Merilly

That's a nice idea for newcomers or those who aren't certain yet since for most of these dates, the game is already out and there probably won't be extremely long lines of people waiting to play it anymore since they can just buy it. Other than that it's not really of interest to me since the location I could visit is open on the release day and one day before and it's really not worth it to wait when I can just play it in full. I kinda think itbwould have been nice if they did that a little earlier. While it's a smart move to avoid too large crowds and get people to spontaneously buy the game, it doesn't make much sense for fans. Though since this is a marketing decision, fans were never the target audience anyway, considering they're likely to purchase it regardless.

While that's a possibility, I do question why they just said nothing then or evaded the answer. These two answers were pretty clear and not evasive at all. Especially on Twitter, they could simply choose to say nothing, yet Leon's VA took his time to answer. It seems strange for them to lie in order not to break the NDA instead of remaining silent from the beginning so they won't risk anything. Another option would be that they were replaced. I doubt that since there doesn't seem be a reason for that, but in that case they wouldn't have recorded anything. I'm also a bit skeptical because they talked so much about FF characters not being as important anymore (which I couldn't disagree more with, otherwise we could say the same about Disney), as though they were trying to convince the fans that their inclusion is unnecessary and prepare them for the fact that there won't be much FF in KH anymore. Of course I hope for the opposite because it's obvious many of us enjoyed their part more than other interactions, but they made a huge deal out of it nonetheless. I've said it before, but I'd be severely disappointed if Winnie the Pooh made the cut but Radiant Garden, even as a possibly small world, didn't, along with its characters. There are so many plot opportunities wasted in favor of having another minigame world.

While I hate to even suggest it or entertain such a thought, it might be part of future DLC if it is indeed not part of the game. Mainly because Radiant Garden would not be wasting a Disney world while still handling those FF characters carefully (whatever Nomura means with that since there were no issues with their implementation in the past and I doubt many of us wish for them to be present the whole time either.).

You just have to press the eye icon in the editor. Though I don't know whether that's the same outside of the mobile website.

Just saying spoiler won't stop people from accidentally reading it. Other than that I've also said enough why FF also belongs in KH and not just Disney, especially considering KH3 is about resolutions and the whole Radiant Garden thing was not resolved in my opinion. Not gonna rant about that again either. It won't make me hate the game but it would be a missed opportunity.

Why though? I'm not against it or anything since it's your decision but I'm curious why you want to wait. Personally, I won't be able to finish it in under two days (unless it's even shorter than the other KH games which I doubt) anyway so there won't be any harm in starting already. It would only bother me if I would reach the end beforehand and therefore be denied the pleasure of the epilogue in my first playthrough. Apart from that, I also miss the times where games were complete. I realize they want to protect people from leaks but why do those without a good internet connection need to suffer? It may not be that common anymore but even with leaks there shouldn't be much of a problem to bridge that gap. I'm at least hwppy they won't do it later than that. A game should be complete upon release. While I will play through it again anyway, the epilogue is something I don't want to see added in after I'm done since the first time playing is a one in a lifetime thing and something like this spoils it. Leaks or not, if the epilogue and secret ending are considered the only thing they want to protect as the biggest spoiler, something is wrong with the game or their perception of what fans consider a big spoiler.

I think especially the fans should be aware that the novels aren't canon since they know the series. If the novel diverges from the original source's core concepts, it can't be canon (which doesn't refer to the stories we don't see in the game but rather the ones we do see and are differently presented than the game. These moments should be sufficient for fans to determine those novels aren't canon). We don't know if the Vanitas part, or any extended content for that matter, is canon or not since we were never given much information on him, but I treat the novels in such a way that they're a nice option to get an overview of the series and provide some fodder for thought but as a fan I know to treat any information not given in the game as unconfirmed. Especially because once one "false" information is described, the novel has to be treated as separate from the game as a whole, despite also containing content that happened in the games. As I said, the moment the first novel diverged from how canon scenes played out, for example how the manga describes Nobodies for example, a fan should know this isn't canon but a spin-off at best. I'd see it as more critical when someone only reads them and then plays KH3 first for example, believing the novels are 100% accurate. I don't think all fans even know of the backstory of Vanitas in the BBS novel and those that believe he can turn good merely see that as a possibility why he could be and not as a fact. It's an interpretation and I've rarely seen anyone who claims that this is 100% true. Just like some people ship characters and see certain scenes this or that way. (I also think a few are under that impression because his theme plays in the Heroes and Heroines medley from the Orchestra World Tour.) I believe many people are considering that certain characters could potentially get redeemed due to their circumstances. Vanitas was part of those before the novel even came out because many liked him and would enjoy seeing more of him and have him interact more with the main cast. But most adaptions have to be considered on their own. I firmly believe that many people know that and that some people even buy them because they are different. I have never seen an adaption which could be considered canon unless specified as such by the developers because it's near impossible to stay a 100% true to the source and still expand the experience. That's why I don't like people comparing movies to the book they're based on (cue words: "based on"). That can only end up diminishing the experience. Long story short, especially the fans of the series should be aware neither the novels nor the manga are canon. I trust that most have enough common sense to identify the "flaws" in comparison to the games created by retconned and altered information and immediately come to that conclusion themselves.

