Can Kingdom Hearts 3 Benefit from the Next Generation of Hardware?

[Jadentheman]

IIRC Kingdom Hearts has always been running at 30fps that's why when a crap ton of enemies appear the lag is noticeable. And there is a difference between under 720p and 1080p. Yes even at 47-60 inches there is a difference. If people don't see that then they're stupid. And PS3/360 are dinosaurs. Your PC tech from 2009 out preforms by far, don't even argue about that. Yes you can be greatful with current tech, but why not go full speed ahead? You have all these benefits and resources to chose from. Do you really want a game on decade old hardware where the ram is 256mb, GPU can barely do 30fps, and CPU is constrained? Or do you want to go ahead and see what you can do with 4-8GB with a more efficient CPU and GPU? Especially with the rumored next gen CPUs being easier to program on.

EDIT: It's not really about becoming more realistic really. Sure you can do that, but if you want to maintain what KH is currently then at least add the better image quality, at least add the ability to add more NPCs, at least add the ability to have better game AIs, at least add the ability to do better game effects. See what I mean. And I understand the userbase argument, however if we're talking about 2-3(if next gen comes out this year 2013) years into next gen then that doesn't really matter.

Oh and all those games that have taken full advantage of current gen's hardware and been running great have thus far been linear games throughout. And we know how KH fans feel about linear worlds

 

[Maho]

my expectations are as high as the highest mountains and Square Enix can fall easily of my eyes... this is my last hope for SE

 

[rac7d]

Personally, when KH does eventually make it to next gen hardware, I wouldn't want the graphics to be like the CGI intros and outros. I think it should stay the same, as it has resonated in every game so far. The change in graphical style will undoubtedly be strange, and seeing the Disney characters in CGI is just plain weird.

I would expect not only for them to continue with the CGI intro and outro, considering it will be a main titled console game, but to also add a few in game for important event sceanes. I dont think we will losse the catoony look unless just to fit an world atmosphere, its part of the games brand.

I hope they use the next gen hardware to improve the atmosphere of the worlds, like the OP said. I'd like the worlds to be more populated, and feel less empty as it had with all the games so far. I also agree with the OP in saying that the AI's could add to extra sidequests for more replay value. And--no doubt--the worlds should feel more vibrant and stay true to classics. The possibilities of being on next gen hardware is endless, and I really hope Square takes this approach in the right direction.

What needs to happen is that there must be cutoff area not for gameplay. The entire space is always fairgame to the heartless, explaining the desolation and dessertion. The towns should be sealed so at least there is one place for us to socialize, side quest, buy items and explore. If the world are to be involved with the plot then Im not sure if they can stay true to their classic images entirely

 

[ajmrowland]

IIRC Kingdom Hearts has always been running at 30fps that's why when a crap ton of enemies appear the lag is noticeable. And there is a difference between under 720p and 1080p. Yes even at 47-60 inches there is a difference. If people don't see that then they're stupid. And PS3/360 are dinosaurs. Your PC tech from 2009 out preforms by far, don't even argue about that. Yes you can be greatful with current tech, but why not go full speed ahead? You have all these benefits and resources to chose from. Do you really want a game on decade old hardware where the ram is 256mb, GPU can barely do 30fps, and CPU is constrained? Or do you want to go ahead and see what you can do with 4-8GB with a more efficient CPU and GPU? Especially with the rumored next gen CPUs being easier to program on.

My PCSX2 emulator runs at 60fps with no noticeable seedup.

You ask me why not go full speed ahead? because the world doesnt just go ahead; it goes faster and faster with little regards to any negative effects it would have on the human experience. This goes for society and technology both. people just dont appreciate anything anymore, really. just look at AC3. I knew all the gameplay features that were coming and just enjoyed the time I had playing as Haytham, but others found it so boring because they like to start full speed. My experience with the world(and being an aspie), if I were to go as fast as everyone else-and I have-I'd be an emotional wreck, and people forget that there's beauty in slowing down. I believe that society has time and again failed to really see past the short-term effects of making big changes. We all fear for our children's future and yet, looking at everything in the long run it seems we're unconsciously making it worse.

But to bring it back to games, I have no problem with tech moving forward in itself. Actually for the gaming industry, it's really that we've come to think of realism as the new standard for good graphics, and you and I know that's not quite the case.

Of course, this is all coming from a guy who loves action movies, but look at the best reviewed of them, and they know when to slow down. Not many gamers that I know of really think like that.

EDIT: It's not really about becoming more realistic really. Sure you can do that, but if you want to maintain what KH is currently then at least add the better image quality, at least add the ability to add more NPCs, at least add the ability to have better game AIs, at least add the ability to do better game effects. See what I mean. And I understand the userbase argument, however if we're talking about 2-3(if next gen comes out this year 2013) years into next gen then that doesn't really matter.

