When are we expecting news?

[Perkilator]

Y’know what? I’ve pretty much come to terms with news not coming until after FF7 Rebirth at the earliest.

 

[luuizhenriquem]

It's sad to think about it like that but yeah. I guss that's it. lol

Maybe it will be Square's focus after Rebirth is out.

 

[Luminary]

Y’know what? I’ve pretty much come to terms with news not coming until after FF7 Rebirth at the earliest.

It’s worth noting SE only has five new games (six if you count Dawntrail) currently announced to release after Rebirth. Those are:

Foamstars (early 2024)
Saga Emerald Beyond (2024)
DQ3 Remake
DQ12
KH4

I’m sure there are some unannounced projects and the inevitable Remake Part 3. But DQ12 and KH4 are currently the main contenders for a major AAA release. Once Rebirth is out, there will likely be pressure to show off whatever is next from fans and investors. So I think one or both of these will finally get some much needed updates in 2024. My hope is the KH anniversary will have an announcement of Missing Link launching late Spring/Summer (the same launch window as Pokemon Go since they both involve getting outdoors.) Then a KH4 trailer with an early 2025 launch window.

Btw, it looks like there is going to be an hour long Square Enix panel at NYCC on 10/14. But no details yet on if it will be for all their upcoming projects or a specific game. I expect it’ll focus on Rebirth showing similar content to what was at the TGS panel. Pretty unlikely that they would drop a KH reveal there. (Unless we’re getting NYC as a Spider-Man world; let me clown! )

UPDATE: The NYCC panel is a VA panel for Rebirth hosted by Matt Mercer. Likely revealing he’s voicing Vincent!

 

[Luminary]

Not really news, but Disney’s head of gaming mentioned the successful partnership they’ve had with Square Enix on the KH series and that they’re “super excited” about the next game. Good to see that Disney still considers this a strong relationship, even after the challenges with the Avengers and GotG.

https://www.axios.com/newsletters/axios-gaming/

 

[Megavoltage]

I'm glad things are going smoothly. Even though it's a profitable franchise I've always had a fear that Disney will abruptly go "This weird crossover series? We're done, goodbye"

 

[Disney Adventurer]

Jump Festa 2024's this week, not expecting much, but with the article above,
hopefully we'll get something next year.

But not at E3 though which has now officially become a thing of the past.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1734583493592498437

 

[Luminary]

Jump Festa 2024's this week, not expecting much, but with the article above,
hopefully we'll get something next year.

But not at E3 though which has now officially become a thing of the past.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1734583493592498437

Yeah Summer Games Fest really drove the final nail into that coffin this year. It’s interesting to me that other in person events of similar nature have bounced back, but E3 failed to. I wonder if we’ll see SGF evolve more to fill that void. There are still plenty of video game conferences around the world that seem to doing well like TGS and Gamescom.

As it relates to KH, SGF will probably have something (assuming the marketing kicks off again.) But I’ll never forget that weekend in 2018 during E3 where we got new trailers in three different showcases. Something like that is unlikely to happen again.

 

[MATGSY]

Yeah Summer Games Fest really drove the final nail into that coffin this year. It’s interesting to me that other in person events of similar nature have bounced back, but E3 failed to. I wonder if we’ll see SGF evolve more to fill that void. There are still plenty of video game conferences around the world that seem to doing well like TGS and Gamescom.

As it relates to KH, SGF will probably have something (assuming the marketing kicks off again.) But I’ll never forget that weekend in 2018 during E3 where we got new trailers in three different showcases. Something like that is unlikely to happen again.

Geoff will totally be the one who gets to reveal the Star Wars, Avengers, and/or Avatar world(s). The guy is so obsessed with getting Hollywood's approval so of course he wants to call dibs on the big brandname worlds. He ain't gonna care about a P&tF bayou reveal.

 

[2 quid is good]

Off topic but I cannot stand Geoff Keighley, or his ego-stroking events. They *been* ass and they'll *be* ass

 

[Luminary]

Geoff will totally be the one who gets to reveal the Star Wars, Avengers, and/or Avatar world(s). The guy is so obsessed with getting Hollywood's approval so of course he wants to call dibs on the big brandname worlds. He ain't gonna care about a P&tF bayou reveal.

With D23 next year, Disney may keep some of that for themselves. That’s the most likely venue for a Star Wars reveal imo. I don’t think Geoff has that much pull to make demands of what they show.

We’ve also seen with both KH3 and FFVII Remake/Rebirth that the trailers will show stuff in more or less the order you play it in the game. I expect KH4 will be the same way.