That's because they aren't canon but adaptions. Those tend to diverge from the canon quite a bit in some cases, which sometimes isn't that bad because it can be interesting to see a new perspective from time to time. I wasn't too fond of what the KH2 manga did to Xemnas' personality in the last few chapters either since it was vastly different from his in-game depiction for example or how some concepts are completely different from the games, but both the novels and the manga should only be seen as a free interpretation of the events and what might have happened in-between. That's why I wouldn't say it it tends to muddy the canon but that it's simply a different take on certain aspects pertaining to the characters. You can like or dislike what they did with it, but many would find it boring to just read what happened in the games 1:1 because then they could just play the game. I have a similar mindset, even if I don't enjoy some of the differences, but it's nice nonetheless in other circumstances.

It's likely there will eventually be one, considering they're currently releasing the other novels in English by the same author/artist. It might take some time though since I imagine they will first finish those.

There's currently no pre-order bonus for Amazon Germany as far as I'm aware and this particular Keyblade comes with the digital download from the Playstation Store.

While I can understand that worry, wasn't it similar with most other KH games, too? Even after KH2, which had about the most conclusive ending of the series so far (minus the secret ending), people were yelling for a continuation because they knew there was more to come. I think the same will happen with KH3. It will likely have an ending that's similarly satisfying as KH2 was but will still hint at more with a secret ending or some small cliffhanger. I really can't imagine it will be anything along the lines of KH1 for example since Nomura also said the game was about resolutions. If there's too much of a cliffhanger that wouldn't really be true.

I'm also a bit disappointed that it's so expensive compared to the US version. It would be fine if it was also priced at 399€ like usual when the US has it for 399$, but 70€ more is a bit much. It would be better to get the same version for roughly an equal value, considering the Dollar is weaker than the Euro currently.

I don't think that has anything to do with how much he thought about KH3. At the point the interview was given, a lot of KH3 was already planned and it makes sense to think about the future by then, too. KHUx is likely setting the stage for what's to come and while I hope that a lot will be a fresh start, he has to take the rest of the games into account as well to avoid too many inconsistencies. When I'm writing stories, I constantly have to think about the future so it feels woven in naturally and not like something I made up while writing just to sell more, so to speak. I know many series who fell because their creators didn't think about the future in time and hence lost their quality because they couldn't come up with anything fitting or became really inconsistent. There's nothing wrong with coming up with things on the go, this will happen with any work, but Nomura has been saying since forever that KH3 won't be the last of the series and Sora will continue to be the protagonist, so it doesn't surprise me that he will have thought about it extensively, too. But all of that doesn't mean that less work went into the present project. It's just normal to make plans for the future. I dare say KH3 has been the same way before it was announced. A good part was probably drafted by the time they made DDD. This franchise is so big that the next title can't be something entirely new where they can do whatever they want. All this material has to be regarded while making a new plot fit into the overall narrative without seeming too alien.

I'd be fine with even fewer as long as they are incorporated well. KH2 also had the flaw of being too focused on Disney plots, be it original or not, without connecting it to the overall plot. The Organization members were mostly present in the second half on the revisits and even then, their appearances were really short in my opinion to feel them as a threat looming above everything. This time, it seems like it will at least feel like their presence can be felt a good amount of the time and since we have so much to cover, there don't need to be too many optional worlds. (I still hope Radiant Garden as a original world is playable though...) It's fine if Xehanort's influence can be felt in the atmosphere often. Not every single time since it will still have its funny moments but leading up to a final battle, the confrontation needs to be felt.

