Is Square Enix milking Kingdom Hearts?

Kingdom Hearts is one of the most popular franchised published by Square Enix. As many of you know, they have been switching the platform for the Kingdom Hearts series frequently lately. For most fans, that could be quite a big bother since not everyone can afford every system.

[iXenon]

They're not milking Kingdom Hearts one bit. Anyone who knows the game knows that they each offer something new and draw closer to the conclusion that is Kingdom Hearts III

[SkyCrawler]

Obviously the ppl that disagreed dont understand sarcasm without the "/s"

[saladthieves]

Obviously SkyCrawler understands sarcasm better than anyone around

/s

[WombBat]

I love kingdom hearts, just beat the first one today again. but i gotta say, they need to stop with all these bs spin offs man, i want a legit title already and if its for ps3 only, i will buy a ps3. Better yet, might as well start now and make it come out for the next gen consoles

[Pozzle]

I don't know if I'd call it "milking". But it IS ridiculous that practically every Kingdom Hearts game is on a different console, so most KH fans haven't been able to play the full story or won't be able to fully understand KH3 when it is finally released.

Releasing every game on separate consoles is such a stupid decision from a business/fandom perspective. All it does is alienate fans and put many of them off continuing the series.

[Lovable]

I couldn't agree more. Took the words out of my mouth.

[NukaCola]

There are 3 times the spin off than the actually core games. I don't know what if this is milking but it's completely BS that we get 10 spin offs and probably another for Vita and a KH/KH2 HD Remake before we can get Kingdom Hearts III. I don't calling it milking, I call it pissing off the fans, but hey, Square Enix is kings at disappointment.

[Misterhbk]

Yep, I'm a HUGE Kingdom Hearts fan and I'll be the first to admit that I most likely won't get the full grasp of the story myself.

I'll be buying Kingdom Hearts 3 day one but I do wish that all the spin offs games were just that, spin offs. Nothing directly applied to to the main story, but in the same universe.

[Pozzle]

I agree with the spin-off thing. I remember when Chain of Memories first came out and I thought it was just a spin-off with barely any relation to the "main" series, so I didn't play it. So I ended up being VERY confused when KH2 was released and Sora had to be woken up from hibernation, there were two characters named Roxas and Namine who I didn't recognise, and Organization XIII was going around and destroying things. I was like "Bwuh? Who are all these people? When did all this happen?"

Then I played Chain of Memories and finally understood what was going on.

So yeah...I'm worried that when KH3 comes out, the plot will be even harder to follow because there are more spin-off titles this time around. :O

[Bereaver]

I was head over heels when I played kingdom hearts 1. But when all the spin offs started happening.... I lost myself and part of my kingdom hearts pride. I just don't feel attached.... :(

[manman6]

You hit it right on the nail. Square Enix is not milking the franchise but they are making it very hard for fans of the series to follow along with the story since it been on so many different platforms.

[Tanir]

true, though square makes nomura make random spin offs, the only real games so far are 1, 2 and birth by sleep. chain of memories......maybe the Re chain of memories can count, but not really.

u can tell when its a real KH, nomura gets serious and it isnt just a recap like most of the nintendo spin offs.

dream drop looks good on the 3ds though

[narutogameking]

Milking = multiplatform releases or yearly released
I don't think Kingdom Hearts falls into any of those categories.

[PidgeottosCrew]

I don't own any portable systems. I have a feeling when Kingdom Hearts 3 comes out five years from now that it'll confuse me more than a porno confuses a five year old.

[ZombieAssassin]

Obviously not good enough, still dont have one for my ps3.

[tunaks1]

yes they are,

not only are the milking it, they've ruined it all together. The plots become a convoluted mess. KH1, (Re)Com, and kh2 were all good, it goes downhill after that. Re-re-re-visiting each world is getting real old.

[ScytheX3]

from a shareholders and business point of view, you milk all you can from a franchise, the point is to make money not to put smiles on ppls faces, think shareholders that at times hardly even know crap about gaming care about remaking ff7 for fanboys and that would most likely not appeal to new rpg and ff series fans, hell no they dont.