Off topic but I cannot stand Geoff Keighley, or his ego-stroking events. They *been* ass and they'll *be* ass

It’s definitely not good that one guy is becoming the face of gaming events. I generally don’t pay enough attention to actively dislike him, but would much rather have less monopoly around the hosting/running of these events.

 

[horto12485]

It's sad that E3 will no longer be around anymore. It was like the Place for Kingdom Hearts news. (R.I.P. E3 1995-2019)

 

[Luminary]

SaGa Emerald Beyond is officially releasing in April next year. With it releasing on both mobile and consoles, I think Missing Link is more likely to release in May to not step on any sales of that game. And if ML was releasing before April, its date probably would have been announced first.

Here’s an updated look at SE’s release calendar so far for next year:

2/29/24: FFVII Rebirth
4/25/24: SaGa Emerald Beyond
Early 2024: Octopath Traveler II (Xbox X/S)
Spring: FFXVI Rising Tide DLC
Spring/Summer (as hinted by Nomura): KH Missing Link
Spring/Summer: FFXIV (Xbox X/S)
Summer: FFXIV Dawntrail
TBD ‘24: Foamstars
TBD ‘24: Visions of Mana

It’s going to be a pretty busy first half of the year for SE and it’s very possible Foamstars releases by end of summer too. It’s already had its open beta and doesn’t seem like it should need much more development time.

Not really sure where Visions of Mana could fall, but I have a feeling it’ll be in Q3. That would be about 8-10 months for marketing from the announcement, which is about how long most of these games marketing windows have been.

I’m just gonna put a little “pie in the sky” prediction out there: KH4 and ML will both get new trailers in February.

Here’s why I think it’s possible:

- The second Missing Link beta will wrap up in late January/February.
- The Sora amiibo also releases mid-February. This and the beta could all be timed up with a big KH announcement.
- FFVII Rebirth had a big trailer with its release year confirmed two weeks before FFXVI released. The amiibo releases two weeks before Rebirth and would be a good time to show what their next AAA game will be.
- Ever Crisis had a trailer and started pre-registration about three months before release. If Missing Link is targeting a May release, this would be three months prior.

I’ll take it a step further and say if the above happens (big emphasis on IF,) we could see KH4 release on 10/4/24.

- It would be about 8 months after this hypothetical trailer, which is about how long their recent marketing campaigns have been.
- The date is a Friday so ideal for a new game release.
- It obviously has “4” in the date.
- The game was announced on 4/10, so releasing on 10/4 would be an on brand Nomura move. Both can be a 104 reference depending how you layout the date. Not to mention that old Dark Road Q&A mystery with questions 4 and 10 being special somehow.
- Would be close to D23 and TGS, so they could easily have demos at both of these events before possibly releasing one publicly.

 

[Chie]

Not sure what this scenario is where people playing a particular gacha game would somehow make SaGa (of all things) lose sales.

 

[Luminary]

Not sure what this scenario is where people playing a particular gacha game would somehow make SaGa (of all things) lose sales.

I’m not saying it’d be a major impact. But for
people who have limited time or financial resources, they may have to choose one or the other to play if they come out the same week. And if one is f2p, that’s probably the one you choose if you’re looking for a cheaper option. Hope that helps.

Even just from a marketing standpoint, any KH game would overshadow SaGa if they released the same week. Especially when they’re trying to push Missing Link as being as big as a normal KH title.

SE releases are almost always spread out by at least a week anyways. If it releases just a week later, to quote JT, “It’s gonna be May.” Nomura also said they’ll likely release ML when it starts warming up, specifically mentioning how that was around May this year.

 

[Chie]

I just don't think there's ever practically gonna be a guy who has to decide whether to play a KH gacha or buy SaGa. I'm pretty sure everyone who might want to buy SaGa is definitely going to buy SaGa, because it's so niche; conversely gacha games are so mass-market that [insert provocative statement about their appeal]. Someone who's not sure which one to choose just feels like a dichotomy that could only exist from a producer's perspective and not in reality, especially because one is literally free to try.

 

[Luminary]

I just don't think there's ever practically gonna be a guy who has to decide whether to play a KH gacha or buy SaGa. I'm pretty sure everyone who might want to buy SaGa is definitely going to buy SaGa, because it's so niche; conversely gacha games are so mass-market that [insert provocative statement about their appeal]. Someone who's not sure which one to choose just feels like a dichotomy that could only exist from a producer's perspective and not in reality, especially because one is literally free to try.

I get where you’re coming from. But SaGa is bigger in Japan than it is elsewhere in the world, so there’s probably more crossover of their respective fanbases there. It really doesn’t matter since Nomura suggested May anyways. But even if that weren’t the case, I don’t see them releasing two popular franchise games at once. Looks like the last time they released two new games the same day was the third Voice of Cards game and uhh… Various Daylife, which I think speaks for itself.

