Disney's "Toy Box" & Square Enix's Missed Opportunity
- Details
- Published on October 23, 2012 @ 02:00 am
- Written by Arielle
Since the very first Kingdom Hearts game was released in 2002 there have been many wishes made over what Disney characters and movies should make their appearance in each new installment. One such wish expressed by a great majority of fans through online communities and social media sites has been to feature Pixar films in the games. Even though Disney did not own Pixar, they did have the rights over distribution, stories, and characters. Pixar being in Kingdom Hearts was not an impossibility because of that fact, but it was the cause of major conflict between the two companies. Hopes were crushed in 2004 when Pixar and Disney entered a dispute over movie rights and a potential fallout seemed inevitable. Pixar wished to have full ownership of their movies, but after two years of turbulent negotiations Disney purchased Pixar for approximately $7 billion in May 2006.
This merger between Disney and Pixar rekindled the hopes of Kingdom Hearts fans, and not long after the merger it seems the series got very close to having Woody and Buzz from Pixar's Toy Story featured as summons. Models of the two iconic characters were found unfinished within the coding of Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix released in 2007, which created more hype among fans than ever. If Woody and Buzz had made it in the final product of the game, that would have been the very first time Disney and Pixar characters had been featured in console game together.
Such a historic honor has instead been claimed by Disney's new project, "Toy Box". In a recent interview with Disney Interactive co-presidents James Pitaro and John Pleasants by the New York Times, the upcoming project is described to be "a console game with extensive mobile and online applications in which various Pixar and Disney characters will interact with one another for the first time." This heavily-funded project is part of Disney Interactive's ongoing initiative to solidify their place in both the gaming and online world.
While "Toy Box" is making strides to combine the two properties together, the idea of Pixar characters ever being in Kingdom Hearts has rarely been brought up. Series director Tetsuya Nomura has been asked about the idea a few times in the last ten years, only giving vague answers about Pixar's inclusion. Recently, though, Nomura has given his honest opinion on the matter in an interview released in the Kingdom Hearts 3D [Dream Drop Distance] Ultimania:
"I wish and wish, but I’ve wanted for a long time to have Pixar titles appear in the series. I’m already working on many ideas, but I can’t say whether they will become a reality or not."
So even though Square Enix will not be the first to have Pixar and Disney blend together, there is still the chance that fans might see Pixar movies featured in Kingdom Hearts yet. Fans want it, Nomura wants it. Maybe in Kingdom Hearts III?
Let's just wait and see.
Source: The New York Times, GameInformer
COMMENTS
This HAS to become a reality. I would love to see Woody and Buzz interacting with Sora in KH3. Here's hoping that it actually happens *Fingers crossed*!
Online applications makes me think of the Browser game...
The interview excerpt is beyond depressing to me. It sounds so genuinely disappointed.
Looking forward to seeing what this "Toy Box" will be and how they take advantage of being the first console title with Disney-Pixar interaction.
I an honestly super hyped for it, even though we know nothing xD
And yeah ;~; Nomura ;A; I feel like he's been asking for the use of Pixar for a long time and every time he gets one of those "hmm, we'll think about it" or a solid "no" ;~;
you make it sound like its a competition on who gets to do it first.I honestly don't care when as long as it happens in the end
If you want my honest opinion, I'm excited over "Toy Box" however it may turn out. I just feel bad for Nomura since he's been trying to get Pixar in KH for years now and now there is this crossover happening. This might end up being a good thing because since Disney has gotten to do this first, they might be more lenient to let Nomura use Pixar in future games.
The main purpose of this article is to inform people about "Toy Box" and to get some discussion going.
Will be surprised if Kingdom Hearts original characters don't show up in Wreck It Ralph (even as a cameo), that will be a major missed opportunity on Disney's part (especially since Disney owns the rights to Kingdom Hearts original characters)
That Nomura quote really depresses me; Nomura clearly wants to include Pixar in KH and probably has some refreshing ideas that he could implement with Pixar worlds but he's unable to use them.
I'm not entirely excited about this "Toy Box", we'll see when more information is released... but this is definitely a missed opportunity for Square Enix. It would have been neat if they had been the first to incorporate Pixar/Disney characters in the same game.
I thought for sure KH3D was going to see a pixar world. Toy Story should be saved until KHIII, but I thought maybe Monsters Inc. would have made a good world for KH3D. I could have easily seen Sora and Riku grinding against the rails they use in the factory to transport the closet doors around.
Oh well. I'm sure Toy Story will make it into KHIII.
With this update do you guys think this enhances or hiders the likelihood of Kingdom hearts making an appearance in the upcoming Pixar movie Wreck it Ralph?
Disney generally doesn't acknowledge KH's existence at all. We're still hopeful after catching sight of that "Aerith Lives" grafitti, but I don't think it'll surprise anyone otherwise.
Like Sign said, Disney likes to act as if Kingdom Hearts doesn't really exist. We have a FF reference in the film, but the chance of seeing somebody like Sora just kicking it in Game Central Station with his keyblade or even graffiti on the wall saying "Kingdom Hearts is light" or whatever anybody imagines is very slim.
The hilarious thing is Disney owns any original Kingdom Hearts characters made for the series, so you'd really think they'd utilize that fact. :|
Like, keep your eyes open while watching the film on November 2nd, but don't expect anything xD
I wouldn't expect a cameo.
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