existing characters, only because we have such a large roster of original characters in there already. If there is a perfect fit, I'm sure the idea might come up, but at the same time I have to consider, is it worth allocating the resources to create the character and give it a role within Kingdom Hearts? Would it merit the effort that's put into it? We're not really actively looking for existing characters.

Ryan: Are there going to be more secret bosses? Will Sephiroth return?

Nomura: I can't say for certain, I hope, hint hint hint. I can't say for certain. In terms of Sephiroth, do you feel like you want to battle Sephiroth again? (laughs)

Ryan: I might cry, but yes, definitely.

Nomura: Even though you fought him twice? (laughs)

Ryan: My mum managed to beat him! She plays the games and she beat him!

Nomura: She's really good!

Ryan: She is! My friends were always impressed by her Kingdom Hearts skills.

Nomura: I don't think I can beat him! (laughs). In terms of the secret boss, we can't say anything at this time, but in terms of Sephiroth specifically, my development team are worried that we've had him come back so many times so they're maybe worried it might be redundant at this point. We're still deliberating on it.

Ryan: Have you ever imagined there being a Kingdom Hearts CGI movie, similar to Advent Children or Kingsglaive?

Nomura: Nothing has been thought about in terms of a cinematic piece, only because it's difficult to put into a narrative that has become as complex as Kingdom Hearts. Of course, we do have a 15 year history so it has come up in discussions about doing some sort of cinematic piece, especially from Disney. They are interested in making a CG movie of sort, but again, it's difficult to make the call on how we want to execute it and how to form it. I still haven't come to a resolution about what would be the most appropriate way in which we depict the narrative, so nothing specific has been formulated.

Ryan: So, zips and belts are prevalent in the character design. Is that just because you like the aesthetic? Does it have meaning behind it? Why does Donald's hat have zips?

Nomura: That was my preference back when I first designed the characters, so 15 years ago. At that time, people teased me about zippers and belts and whatnot and I'm the type of person if somebody eggs me on I'm gonna do it more! Nowadays, I'm not as conscious about adding them in. I'm not the type of person that would shrink down when people tease me about it. I'm gonna fight back! I'm gonna go back at it and do it more. So, if people egg me on saying 'oh, Kingdom Hearts III is delayed' well, I might even delay it further! (laughs)

Ryan: How did Lea obtain his Keyblade?

Nomura: Just out of curiosity, did you go to any of our Kingdom Hearts world orchestras?

Ryan: Yes, I did.

Nomura: In terms of Lea and him obtaining the Keyblade, it's not really depicted specifically that's for sure. During the events of Dream Drop Distance it's conveyed that he is training under Merlin's care and it was just a brief mention. There will be a bit more of a mention in Kingdom Hearts III on how Lea is aiming to become a Keyblade wielder. In the concert, you may remember one of the videos where a girl is narrating. That's actually Kairi writing a letter about her training, so Kingdom Hearts III touches upon that part of the story. Unfortunately, it's not going to be going into details about what happened in the events of Dream Drop Distance, but it will be addressed in some way in Kingdom Hearts III.

Ryan: Have you ever read any Kingdom Hearts fan fiction and did any either inspire or disturb you?

Nomura: I've not read any sort of fan fiction, but if you go on the internet of course you see images. I've seen different drawings and art that was created based on the games, but I haven't read any fan fiction unfortunately.

Ryan: Lastly, will Kingdom Hearts III be playable at any events in the near future? When can people expect to get their hands on it?

Nomura: Perhaps when we're finally able to reveal the month and date of the release.
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KH-Vids User Awards: Send in Your Nominations

Posted by Plums : Jul 19, 2017 at 2:29 AM ( 0 , 1,408 )

The nominations for the 2017 KH-Vids User Awards are now open!

Hey guys! For those who have never participated in the User Awards, or need a bit of a reminder, there are two phases: nominations and polls. A user will not appear in the final polls without first being nominated by their peers, so if you want to see someone in the poll, make sure you nominate them!

Before we begin, make sure you’ve read the general info on the User Awards. If it has left your questions answered, shoot me a message or post in this thread before nominating!

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