I'm okay with no more Disney worlds being revealed, although there's no denying that I would have preferred it if there had been at least one more movie from the hand-drawn era, but I think all of us would have liked one world over another so that's to be expected. (For example, I could really do without 100 Acre Woods. I don't need more minigames and I simply loathe Winnie the Pooh.) But all other KH games were no different in that regard. We all had worlds we would have liked to skip or plainly skipped if possible. The worlds are also considerably larger now, so the amount is fine, though I still hope they will balance them a little better next time. Admittedly, I've never been too fond of the Gummi Ship and I'm skeptical if I'll be in KH3, but I have to admit that outsourcing it was likely the best option since they could focus on other things and it looks really good. I do hope however that most of the stuff is optional since I don't want to spend too much time in-between worlds on my first playthrough. That's something I'd rather save for the post-game things since it appears rather vast and not that relevant to the overall plot. Not to mention that there are enough minigames already and I don't want to feel like I'm spending 80% of the game on those. (Still would have enjoyed a quest system instead but can't be changed.) I think it's strange that his favorite part of the game is something like this though.

I don't think a ban will help at all. As you said, capture cards can bypass blocked content fairly easily and putting up an embargo wouldn't work. You can't completely prevent people from streaming the games or uploading content and at some point, it will be difficult to take down every video because of copyright claims. And I'm not sure it's in Square's best interest either since Let's Plays are mostly not considered illegal due to their nature, unless they are monetized. And even then, they will also profit from this type of marketing. It's why companies even give game copies to Youtubers and the like to play it. Quite frankly, I have no issues with them taking down videos before the official release but anything after is ridiculous. I understand the desire to remain unspoiled but at some point, it's up to the individual to avoid certain content and there's a lot we can do to ensure that for ourselves. And if videos aren't there, people will spoil others with pictures and/or texts anyway. It might be an unpopular opinion but it shouldn't be up to Square/Disney to protect the fans from spoilers once the game is out. Not to mention that it's impossible to control all websites. Also, what about the people who can't afford the game/the console and want to watch streams and Let's Plays/Walkthroughs in order to get the full experience and not just snippets? What about those who won't be able to play it right away? Such an embargo would only protect those who will get the game immediately and would be impossible to keep up for long. An event has a much smaller scale and I'm sure there was some sort of agreement to prevent information from leaking out. KH3 is too anticipated to control entire sites like Twitch, Youtube, etc. I'm all for restricting videos for unreleased games but once the game is out, the responsibility is ours alone.

Yeah, it was pretty good. A nice combination of Disney and original story. It didn't hype me up as much as proper trailers did but for a commercial, it summed up the experience quite well. Having Sora cry is actually not the worst choice because otherwise, the game may be regarded as too child-friendly with the inclusion of Disney. This way, they created a nice balance of gameplay, Disney and original properties for those who have little knowledge about KH.

Kingdom Hearts 3: Watch your favorite characters suffer!

I'm not sure 15 seconds will be sufficient for that amount of suffering. I want at least 1 second per character to make it worthwhile.

I don't know how it was before though. Judging by my group's experiences it was still somewhat f2p friendly. There are a lot of games with a similar style though so it could very well be one of those. I wouldn't put it beyond them to have such a game.

I'm not bothered by the time at all. It's just that 15 seconds is such a short time frame that it's hard to really include anything too new. For that time, it would probably make more sense to show the Disney aspects since commercials are essentily made for those who either don't know whether to buy it or who don't know KH at all. And Disney would probably appeal to a younger audience more than seeing some unknown character with no relevance to them cry. That's just my opinion though and not based on an actual marketing analysis. I'm just not sure what to expect out of 15 seconds and won't have too high expectations, considering it's a commercial. But as I mentioned, I thought the same about the 30 seconds one and got slapped in the face so to speak.

Not that I'm aware of... I've just been playing since September but so far, everything was free. You have to use the in-game currency or tickets to draw but so far there has not been a single unit that needed to be paid for in the strict sense. It's not the most generous of games for sure but it doesn't force you to pay, just like KHUx.

15 seconds is really short but then again, we got hit in the face with a crying Sora in a 30 second commercial so I'm not inclined to say we will see nothing of utmost importance. I don't know if I want to see something like this again, considering it will be ripped immensely out of context and it's still a commercial after all.