Actually that was my entire point. Because 358/2, Coded, and Birth By Sleep are all 'small' projects that will be completed within a year, plus the fact that he has 3 separate teams working on all 3 games, along with 3 separate co-directors on each project, if the projects are small and are to be wrapped up by years ends, then why would it be unreasonable to conceive that Nomura is already in the works for what he's doing for KH3
It seems more reasonable to me to conceive that he might start with that after finishing with the current three titles. Like you say later, they're still working on some of the main systems of 358/2 Days - I'd think it would make more sense to have that settled first.
Though I could definitely imagine that they'd be thinking of concepts and such already. They've probably been doing some of that since KHII, though, considering the scene with the letter.
My point wasn't actually that they've assembled a team and are already coding and making the game, but that at this point with all the story building and thought-processes being dealt with the new games, Nomura and Square Enix must already have many ideas and things about the project decided. The term "in production" doesn't necessarily mean they're actively making the game, but that the base for the title like story ideas, gameplay, controls, the platform it should be developed, and such are being prepared for it
Well, yeah, they could be making some of those base ideas - story ideas, in particular, seem like the kind of thing that could come up even without beginning the project yet. But the quote about concentrating on Versus suggests that the gameplay and controls aspects for KHIII aren't being worked on - they're waitint until they have the experience with Versus first so they could use that for the KH systems.
Besides, you're defining production too broadly, I think. I couldn't find a guide like this for games, but movies seem to be a good analogue:
Filmmaking consists of five main stages:
* Development. The script is written and drafted into a workable blueprint for a film.
* Pre-production. Preparations are made for the shoot, in which cast and crew are hired, locations are selected, and sets are built.
* Production. The raw elements for the finished film are recorded.
* Post-production. The film is edited, sound effects, music and any computer effects are added, and the film is completed.
* Sales and distribution. The film is picked up by a distributor and reaches its audience.
From Wiki
What you're thinking of sounds more like development than production or even pre-production. The game equivalent to production would probably involve coding the main game and making cutscenes, not creating the "blueprint" for the systems (while pre-production would involve coding the underlying systems and creating the models).
And if we define production in these terms, it's actually near-impossible for KHIII to be in production - the KH team is working on Versus, and unlike Nomura, I don't get the impression that the teams do so much multi-tasking. There would have to be a different team working on a completely different console, which doesn't really sound like the way Squenix would do things for a numbered installment of one of their flagship series.
...which is fairly useless to have said, since Surfer Girl said "development" and not "production," but that seems like it could be fairly general and include things like writing down story ideas when they come.
358/2 days is quite far in development (with in-game gameplay footage already), and Nomura said that even at that point they don't know how, or if, they are going to use some of the DS's features, or what they are going to use with the bottom-screen
He even said with Birth By Sleep, that the scans we have of the game have a command menu that isn't even in the game anymore, because the creative process took it in a different direction
Many things change about a project, even when they are far along in development
And that quote says the they don't quite know specifically how it's going to end up, so I mean at that point they already know that it's going to be episodic, with Terra Aqua and Ven having separate stories and eventually meeting up, but he said that the specifics of how they're going to make it work aren't decided. So like, they weren't sure if it goes in a scripted fashion from you playing Terra->Ven->Aqua, or say if you get to choose who to play in what order, or if certain choices you make decide in what order you play them, etc.
Okay, that makes sense. ^^;
I do call Surfer Girl on her major contradictions, though. She starts out by saying "KHIII, if it is coming out..." which suggests that she does not know whether the game has even been started on yet. Then, she says that "Disney is keen on a Wii version," which is very strongly suggestive of a prediction for the future rather than something that's already in effect. This continues with "Disney has the leverage to make SquareEnix..." which not only makes Disney sound like a bully, but is also written in a very hypothetical way.
Finally, she reverses completely and says the game is already in development for the Wii, which seems to contradict entirely with the tone of her prior answers.
I'm going to try to see if there's any information on the nature of the collaboration between Disney and Squenix, and whether Disney would really have the power to strong-arm Squenix into doing what they want. So far, all I've found is
this, which suggests that Squenix doesn't just fall at Disney's feet and give them whatever they want.