[Amiz]

But from a shareholder and business point of view, what Square are doing doesn't make sense. The average Kingdom Hearts fan isn't going to spend hundreds of dollars to buy a PS2, 3DS, DS, PSP and Gameboy Advance just so they can play every game in the series. They are going to miss out instead.

If Square was interested in making as much money as possible they would release the spin off titles on multiple platforms, or release them all on one platform so that fans can have a chance to buy them all. What they are currently doing makes no sense from a business point of view and from a "making fans happy" point of view.

I also disagree that a FF7 remake wouldn't sell well. Quite frankly it's stupid to say that it wouldn't. If the new generation of RPG fans wasn't interested in FF7, then it wouldn't still be the top selling PSN Classic of all time, FF7 characters wouldn't make cameos in so many different spin off titles and Square games, and there wouldn't be a FF7 Compilation. Square knows fans love FF7. That's why so much FF7 related merchandise exists.

And you can't tell me Square are refusing to make a FF7 remake because it would be a bad business decision, but releasing an awful sequel like Dirge of Cerberus was a good business decision. More people want a FF7 remake than a bad third person shooter set in the FF7 world.

[DragonKnight]

They are on handhelds, that's for sure. Since the series began, consoles have seen 2 major releases (you can't count the re-release of Chain of Memories) while handhels have seen 3 I believe, maybe 4 if I'm missing one. The story is incredibly disjointed thanks to this, and I would ask if anyone has any hint as to where KH3 (if it ever exists) would take off from story wise.

[ignorantsonsof_]

I have a pretty good idea of ways the story could continue in KH 3, and even after the main series is over since Nomura said the series will continue after 3. Sure it's just vague ideas but they are pretty good ideas.

[KonaBro]

Yes they are milking it because they know it's a popular franchise but at the same time they aren't. They keep coming out with new installments in the franchise to keep fans happy until Nomura's schedule is free to start on Kingdom Hearts 3. The man is already balls deep in trying to finish Versus XIII so don't expect a main installment until probably the PS4.

[shaft0140]

The way things are looking, we'll probably be playing KH 4 by the time Versus XIII comes out.

[GupX19A]

Not even milking it. Every games in the series adds lore to the series. From my perspective, the main games are on consoles and the handheld games are compliments. 358/2 and more specifically BBS adds a lot more depth to the overall series, but you don't need either to tell to enjoy 1 & 2.

KH series has spanned through two generations of consoles. You really only needed a PS2 for that gen. A PSP and DS this gen and the next gen of systems is starting with 3DS.

And seriously, the core storyline is experienced on Sony systems. 1 and 2 are required, BBS is honestly KH Zero and they'd be dumb not to put KH3 on PS3/4. You can even play a superior version of CoM on PS2 which this article failed to include. You can easily get by without experiencing 358/2 and Re-coded.

[GabeLogansBitch]

The Japanese consider their own market before others, and since portables are so big over there it's no wonder KH has been released on about five different consoles now.

[yewles1]

It's not milking, it's obscuring. Forcing people to get the whole story on different platforms is going to aggravate consumers more and more.

[imoutofthecontest]

When people keep buying ANYTHING, even the crappy cellphone port and 358/2, who can blame them? If someone told me there was 5 million idiots that paid me for every lame product I put out, you bet I'd make that last as long as possible. "Better to work for a paycheck than wait to win the lottery." It's a business. The KH fanbase keeps buying it, so the company keeps churning it out. I don't know why people are surprised.

[e-p-ayeaH]

Its Square Enix they milk everything they can just like Capcom.

[ignorantsonsof_]

They are definitely not milking the series. Yeah you could get by without playing the handheld games, but you would definitely be confused. I'm only just now understanding all of KH 2 after playing BBS and 358/2, they really explained a lot about the story and connected all the games together. Like how Organization XIII talks to Sora as if he's Ventus/Roxas, and the whole reason you start KH 2 as Roxas. I feel their business plan for the series is having the main games on home consoles, while putting prequels/interquels on handhelds. I'm pretty sure Nomura said something similar to that himself when asked why BBS wasn't on a home console.

[TheWolverine]

Is Square Enix milking Kingdom Hearts?

Yes. When are we gonna see a numbered entry? Next year or the year after that? Or will I just have to freeze myself for 20 years and check when I thaw?