IGN: Why Kingdom Hearts 3 was delayed and Big Hero 6's absence
- Details
- Published on June 13, 2018 @ 04:44 am
- Written by Cecily
In an interview with IGN, Tetsuya Nomura explained the reason behind KINGDOM HEARTS 3’s delay and why Big Hero 6 has been absent since the world was confirmed at D23 Expo 2015.
Although it was assumed that the delay was caused by development issues, the real reason was because of poor timing. After speaking with various hardware manufacturers, marketing and sales teams, they realized their original release date just wasn't set in a good time period. With considerations to holidays, store management and schedules in other territories, and requests for a simultaneous worldwide release, they decided to figure out some alternatives.
They did consider speeding up to accommodate an earlier release, but the development team determined that it wasn't feasible. If they are to make Kingdom Hearts 3 the absolute best it can be, the only option would be to delay the game. It may only be by an extra month or two, but this extra time allows them to continue refining the game until its release on January 29, 2019.
Nomura also addressed the absence of Big Hero 6 despite the world having been announced almost 3 years ago. The reason for this is that it simply isn't far enough along yet to make a proper reveal. Although they have since completed all of the gameplay elements within San Fransokyo, the cutscenes are still a work in progress.
Read the full interview on IGN.
COMMENTS
Re: IGN: Why Kingdom Hearts 3 was delayed and Big Hero 6’s absence
Honestly fine with this delay. Yes it sucks not having it as soon as possible but the pros greatly outweigh the cons. Greatly lowered chances of spoilers from Japan, finely tuned gameplay, and the fact it won't have to compete with pretty much any AAA at this point, are all fine by me.
And yeah, BH6 ain't showing up till TGS at the earliest if cutscenes still aren't presentable. Maybe even Jump Festa or TGAs. But who knows?
Re: IGN: Why Kingdom Hearts 3 was delayed and Big Hero 6’s absence
I brought this up a few weeks ago, but why did they announce Big Hero 6 so early? Why not have it be the last world revealed since it was the last world chosen? I'm sure you could have had another Disney world in its place back in 2015.
Re: IGN: Why Kingdom Hearts 3 was delayed and Big Hero 6’s absence
I brought this up a few weeks ago, but why did they announce Big Hero 6 so early? Why not have it be the last world revealed since it was the last world chosen? I'm sure you could have had another Disney world in its place back in 2015.
Same reason KH3 was announced 5 1/2 years before it's release. Hype. Lol. BH6 was Disney's most recent hit at the time too no? Made sense to them at the time.
Re: IGN: Why Kingdom Hearts 3 was delayed and Big Hero 6’s absence
I brought this up a few weeks ago, but why did they announce Big Hero 6 so early? Why not have it be the last world revealed since it was the last world chosen? I'm sure you could have had another Disney world in its place back in 2015.
My understanding was Disney specifically requested the announcement. SE had only just decided on all the worlds, and the request was so last minute that they only had time to prepare the single piece of artwork in the OP and a vague blurb about the story path. If I recall correctly, Big Hero 6 was about to see the last of its physical releases in certain regions and was at the height of popularity, and Disney wanted to capitalize on that to generate hype for both KH3 and BH6.
Re: IGN: Why Kingdom Hearts 3 was delayed and Big Hero 6’s absence
I brought this up a few weeks ago, but why did they announce Big Hero 6 so early? Why not have it be the last world revealed since it was the last world chosen? I'm sure you could have had another Disney world in its place back in 2015.
Senior marketing manager at Square Enix said they were excited to get the world and see the artwork that they just had to promote it.
Re: IGN: Why Kingdom Hearts 3 was delayed and Big Hero 6�s absence
Yeesh, even after three years San Fransokyo is still not at a showable state. We probably won't see it for a couple more months lol.
The same would apply to the Tangled world when it was announced 3 years ago but was withheld for almost 3 years as Nomura and the Team had issues in developing Rapunzel's hair movement and gameplay.
I find it interesting that even though Tangled and Big Hero 6 were the first new Disney worlds announced for the game, they we're witheld for three straight years until year, which would explain why we have been seeing mostly gameplay footage of Olympus and Twilight Town.
