Why? Because Squenix Likes You!

Despite the fact that a trailer for the game was included in the international version of Kingdom Hearts, Square Enix repeatedly sidestepped questions about a Kingdom Hearts sequel, mainly because of complicated negotiations with Disney. But at this year��s Tokyo Game Show, the company officially took the wraps off the game and even showed some video of the Disney and Square Enix crossover in action. ��We have to deliver new products from the Kingdom Hearts world,�� said Square Enix President Yoichi Wada. ��The original game sold 1.3 million units in Japan and 2 million overseas, so there��s evidence of great support for Kingdom Hearts.��

Set shortly after the original, Kingdom Hearts II features the return of Sora, Kairi, Riku, and numerous Disney characters, including a version of Mickey Mouse that looks as though it was ripped straight from The Matrix. Although Tetsuya Nomura, director and character designer, helped shape Mickey��s new look, Disney still maintains an active role in the appearance of its characters. ��Our legacy of keeping Disney characters alive involves making sure they��ve been portrayed properly,�� said Graham Hooper, senior vice president and general manager of Buena Vista Games. ��But a lot of the ideas come from Tetsuya Nomura.��

Unfortunately, Nomura and members of the Kingdom Hearts II development team were tight-lipped about any additional details, but they did indicate the game will be ready for a 2004 release.

Play Online or Else!

With the relative success of Final Fantasy XI, Square Enix has started to make a huge push for its PlayOnline service and online games in general. In fact, two new online games were announced at the show��Front Mission Online and Ambrosia Odyssey. Front Mission Online is a massively multiplayer mech simulation based on the universe of the same name. Ambrosia Odyssey is an entirely new property that looks to have a somewhat medieval-style setting. It has been designed to be user-friendly, and it will also have a single-player mode for people who don��t particularly care to play the game online. Finally, Square Enix revealed that several new features are going to be implemented into Final Fantasy XI, including PVP (player versus player), which was previously excluded because of design decisions. The new feature will help emphasize the conflicts between the different factions in the game.

Copyright © 2003 Ziff Davis Media Inc. All Rights Reserved. Originally appearing in Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine.