KINGDOM HEARTS Missing Link Coming 2024!

[HakaishinChampa]

I've said it before but I think this game would be more successful if it was available on console

I give the game a year at least, 2 years at most

 

[Luminary]

I've said it before but I think this game would be more successful if it was available on console

I give the game a year at least, 2 years at most

KH3 sold 7 million copies. Pretending all those copies sold for $60, that’s about $420 million. Compare that with DQ Walk’s $2 billion and it’s pretty clear why they think this will be more successful than a console game. From a purely financial perspective, this game is likely to be more successful than KH4. And could even end up financing several future KH projects in the way that DQ Walk likely helped fund games like DQ Monsters, Treasures, Infinity Strash, etc.

The gacha is predatory and awful, but unfortunately effective. And these geolocation games are much more popular in Japan. If anything, it will fail globally where they aren’t as popular, but they’ll continue to support it in Japan.

The only thing standing in the way of its success there is ironically DQ Walk itself. It’ll be interesting to see how two SE mobile games with the same core gameplay conceit perform side by side. Especially if you can’t play both simultaneously.

 

[Oracle Spockanort]

I think you’re underestimating the game’s potential. DQ Walk just crossed $2 billion earned in Japan alone. This game could earn half that and still be the single most profitable game in the KH franchise by far. (With maybe the exception of UX. Not sure how much it made.) Even just a quarter of DQW’s earnings would be more than KH3’s total sales.

Yeah, it really just depends on how rewarding they make the GPS mode loop and fix the free roam mode to be rewarding just enough to make players engage with it.

Done right, they could really draw people out, especially if they work with Disney to time it with film releases, special events at the parks, and other things.

 

[Luminary]

Yeah, it really just depends on how rewarding they make the GPS mode loop and fix the free roam mode to be rewarding just enough to make players engage with it.

Done right, they could really draw people out, especially if they work with Disney to time it with film releases, special events at the parks, and other things.

Agreed. I imagine there will be some balance adjustments for the full release with what you earn.

If they can release it before D23, I could see some kind of special raid event taking place there. Even those who can’t attend D23 could buy in to teleport there in-game to participate.

 

[Squood!]

The ultimate goal is to sell your data as Chaser said. Whether from the start or later on, they will also get businesses to sponsor them by having chests, raids, etc. at their businesses. Each time a player sets foot in a sponsored location, they will pay SE a small fee for helping attract customers. This is how the PokeStops work in Pokemon Go.



I think you’re underestimating the game’s potential. DQ Walk just crossed $2 billion earned in Japan alone. This game could earn half that and still be the single most profitable game in the KH franchise by far. (With maybe the exception of UX. Not sure how much it made.) Even just a quarter of DQW’s earnings would be more than KH3’s total sales.

Ah yes, the single most profitable KH game because it'll force people to pay up so they don't have to basically walk all day to get enough AP.

Yippie.

Sorry if I'm being harsh. Today hasn't been good.

 

[Phoenix]

Regarding the DQ Walk, how long as it been running? Because Dark Road collapsed itself almost immediately, it was that awful. It also didn't cost very much, so it 100% made its money back, but it probably had a significant opportunity cost as well.

These phone games are making it so nothing else can happen for KH.

 

[Squood!]

Regarding the DQ Walk, how long as it been running? Because Dark Road collapsed itself almost immediately, it was that awful. It also didn't cost very much, so it 100% made its money back, but it probably had a significant opportunity cost as well.

These phone games are making it so nothing else can happen for KH.

It's been around since September of 2019 and it's Japan exclusive. Because Dragon Quest is extremely popular there.

 

[redcrown]

And could even end up financing several future KH projects in the way that DQ Walk likely helped fund games like DQ Monsters, Treasures, Infinity Strash, etc

Not to be negative or challenge you on how business on things like this work, but is that really true for the Kingdom Hearts series so far? Because Union Cross/Chi or whatever was going on in the period between DDD and KH3, and we had no new *full* KH games unless you count the remixes and ports and small 2.8 game during that time. Along with the Verum Rex game being cancelled (or was it just postponed?) it really can't help but feel like:

These phone games are making it so nothing else can happen for KH.

 

[Squood!]

Not to be negative or challenge you on how business on things like this work, but is that really true for the Kingdom Hearts series so far? Because Union Cross/Chi or whatever was going on in the period between DDD and KH3, and we had no new *full* KH games unless you count the remixes and ports and small 2.8 game during that time. Along with the Verum Rex game being cancelled (or was it just postponed?) it really can't help but feel like:

Tbf, Verum Rex wasn't canned. Nomura just chose KH4 first.

 

[Chaser]

So, I have a question, and I'll try to phrase it right.