Re: IGN: Why Kingdom Hearts 3 was delayed and Big Hero 6�s absence
Yeesh, even after three years San Fransokyo is still not at a showable state. We probably won't see it for a couple more months lol.
It’s in a showable state because he said the gameplay is done. They just don’t want to show it without cutscenes at this point in development. The game is so close to release you can’t just show gameplay anymore like they could three years ago.
Re: IGN: Why Kingdom Hearts 3 was delayed and Big Hero 6’s absence
Big Hero 6 needs to impress.
Re: IGN: Why Kingdom Hearts 3 was delayed and Big Hero 6’s absence
I figured this in regards to BH6's absence but I'm glad he's actually saying it instead of keeping us in the dark.
Yeesh, even after three years San Fransokyo is still not at a showable state. We probably won't see it for a couple more months lol.
They were working on everything else in the game as well. I believe it was also in the "third tier" of worlds, meaning it's among the last in the game as well as not being as far in development, which is why they aren't ready to show the cutscenes.
I'm sure they'll give us a trailer dedicated to it when they can, however.
Re: IGN: Why Kingdom Hearts 3 was delayed and Big Hero 6’s absence
I appreciate that he talks about the delay and lack of BH6.
My theory is that they had trouble creating such a vast and detailed city. I believe they were striving to make it feel the biggest and most complex. Here's hoping that San Fransokyo doesn't feature as many invisible walls and more free running, exploring outside of borders.
Re: IGN: Why Kingdom Hearts 3 was delayed and Big Hero 6’s absence
Well, we really do have a packed winter 2018, and they definitely want to make the most of KH3. I'm sure it would have done fairly well if it dropped in 2018 but a month is more than fine. I'm kind of glad it's mainly a marketing thing though, it bodes well for the game.
Still doesn't explain the 4 day gap but it's whatever I guess. I have to live with it
Re: IGN: Why Kingdom Hearts 3 was delayed and Big Hero 6’s absence
I appreciate that he talks about the delay and lack of BH6.
My theory is that they had trouble creating such a vast and detailed city. I believe they were striving to make it feel the biggest and most complex. Here's hoping that San Fransokyo doesn't feature as many invisible walls and more free running, exploring outside of borders.
I don’t think they had trouble with it necessarily. I think it was just the last world on the roster, so they’re still getting those cutscenes polished.
It’s going to feel so cool running up these buildings and such. I think it’ll almost be reminiscent of a Spider-Man game in that regard.
Re: IGN: Why Kingdom Hearts 3 was delayed and Big Hero 6’s absence
At least we now have confirmation the delay had nothing to do with development. I'm not sure how January 29th is considered a marketable release date. I'm expecting it to get delayed again if that was the only reason for the first one.
Re: IGN: Why Kingdom Hearts 3 was delayed and Big Hero 6�s absence
Well, we really do have a packed winter 2018, and they definitely want to make the most of KH3. I'm sure it would have done fairly well if it dropped in 2018 but a month is more than fine. I'm kind of glad it's mainly a marketing thing though, it bodes well for the game.
Still doesn't explain the 4 day gap but it's whatever I guess. I have to live with it
The 4 day gap is simply to please the Japanese fandom, they always get the game first... lol
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At least we now have confirmation the delay had nothing to do with development. I'm not sure how January 29th is considered a marketable release date. I'm expecting it to get delayed again if that was the only reason for the first one.
I don't think we will get another delay... I like to think that if they wasn't certain about the January release they would just put like the "Coming 2019" and not an actual date[/FONT]
Re: IGN: Why Kingdom Hearts 3 was delayed and Big Hero 6’s absence
Big Hero 6 needs to impress.
Judging by the backdrop assets of the movie, that's going to be easy to accomplish. Big Hero 6 is the most geographically sophisticated property to be in this game, so I'm not all that surprised that it's more painstakingly difficult to be in a presentable state.
Re: IGN: Why Kingdom Hearts 3 was delayed and Big Hero 6’s absence
I have a sneaking suspicion a lot of important plot elements will be happening in this world.
