When are we expecting news?

[Chaser]

There's been this idea, and it was prominent during KH3's time, that if we don't regularly see a game and get an update on when it will be releasing, then there's no work being done on it.

When the KH3 trailers ended with "now in development" people on this forum and social media took it to mean that it had not been in development before that very day, despite previous trailers also saying "now in development."

I get that there's not much to talk about, I get that people want to listen to podcasts about news and watch youtube videos, but there's really not much else we can do until Square Enix deems that it is the right time to show it.

The discussion will be cyclical and there's not much for us to really go on, but just try and have faith and know that there's hundreds of people working hard to put together a mammoth of a game in a time when the gaming industry is collapsing upon itself.

 

[olu]

There's been this idea, and it was prominent during KH3's time, that if we don't regularly see a game and get an update on when it will be releasing, then there's no work being done on it.

. Really bad habit some of y'all need to get out of. Seriously, play more games. Explore your options. KH4 will be here before you know it if you do that.

Good things take time to cook. KH3's development cycle will not be repeated. I doubt they wanna make that same mistake.

 

[Forsaken Shadow]

I think a lil bitching is ok as a treat lol

 

[olu]

I think a lil bitching is ok as a treat lol

If it helps alleviate the pain, why not.

 

[Darkspawn]

THQNordic is listed as a D23 partner, 99% likely for Epic Mickey Rebrushed.

Partners

Presenting sponsor and partner details for D23 2024: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event Presented by Visa

ultimatefanevent.d23.com

Don’t freak out though. There are SEVERAL other game developers that are not listed here yet with games on the horizon. Ubisoft, EA, Skydance, the list goes on. Really just wanted to point this out to show that there will be games at D23 in some capacity. I’d be really surprised if it was the only Disney licensed game to show up.

On the development note, I agree with Launchpad that it tells us nothing. Not good or bad. Just nothing. And whatever is going with Missing Link is largely independent from KH4. If that game is delayed, it isn’t automatically an ill-boding sign for KH4.

The game could have been shown today without a release date/window and we still wouldn’t really know how far along it was without Nomura confirming.

And who knows, maybe SE not appearing was a political thing. They relied heavily on SGF/TGA for Rebirth and didn’t see huge sales. So maybe they’re inclined to do something different for KH4 and other games.

 

[Phoenix]

There's been this idea, and it was prominent during KH3's time, that if we don't regularly see a game and get an update on when it will be releasing, then there's no work being done on it.

When the KH3 trailers ended with "now in development" people on this forum and social media took it to mean that it had not been in development before that very day, despite previous trailers also saying "now in development."

I get that there's not much to talk about, I get that people want to listen to podcasts about news and watch youtube videos, but there's really not much else we can do until Square Enix deems that it is the right time to show it.

The discussion will be cyclical and there's not much for us to really go on, but just try and have faith and know that there's hundreds of people working hard to put together a mammoth of a game in a time when the gaming industry is collapsing upon itself.

I don't think anyone's making specific predictions or value statements on the dev cycle, at least in this thread. But I don't think it's a particularly nice thing to do to see someone be upset or disappointed that there's no news, and they're just... kinda made fun of, or they're called whiny, etc. It is not good to have this big of a drought between 3 and 4, and I don't feel that's a particularly controversial thing to say, or it shouldn't be.

So when a major gaming event rolls on by, all these sequels and remasters are announced and still we here nothing? I dunno. If the KHI news thread isn't a safe place to vent about the lack of news, what is?

 

[Chaser]

I don't think anyone's making specific predictions or value statements on the dev cycle, at least in this thread. But I don't think it's a particularly nice thing to do to see someone be upset or disappointed that there's no news, and they're just... kinda made fun of, or they're called whiny, etc. It is not good to have this big of a drought between 3 and 4, and I don't feel that's a particularly controversial thing to say, or it shouldn't be.

So when a major gaming event rolls on by, all these sequels and remasters are announced and still we here nothing? I dunno. If the KHI news thread isn't a safe place to vent about the lack of news, what is?

That is all fair and valid. My interpretation from a lot of the posts in here over the last couple of months has been around specific predictions and value statements, and those guesses have led to people being upset. I just think there's nothing wrong with trying to rope that back, put things into perspective, and try to reassure people that just because we're not seeing it right now, doesn't mean it bodes ill on the project.