When Dark Road came out, players quickly figured out that the best (only) way of "playing" the game was to let it play itself. Now, they had to let the phones run all night because iirc, the game had to be on. It didn't have any of the normal QOL things idle games had, because the game wasn't really intended to be played that way. It's just that the game was so poorly designed that it genre shifted.

The way you're playing ML right now, do you get the sense that this is the intended user experience, or is this a Dark Road situation?

And please don't apologise for being negative or preachy. I think we all appreciate the inside look into the thing.

I think this is the intended user experience. I mean, it is built upon going out and about, having the game running during commutes etc. The longer you're out, the more AP you gather, which then lets you do more when you're stationary. I don't feel like I'm playing it any way that's not intended.

 

[Luminary]

Ah yes, the single most profitable KH game because it'll force people to pay up so they don't have to basically walk all day to get enough AP.

Yippie.

Sorry if I'm being harsh. Today hasn't been good.

You’re fine. But yeah, we all know it’s predatory. I’m not praising how it will be successful. I’m just stating what the objective reality is. They win either way you play it. If you walk, they sell your location data. If not, you have to buy into it. If Japan takes to it even a fraction of the way they have with DQW, it will be around for awhile.

Not to be negative or challenge you on how business on things like this work, but is that really true for the Kingdom Hearts series so far? Because Union Cross/Chi or whatever was going on in the period between DDD and KH3, and we had no new *full* KH games unless you count the remixes and ports and small 2.8 game during that time. Along with the Verum Rex game being cancelled (or was it just postponed?) it really can't help but feel like:

I’m not sure how much UX made in comparison. But it probably did help to some extent with KH3 and Melody of Memory at least. By the latter’s release, I don’t think it was making that much anymore. I also think Nomura likely didn’t want to create more side games in that era leading up to KH3 for story reasons.

I don’t claim to know the inner workings of their finances, but it stands to reason that at least some of that income is invested back into the franchise.

 

[Chaser]

https://imgur.com/slo0ggp

 

[Squood!]

I think this is the intended user experience. I mean, it is built upon going out and about, having the game running during commutes etc. The longer you're out, the more AP you gather, which then lets you do more when you're stationary. I don't feel like I'm playing it any way that's not intended.

Well

Doubt it'll have much mileage in the US then.

 

[Luminary]

https://imgur.com/slo0ggp

Now this is what I’ve been itching to see. Lol. It is giving Neverland vibes to me.

 

[Chaser]

I took a slightly longer video but it was too large for imgur

It could be Pirates, Neverland, Tangled, or random jungle that's just outside of Scala! Who knows.

 

[Oracle Spockanort]

Well

Doubt it'll have much mileage in the US then.

I mean, isn't America the perfect target? Everything tends to be pretty far apart here, and as long as they utilize similar map data from other geolocation games, they will have points of interest in cities that people frequent. And in the big coastal cities, you have people utilizing public transportation to go all over. And if they aren't, they are driving long distances.

The only people this particular feature doesn't work well for are WFH folk, which is definitely not as prevalent as it used to be, and people in more closed in communities who don't travel much at all.

I do think this game probably works better in Japan due to the prevalence of public transportation, but this definitely will work very well in the US as long as you are a commuter.

 

[Chaser]

-- Is the room where Sora wakes up also in Shibuya?

Nomura: That is located in Minami-Aoyama.

-- A great location! (laughs) So you've even established that?

Nomura: Yes, we've also specified the room layout. The furniture and whatnot haven't been decided yet, so the interior will be undergoing some changes. That room will serve as the base for the early parts of the game.

I wonder if Sora will join a society then, since the room won't serve as a base as the game progresses.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1786652046105739658

I got Kairi twice and lord is she going through it

 

[bambii]

As an aside from all the gacha-doom-talk, I finally finished watching the cutscenes, and as far as story goes, I’m hooked. It feels like a new vibe for the series, really leaning into this being a new saga. It’s refreshing. And I’m really enjoying the new characters so far, they have a lot of charm. It’s awesome to have some proper new story to chew on. Some plot elements are extremely intriguing.

The cutscenes themselves…. pretty rough around the edges. The lack of any sound fx/sound design is also unfortunate. I have no gauge for how much of this is just due to it being a CBT vs. they’re on a tight cutscene budget. Fingers crossed for some improvements there.

Have had the new Scala theme stuck in my head all day. Classic Yoko and it’s really giving Scala a distinctive touch. Again, feels fresh.

I’m in. Feels like we’re in for a wild ride, as always. Gimme more.

 

[LoneFox]

Does that use of hands-free mode for farming even require moving around? Based on what I have seen on livestreams, enemies seem to respawn at fast enough rate for it to work even when you stay in one place.

In any case, it looks like an unintentional exploit to me, and people in the beta should definitely report it as such. We don't want SE to be labelled as an environmental pig who encourages people to leave their devices running in high power consumption mode for long periods of time, do we?

 

[Chie]

I mean, that is what they are.