News ► Pleasants Hints at Kingdom Hearts Online

[Oracle Spockanort]

On Monday, Walt Disney Chief Executive Robert Iger selected Jimmy Pitaro to become the sole head of Disney Interactive, pushing John Pleasants out of his spot as co-president and into a consultant role. Pleasants, who currently has no plans to leave Disney Interactive at the moment, held an interview with the Wall Street Journal to discuss his accomplishments at the company and the future of the gaming division as they continue to adapt to the expanding mobile market. 

While discussing the success of Disney Infinity, recently launched earlier this year, Pleasants also briefly touched on the company's focus on mobile game developments along with their work with Asian developers. Currently Disney Interactive has a studio in Seoul, South Korea working on an online Kingdom Hearts game, not to be confused with the browser game, Kingdom Hearts χ[chi], that was developed by Success Corporation in cooperation with Square Enix. 

Late last year, it was reported by AllThingsD that the Walt Disney Company had purchased South Korean developer Studio EX to begin their push into the Asian free-to-play gaming market. Following the acquisition announcement, S. Korean news site iNews24 reported that Studio EX would be developing a multiplayer online Kingdom Hearts title for smartphones and the web utilizing the Unity Engine. 

At the moment, there is no official announcement about "Kingdom Hearts Online" or any word if Square Enix is involved with its development, but the fact remains that it does exist in some shape or form.

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Source: The Wall Street Journal [2], AllThingsD, iNews24

 

[Chaser]

It's interesting to say the least. I had forgotten that Disney bought Studio EX a year ago for a Kingdom Hearts game. Although if it's for the Asian market I doubt it would affect us that much.

 

[Solo]

South Korean gaming companies have collectively come up with a lot of online games, most of them being wonderful from my experience and what I've seen. I'm therefore interested to see what kind of game that they are currently brewing in their studios, and the fact that I live in the Asian region just makes me more excited.

Thanks for this piece of news! Here's another thing to wait for and be excited about in our wait for KH3.

 

[Sign]

First off I think we should all pat ourselves on the back for being the only ones who remember that KHx is being developed by Success Inc.

This is the second time a Korean-made Kingdom Hearts online title has been mentioned. I'm kind of skeptical considering it looks like Square Enix has no hand in this and Disney is just going off on their own again, and things didn't work out very well last time (KH VCast).

Will be interesting to see what comes of this :O

 

[The_Echo]

The hype only exists if Nomura's in on this, and if it's not a buy-to-win game.

I really hope it's a more canonical approach to the Keyblade War than χ[chi]​ is.

(KH VCast)

I'm pretty sure that game never happened.

 

[Oracle Spockanort]

I think what bothers me the most out of this is that I don't know any games made by Studio EX to even get an impression of their work from...

 

[Chaser]

I've noticed one comment on our facebook page, as well as a share that said the same thing.

We don't know if Nomura will be involved in this. We won't know if this will be bad. We don't even know if there will be a real game. Saying this will suck because Nomura isn't a part of this is illogical, and frankly, downright stupid due to making these assumptions based on nothing.

 

[Gram]

Interesting, wonder if it's based on KHX's system.

 

[Oracle Spockanort]

Interesting, wonder if it's based on KHX's system.

Probably not since it is two different developers.

 

[Gram]

Probably not since it is two different developers.

I see. Then that only makes me more curious.

 

[Solo]

I've noticed one comment on our facebook page, as well as a share that said the same thing.

We don't know if Nomura will be involved in this. We won't know if this will be bad. We don't even know if there will be a real game. Saying this will suck because Nomura isn't a part of this is illogical, and frankly, downright stupid due to making these assumptions based on nothing.

Noticed that, too. Just did a few minutes ago, in fact.

Just because Nomura is involved in the more major games of the KH franchise, it doesn't mean that anything that doesn't have him involved is automatically inferior in quality. That's too prideful a way of thinking, and to be honest, it's very dismissive and I think borderline conceited.

I think it'd do no harm to give this game, if it proceeds, a chance. After it's out and we've seen it with our own eyes, be it by playing it ourselves or watching the game footage, then can we really say whether it's good or not from our standpoint, and why.

 

[Sign]

I see. Then that only makes me more curious.

It's also dependent on whether Tatsuya Kando will be involved, since KHx has his fingerprints aaaaaaaall over it.

I prefer to think he's juggling KHx, TWEWY Live Remix and TWEWY 2 instead though.

 

[Gram]

It's also dependent on whether Tatsuya Kando will be involved, since KHx has his fingerprints aaaaaaaall over it.

I prefer to think he's juggling KHx, TWEWY Live Remix and TWEWY 2 instead though.

As would I, I need TWEWY 2. ;A;

 

[Oracle Spockanort]

Think somebody will address this game now that Pleasants blurted it out?

 

[Sign]

Hope so. I don't believe they haven't seen the article yet, and they can't really brush it off since this is the second time it's been mentioned.

 

[iDrops]

I feel uneasy about this. I've never even heard of the company before and they haven't made anything I've played. Please don't diddly up.

 

[AdrianXXII]

I guess I forgot that KH is a Disney series and there for they could have another company make a game for the series. I don't know how I feel about a KH game that doesn't involve Square Enix or at least Nomura. It might be good, but I really don't know how much care they'll put into it or how much they actually care for the KH narrative and that worries me.

So if i understood this right this will be a mobile online multiplayer game? There really doesn't seem to be much info on this game.

 

[Chaser]

So if i understood this right this will be a mobile online multiplayer game? There really doesn't seem to be much info on this game.

Doesn't help that it's only been mentioned off hand twice (once last year, and again this week) and it hasn't even been announced.

 

[Sign]

It probably shouldn't have even been mentioned but considering Pleasants just lost his position as Co-President, I suppose it's understandable that he blurted it out?

 

[Oracle Spockanort]

I guess I forgot that KH is a Disney series and there for they could have another company make a game for the series. I don't know how I feel about a KH game that doesn't involve Square Enix or at least Nomura. It might be good, but I really don't know how much care they'll put into it or how much they actually care for the KH narrative and that worries me.

So if i understood this right this will be a mobile online multiplayer game? There really doesn't seem to be much info on this game.

(Never forget Kingdom Hearts VCast~)

Something like that. It says "multiplatform on devices like the smartphone and web" It might be on more than just those two, but considering they are using Unity, it probably would work out better to just be smartphone and web.

There is no info because it isn't even officially announced.

It probably shouldn't have even been mentioned but considering Pleasants just lost his position as Co-President, I suppose it's understandable that he blurted it out?

I'm convinced he likes throwing this stuff out. He did that at D23 Expo Japan with Disney Magic Castle: My Happy Life rofl...