At least we now have confirmation the delay had nothing to do with development. I'm not sure how January 29th is considered a marketable release date. I'm expecting it to get delayed again if that was the only reason for the first one.
How is January 29 not a marketable release? And if the game is finished over the next seven months why would they delay it further?
Re: IGN: Why Kingdom Hearts 3 was delayed and Big Hero 6�s absence
At least we now have confirmation the delay had nothing to do with development. I'm not sure how January 29th is considered a marketable release date. I'm expecting it to get delayed again if that was the only reason for the first one.
Monster hunter world released around then this year and was Capcoms highest selling game to date! It’s a good time of year with usually low levels of competition!
Re: IGN: Why Kingdom Hearts 3 was delayed and Big Hero 6’s absence
Anyways thank god the delay was due to horrible timing and not due to production delays lol
Re: IGN: Why Kingdom Hearts 3 was delayed and Big Hero 6’s absence
At least we now have confirmation the delay had nothing to do with development. I'm not sure how January 29th is considered a marketable release date. I'm expecting it to get delayed again if that was the only reason for the first one.
2.8 released in the same window, so they already have an idea of how a KH title will perform around that time. If they didn’t think it would sell well enough there, they would have picked another date. Plus, it gives time for people to play their holiday games and get ready for something new. I trust Disney to know what they’re doing.
Most likely, they were planning to release it at the 13th anniversary in Japan. So probably the 21st, the Friday before. But in the West, that’s too close to the holidays to expect families to get out and buy the game as they’ve mostly completed their holiday shopping by that point.
Re: IGN: Why Kingdom Hearts 3 was delayed and Big Hero 6�s absence
With the inclusion of a city-based world (Big Hero 6), it makes me excited for future Kingdom Hearts titles to do justice to cities as an environment type! Like, just imagine Zootopia.
I need to watch BH6 before KHIII comes out. It is one of those films that kind of flew by me as an adult.
Re: IGN: Why Kingdom Hearts 3 was delayed and Big Hero 6�s absence
I'm hoping BH6 is set at night. Cities always look the best at night, especially with all dem lights D: dang.
Re: IGN: Why Kingdom Hearts 3 was delayed and Big Hero 6�s absence
I'm hoping BH6 is set at night. Cities always look the best at night, especially with all dem lights D: dang.
Would be better if it goes from dawn to dusk naturally.
Re: IGN: Why Kingdom Hearts 3 was delayed and Big Hero 6�s absence
I'm hoping BH6 is set at night. Cities always look the best at night, especially with all dem lights D: dang.
It is suspected that some worlds will have a day/night cycle judging from the Pirates of the Caribbean trailer.
Re: IGN: Why Kingdom Hearts 3 was delayed and Big Hero 6�s absence
It is suspected that some worlds will have a day/night cycle judging from the Pirates of the Caribbean trailer.
The Frozen world that was shown in the 3 trailers also did featured a day/ night cycle.
Re: IGN: Why Kingdom Hearts 3 was delayed and Big Hero 6�s absence
2.8 released in the same window, so they already have an idea of how a KH title will perform around that time. If they didn’t think it would sell well enough there, they would have picked another date. Plus, it gives time for people to play their holiday games and get ready for something new. I trust Disney to know what they’re doing.
Most likely, they were planning to release it at the 13th anniversary in Japan. So probably the 21st, the Friday before. But in the West, that’s too close to the holidays to expect families to get out and buy the game as they’ve mostly completed their holiday shopping by that point.
And people will be more excited to spend $60+ on a game a month after they've just gone broke?
I think the date they've given is just to get the fans acclimated to a 2019 release date. Then they'll wait until December, when the game's just on the horizon to push it back two more months rather than announce it's almost a year off now to save themselves some of the fan reaction.
Re: IGN: Why Kingdom Hearts 3 was delayed and Big Hero 6’s absence
Delayed to accomodate a silmutaneous release, and yet it is not a silmutaneous release.
Re: IGN: Why Kingdom Hearts 3 was delayed and Big Hero 6’s absence
Delayed to accomodate a silmutaneous release, and yet it is not a silmutaneous release.