At the end of the day, people are upset and they have every right to be, sure. I've just been around a long time and have seen this pattern again and again and I think some perspective around it doesn't hurt. Ultimately, sure they could have put out screenshots or early in-development footage but then we fall into the problem KH3 had where it showed up sporadically and people weren't happy with the state of the game, every time thinking it had been rebooted and retooled and that it wasn't in a good place.

If you want to vent, vent. No one can stop you from it. It's a forum where discussion happens and I thought I was trying to show the other side of the coin but if you want me to refrain from replying to that then I'll rein it in.

THQNordic is listed as a D23 partner, 99% likely for Epic Mickey Rebrushed.

I've been wondering where that game was. For all that leaked about it, getting the April and "June at the latest" release dates wrong had me all

 

[Phoenix]

That is all fair and valid. My interpretation from a lot of the posts in here over the last couple of months has been around specific predictions and value statements, and those guesses have led to people being upset. I just think there's nothing wrong with trying to rope that back, put things into perspective, and try to reassure people that just because we're not seeing it right now, doesn't mean it bodes ill on the project.

At the end of the day, people are upset and they have every right to be, sure. I've just been around a long time and have seen this pattern again and again and I think some perspective around it doesn't hurt. Ultimately, sure they could have put out screenshots or early in-development footage but then we fall into the problem KH3 had where it showed up sporadically and people weren't happy with the state of the game, every time thinking it had been rebooted and retooled and that it wasn't in a good place.

If you want to vent, vent. No one can stop you from it. It's a forum where discussion happens and I thought I was trying to show the other side of the coin but if you want me to refrain from replying to that then I'll rein it in.


I've been wondering where that game was. For all that leaked about it, getting the April and "June at the latest" release dates wrong had me all

Not at all, I value your perspective and appreciate when you take your time to explain your side of things! But is is disappointing to me, even if it wasn't really expecting anything.

A podcaster I followed made the point that the state of KH podcasts is kinda like the Keyblade Graveyard right now. There's dozens of them, all dead. Hopefully they have something soon.

 

[Squood!]

I do wish we got something KH related at SGF instead of LaNcE sLasHbLaDe

Tbf I wish that slot got taken by any game in general.

Partially cuz from what we saw of the guy

I think he's lame and reeks of things other media already did before with no real way of makin him stand out

Only diff I can really think of is he's the "making fun of a JRPG character" character but in a fighting game where you'd prolly expect a Ryu expy

 

[Oracle Spockanort]

If people want to be mad at anything, it should be the pandemic for eating up two or three year of proper development time on every game in early dev or pitched during that period.

The industry has yet to recover from that. Japan’s economy is shit right now on top of all of this. And SE has been in a state of flux with the new president. There are just so many factors here that I don’t think people are taking enough stock of.

 

[Chaser]

For what it’s worth, I do think there was a big fuck up and I do think the pandemic is the biggest factor in it. It was obvious that Missing-Link was meant to distract us for the most part during the last two years and beyond but unfortunately circumstances prevented that from happening.

I’m sure the sentiment at Square Enix is that they wish they could have given us something rather than leaving us in the dark for so long.

 

[Liodin]

Question for those of you who think that KH4 was announced early and affects you negatively. Why do you feel this way?

I want to know your point of view because in my case, after 5 years of KH3, if we had not had a trailer I would be as desperate as right now to know about KH4, or maybe even more. Because obviously we know they're going to make another one. It's not like not having it announced was going to make me not think about KH4.

Personally, I'm grateful to have that trailer and all the information it gave us, instead of knowing absolutely nothing.

 

[Idreamaboutcats]

Question for those of you who think that KH4 was announced early and affects you negatively. Why do you feel this way?

I want to know your point of view because in my case, after 5 years of KH3, if we had not had a trailer I would be as desperate as right now to know about KH4, or maybe even more. Because obviously we know they're going to make another one. It's not like not having it announced was going to make me not think about KH4.

Personally, I'm grateful to have that trailer and all the information it gave us, instead of knowing absolutely nothing.

In my case, it doesn't affect me negatively per se, it's just that, if I were to put it...I can't wait around for it forever and ever.