But hey, I’ll make a bet that if SaGa and Missing Link release the same day, I’ll stay off this forum until KH4 releases.

 

[KeybladeLordSora]

I get where you’re coming from. But SaGa is bigger in Japan than it is elsewhere in the world, so there’s probably more crossover of their respective fanbases there. It really doesn’t matter since Nomura suggested May anyways. But even if that weren’t the case, I don’t see them releasing two popular franchise games at once. Looks like the last time they released two new games the same day was the third Voice of Cards game and uhh… Various Daylife, which I think speaks for itself.

But hey, I’ll make a bet that if SaGa and Missing Link release the same day, I’ll stay off this forum until KH4 releases.

Nomura didn't suggest May. He said it was very hot around May.

He wants ML released ASAP and the other guy there said they wanted it out before it gets too uncomfortable to walk which high temperatures would equal being uncomfortable.

Also I'm getting tired of this "Insert Game Here is coming out so KH can't come near it" thing.

 

[Luminary]

Nomura didn't suggest May. He said it was very hot around May.

He wants ML released ASAP and the other guy there said they wanted it out before it gets too uncomfortable to walk which high temperatures would equal being uncomfortable.

I’m happy to be wrong on the May thing, but what you’re saying is pretty much the opposite of every translation I’ve seen. (I miss Goldpanner.) If you have a source, I’m happy to take a look.

From what I’ve seen, it was mentioned how it warmed up around May this past year and Nomura (maybe joking) asked if it would be ok to wait that long. That’s based on the Q&A as written up here: http://www.ff-reunion.net/?p=33483

Unfortunately, these are impressions from multiple attendees that have then been translated, so need to be taken with a grain of salt. (Which is why I don’t blame KHI for not bothering translating them.) But for what it’s worth, May temps tend to be 60s-70s in Japan, which I personally would not consider “very hot.” That’s like ideal temps. Plus, Pokémon Go released in July, which is one of the hottest months of the year and did just fine. So I kinda doubt they meant that they wanted to avoid releasing it when it was too hot.

Also, every game developer says they want to release their game asap. That tells us nothing. They’re going to need some time to implement fixes/feedback/etc. which could take a few weeks or months. Not to mention, the possibility of another beta test for North America/any other regions.

Also I'm getting tired of this "Insert Game Here is coming out so KH can't come near it" thing.

It wouldn’t matter if it was an FF, DQ, or any other Square Enix game besides KH. What reason would the company have to release two games from notable franchises the same day/week? Especially when other game studios could have competing releases coming out around the same time too and they have no control over those. The one recent time it happened mentioned in my post, one game was a port of an iOS game and the other was a card game. Both were advertised in the Nintendo Direct and released immediately that day.

 

[Chie]

But hey, I’ll make a bet that if SaGa and Missing Link release the same day, I’ll stay off this forum until KH4 releases.

You seem to think I'm saying "I think the marketers WILL release these games near the same day". I'm not. What I'm saying is more "these games are not in competition at all and to think they are is a bizarre marketer-producer ideology". It may well be the ideology that Square Enix executives subscribe to, in fact. But whether they do or don't, a free gacha has zero potential to step on the sales of SaGa, except in the abstract (the very presence of gacha in general having an extreme negative effect on the public's minds, for instance).

Moreover, I do find it bizarre that literally 100% of release date speculation now consists of operating within this producer ideology. Sure, they're unlikely to put things on the same day/week, obviously - anyone at all would avoid doing that (in fact, the concept of "same day" is one youve kinda just inserted into this topic on your own). But on here it's always stuff like "well it can't come out in this entire half of this year because [game]". Surely the process of actually, you know, making the damn game has a larger effect on the release date than where the marketers slot it after they're done??

But, even me saying that is besides the point - maybe we CAN predict entirely using producer ideology because that's what everything is now in this industry. But when we say something like "well surely Missing Link would take sales away from SaGa", we are no longer guessing how the producers think but outright validating their ideology!

The map is not the territory.

 

[Antifa Lockhart]

I actually had Goldpanner take a look at the May thing since literally every other Translator seems to be lackluster these days.

Q: When is this releasing?
A: Nomura: I'm working really hard right now, if you can't tell from my expression. I'm trying to release the game as soon as possible
Shirakami: I want to release during a time of year when it's not a bad time to walk.
Nomura: I mean, this year summer started in like May, so we may be in trouble...

We're not in an era where you can trust any translator 100%, I'm sorry to say.