How very Square of Enix. Just give it to all of us on Friday man
Re: IGN: Why Kingdom Hearts 3 was delayed and Big Hero 6�s absence
And people will be more excited to spend $60+ on a game a month after they've just gone broke?
I think the date they've given is just to get the fans acclimated to a 2019 release date. Then they'll wait until December, when the game's just on the horizon to push it back two more months rather than announce it's almost a year off now to save themselves some of the fan reaction.
Why though? Especially since the game will be practically finished by this winter. I feel like your being pessimistic just for the sake of it.
Re: IGN: Why Kingdom Hearts 3 was delayed and Big Hero 6�s absence
And people will be more excited to spend $60+ on a game a month after they've just gone broke?
I think the date they've given is just to get the fans acclimated to a 2019 release date. Then they'll wait until December, when the game's just on the horizon to push it back two more months rather than announce it's almost a year off now to save themselves some of the fan reaction.
this would be called bad bussiness, if they just wanted to release in 2019 they would just say that the game would be out in 2019 and don't give a date... they presented to their assionists that this game would be out during the 2018 Fiscal year and January is still the 2018 fiscal year, that wouldn't be good business at all and Nomura seems to be firm, I don't get why everyone is so negative lol
also they never talked about the game being in a development hell, nomura stated that this is just a marketing decission to get the game out as silmutaneous as possible
Delayed to accomodate a silmutaneous release, and yet it is not a silmutaneous release.
is just a 4 days gap lol I think Japan had a release like a month or two before the ww release so 4 days is nothing lol
Re: IGN: Why Kingdom Hearts 3 was delayed and Big Hero 6�s absence
Why though? Especially since the game will be practically finished by this winter. I feel like your being pessimistic just for the sake of it.
Sometimes it pays to be pessimistic. I didn't believe the game would get released in 2018 either and it isn't. I'll believe it's out in January when it's actually in my hands.
I remember when Utada was ribbing SE to hurry up with KH3's release or she would just put out the theme song without them. "Oath" is getting released on her album now; I hope "Don't Think Twice" is released digitally somewhere around the same time so her English fans don't have to wait forever.
Re: IGN: Why Kingdom Hearts 3 was delayed and Big Hero 6�s absence
And people will be more excited to spend $60+ on a game a month after they've just gone broke?
I think the date they've given is just to get the fans acclimated to a 2019 release date. Then they'll wait until December, when the game's just on the horizon to push it back two more months rather than announce it's almost a year off now to save themselves some of the fan reaction.
People will have had about 2-3 paychecks to recover from that, so yeah. Plus, people can pre-order it at anytime. But people, at least in the US, generally don’t like to shop for this kind of thing that close to Christmas. Also, it would cannibalize sales of Just Cause 4 which releases December 4th. As for Disney, they’ll be focused on marketing for Mary Poppins Returns.
In January, both companies will be able to devote the prime amount of resources to marketing this game. Disney doesn’t have anything else major coming out until March, so they can really focus on marketing this game at a level unlike ever before. (Something unquestionably deserved since the animation quality is on par to better than the originals films.) Shoot, they could even release a trailer with Wreck It Ralph 2 in November since it appeals to the same audience looking for Disney crossovers.
Sometimes it pays to be pessimistic. I didn't believe the game would get released in 2018 either and it isn't. I'll believe it's out in January when it's actually in my hands.
I remember when Utada was ribbing SE to hurry up with KH3's release or she would just put out the theme song without them. "Oath" is getting released on her album now; I hope "Don't Think Twice" is released digitally somewhere around the same time so her English fans don't have to wait forever.
If you choose to be pessimistic, that is fine. But don’t expect others to agree with you and don’t act like we’re foolish when we don’t. One of the key differences with this game compared to FFXV and other games is that it is a collaborative effort between Disney and Square Enix. SE doesn’t have to only meet its own standards and goals, but Disney’s as well. If they have set this date and publicly revealed it, it is because both companies have full confidence that it will release by that point.
Re: IGN: Why Kingdom Hearts 3 was delayed and Big Hero 6�s absence
If you choose to be pessimistic, that is fine. But don’t expect others to agree with you and don’t act like we’re foolish when we don’t.