Diminishing interests and the march of time waits for nothing and no one. We're all becoming our parents, getting married, sending kids off to school, attending PTA meetings, dealing with teenagers and office politics and beating everyone else out for that sweet, sweet promotion just to be able to add onto that nest egg for that house/car/holiday you've always dreamed of.

Meanwhile, we're trying to stave off aging, trying to keep ourselves fit and healthy praying that the next ECG/blood results won't show cholesterol or blood sugar levels that are too high, or prostrate/pap smear/colonoscopy/mammogram exams won't yield carcinomas, and trying to find stylish while age-appropriate clothes is increasingly challenging and is that crow's feet on the corner of my eye? Is that cellulite?! Hello, retinol and cocoa butter, bye, steam sale/PSplus membership games, and goodbye wallet.

At some point, a video game that brought out so much joy in one's childhood is just...not worth it when your priorities have shifted. You can't make time to play games anymore because there's never any time when reality (like, actual reality, not "reality" that KH is talking about) demands that you race against the clock to stave off that one fear humanity has never conquered in their collective consciousness: death. And any idiot who tells you they're not afraid of death is a liar until they look at it in the face.

 

[Oracle Spockanort]

I mean, is this not the way of life?

Just because now you have to eat more fiber and eat less fried foods and stand up a little slower or take care of a child or work later hours at work doesn’t mean you can’t play KH4 when it eventually comes out. It just means we all have new priorities in our lives, and life marches ever forward.

This was always going to happen.

And I don’t think you have to grasp tightly to your youth to go back to something you enjoyed in your youth. You can just…enjoy things in moderation.

Lord knows I don’t play video games like I used to, but I’ve also filled the gap with more book reading, more going out with friends, playing games that are satisfying and extremely curated versus playing as many games as I can.

I work more, sleep more, feel less like me than I ever have, but I also feel like if KH4 came out tomorrow or two years from now, I’ll drop everything outside of my daily important commitments to play it. And then life will continue after I finish and I’ll move onto the next thing on my priority list. And I’ll continue to age.

And that’s normal.

 

[Phoenix]

Funnily enough, the long development cycles work in my favour in my case, because between daughter and work, I legitimately don't have as much time for video games anymore. I buy one new game a year, if that. So I know I'll be able to buy and play KH4 when it comes up, though at this rate, my kid will be a teenager by then.

 

[Idreamaboutcats]

I guess, but it would be great if I just had a bit more time, a bit more resources, etc.

I'm still looking forward to KH4, but it feels like it's not as important or exciting anymore. That's just how it is. Honestly, consciously thinking about one's own mortality can take out a lot of wind in one's sails and when priorities shift, I'm not quite sure how to feel about it except "I can't afford to wait/play/do this anymore, I have to *insert critical life task here* or else *insert very bad consequence here*" from time to time. I do have moments when I'm excited all over again, but they're far and few between.

It's like...midlife crisis lite in my early 30's. Well, not like, it is.

Edit: God damn it. Talking about this made me listen to "You're Old" in that Spongebob album on repeat.

 

[Darkspawn]

Anyone watching the Xbox showcase Sunday? SE has now skipped two major gaming events, so I want to see if they show up there. We need that Visions of Mana release date. I previously expected that and Octopath, but then the shadow drop happened. Maybe they’ll a have another reveal there and a couple at the Direct.

Also, the SGF account acknowledged the “Kingdom” bait and switch. Lol

https://twitter.com/x/status/1799312599513014308

 

[Launchpad]

This info gap has been too long, but I still vastly prefer it to seeing the game in an unfinished state, seeing it too often (I lack the willpower to avoid trailers), and having the fandom consuming frequent trailers as entertainment rather than just trying to sell the game. I've found a lot of comfort in the game being dead silent, because I believe they're making a more robust, interesting game this time around, with more surprises than 3 had.

Also... KH3 Remind communicated that the KH Team wants to make really good action games again, not just half cooked serviceable ones like BBS, DDD, and base KH3. Action games are the most intricate, delicate science there is in gaming. Every little thing needs to feel good, look good, be balanced well, have utility, intuitive design... it takes time! Each passing year makes me feel more secure that they're being careful.

 

[Phoenix]

In other news, who's also excited for the new Power Rangers game (because they're in their mid to late thirties)?!

 

[Chie]

I'm still a kid but only the good parts and I'm an adult also in the good parts