This I agree with. In fact, I do think that KH can afford to have better image quality. I've always preached that it'll likely be a happy medium between how it looks now and how it looks in the FMV openings. The Disney movies when you look at them certainly allow for that, as they actually have a degree more detail and lighting, etc. than KH has portrayed to this day and I think square should really take advantage of that in addition to adding more crowds and trees and the like.

Oh and all those games that have taken full advantage of current gen's hardware and been running great have thus far been linear games throughout. And we know how KH fans feel about linear worlds

Yeah. That was pretty clear in the jump from FFXIII to XIII-2 but even then I would say that part of XIII's great look was because it was stylised, which is ironic considering how people have praised it's "realism".

my expectations are as high as the highest mountains and Square Enix can fall easily of my eyes... this is my last hope for SE

Just so long as they're not impractical expectations. a person who's more excited by something tends to actually be more disappointed. especially when they have their own imagining of what it'll be like.

 

[MAX_COLA_POWER!]

I think that if KH3 wants to spread its release to other consoles and next generations, let it be towards the WiiU and Xbox 720/1080 with a half grind manual 5050 ollie pop shove it whatever. It should definitely be released for the PS3, just to respect the first company that released them. Also, don't forget guys, 1.5 and 2.5, they still need to release Birth By Sleep volume 2, and that game is 0.5.

 

[ajmrowland]

^not everybody understands the skateboard lingo, but the point is taken. BTW Welcome to the Forum! :biggrin:

BBS vol.2 was cancelled at least a year ago. Whatever they were doing for that game is gonna be included some other way, like in 1.5(remember that one snippet of Riku in Twilight Town? he was watching Xion and Roxas) and 2.5, if ever.

As for "respecting the company that originally released them", remember that it seems square actually favors Sony over most other devices including Nintendo. Hence why so many Final Fantasy and KH games have been remade/remastered/ported over to Playstation and Final Fantasy XIII and XIII-2 were made for Playstation and ported to Xbox. at this point, if square were to start favoring another company's platform over Sony, they'd run the risk of pissing a lot of people off regardless of whether it's multiplatform.

 

[Wehrmacht]

As for "respecting the company that originally released them", remember that it seems square actually favors Sony over most other devices including Nintendo. Hence why so many Final Fantasy and KH games have been remade/remastered/ported over to Playstation and Final Fantasy XIII and XIII-2 were made for Playstation and ported to Xbox. at this point, if square were to start favoring another company's platform over Sony, they'd run the risk of pissing a lot of people off regardless of whether it's multiplatform.

The reason for that is it's just easier to do what they want on Sony systems, I don't think it's really any sort of preference in particular (it also helps that Sony systems had overwhelmingly dominant sales for 2 gens). Nintendo has taken an unorthodox approach with their game systems since the Wii, the Gamecube was their last "traditional" game system and it was also lagging behind even the Xbox which only had Halo. If they want to make the ambitious cinematic games they always make they can't do it on systems like the Wii. This was a large part of the reason why they jumped ship to Sony with FFVII, because the cartridges were expensive to produce and had a lot less memory.

The Xbox 360 is a niche brand in Japan (games like FF actually sell more in the west but they still have a large japanese market to think about), despite Microsoft's best efforts, so it only makes sense to have a base PS3 version and then port to 360. The 360 ports are only ever released overseas.

 

[ajmrowland]

I agree. Hence the preference. They originally went to sony because of the cds and hardware. Not vety unvommkn knowledge. That wad the 90s so reasons are different now. Inevitably cinematics sales and other things factor.

 

[disneyboy20022]

I'm concerned that Kingdom Hearts 3 will not come out on the Playstation 3 but will instead be released on the Playstation 4

 

[crash13]

It's a possibility. If the PS4 comes out this year or even next it will probably be on PS4 if KH2.5 comes out next year, KH3 will be in 2015.

 

[Haeralis]

Kingdom Hearts would really benefit from additional NPCs. Although to be honest I don't think that they were excluded because of hardware limitations; FFXII came out the same year as Kingdom Hearts II and it had an extremely expansive world with an obscene amount of NPCs.

To be honest though, I think that it is looking more and more likely that Kingdom Hearts III is going to skip this gen altogether. Versus XIII is probably not even going to be out by the time the PS4 hits, and it will eventually release as one of the last big PS3 exclusives. VXIII matters because obviously KH3 can't be started until VXIII is done. KH3 will probably be an epic launch or early title for the PS4, IMO.

 

[crash13]

We might be getting Versus news soon. I think it may come out this year, giving them 2 years to work on KH3.

 

[Haeralis]

We might be getting Versus news soon. I think it may come out this year, giving them 2 years to work on KH3.

I hope your right. I thought SE said that they didn't want three high profile FF games coming out the same year though? Such a stupid reason.

 

[crash13]

I know about Ligtning Returns, what's the other one

Edit: Oh, XIV on PS3.

 

[Chaser]

I know about Ligtning Returns, what's the other one

Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn.

 

[crash13]

Then maybe Vs. in Q1-2 2014.