???? I don't believe I did anything of the kind? I posted my opinion and then was responded to by multiple people attempting to "correct" me into silence with why my opinion must be wrong because XYZ opinions of theirs. I'm sorry if the fact that I don't see this company the same way you do bothers you. Scroll on by if you don't want to read.
Re: IGN: Why Kingdom Hearts 3 was delayed and Big Hero 6’s absence
Happily I already preordered it, but man if I hadn't had the money. Christmas cash from relatives is how I usually buy the 1-2 titles I've wanted most all year.
Also, I'm really not worried about BH6. The KH3 team is really killing it with their environments honestly, so when Nomura says cutscenes just aren't finished yet I believe the man. Hopefully we will get some footage of it at TGS, or perhaps an earlier Japanese-audio showing at Gamescom in August.
Re: IGN: Why Kingdom Hearts 3 was delayed and Big Hero 6�s absence
As I've said previously, I don't really care much when this game comes out personally as I'll find a way to set aside time for it and/or just play it at my own pace without any worries. I'll try not to get "spoiled" but if it happens it isn't the end of the world for me: if the story is strong it will hold up regardless of what I know going into it, and if it's heavily predicated on convoluted plot twists then that will still diminish its long-term appeal even if I don't see them coming the first time.
I'm glad Nomura addressed the delay directly, that was all I really hoped for and it was the right thing to do. Also it's egg on the face for all the overzealous fans who immediately blamed the YouTubers for daring to offer their critiques and impressions of the game they were invited to play for exactly that purpose, so that's karma.
If you choose to be pessimistic, that is fine. But don’t expect others to agree with you and don’t act like we’re foolish when we don’t. One of the key differences with this game compared to FFXV and other games is that it is a collaborative effort between Disney and Square Enix. SE doesn’t have to only meet its own standards and goals, but Disney’s as well. If they have set this date and publicly revealed it, it is because both companies have full confidence that it will release by that point.
But really, Tartarus's and others' "pessimism" already resulted in them being right once in the face of people refuting them with this exact line of thinking, that there's no way SE and Disney would commit to 2018 if it wasn't coming out in 2018, and look what happened. You obviously have a right to trust their new release date and in all probability they'll stick to it if only because it would be really bad PR to delay it again, but there's just no argument to be made that expecting the worst is in any way a fallacious position to hold when it's already borne itself out once with this title. If anything, there's technically more justification for thinking that a second delay is possible, precisely because the first was an unexpected outcome.
Re: IGN: Why Kingdom Hearts 3 was delayed and Big Hero 6�s absence
A few days ago I was kinda bummed that weren't both releasing on the 25th, but now I'm so relieved.
And people will be more excited to spend $60+ on a game a month after they've just gone broke?
I think the date they've given is just to get the fans acclimated to a 2019 release date. Then they'll wait until December, when the game's just on the horizon to push it back two more months rather than announce it's almost a year off now to save themselves some of the fan reaction.
People will have a month's worth of paychecks and possibly Christmas bonuses as well as money from family. They also have 7 months to save up if they weren't already. January might not be as ideal of a time slot as November-December, but a game with a lot of excitement and attention can still sell well regardless.
I feel like they won't push it off again, because for one thing that would look awful for them after this delay, and also because there's no reason to if they can get both JP and WW versions by then. They won't have problems localizing/shipping it and development is going fine for their original 2018 release. I don't think one delay automatically means they're going to delay it again and again.
Re: IGN: Why Kingdom Hearts 3 was delayed and Big Hero 6's absence
I forgive you, Nomura, for the lack of Big Hero 6 so far but pls finish those cutscenes!!! I'm desperate to see some San Fransokyo gameplay!
Re: IGN: Why Kingdom Hearts 3 was delayed and Big Hero 6's absence
I forgive you, Nomura, for the lack of Big Hero 6 so far but pls finish those cutscenes!!! I'm desperate to see some San Fransokyo gameplay!
Nope, wait it out. Wait it out until every other Disney world has been shown off. I want San Fransokyo to put every other Disney world chosen to shame. Make it that beautiful!
Zettaflare
June 13, 2018 @ 05:11 amOffline