Kingdom Hearts III
Game
8 documents in the library are about Kingdom Hearts III, from writers such as Square Enix, Square Enix Holdings and DiGRA. Each has a summary and key insights with the page they come from.
Connections
Each row is a game or company named alongside Kingdom Hearts III, each column a document, oldest first. A mark means that document names it. Select a row to see those documents.
Documents about Kingdom Hearts III
Crossover Kingdom: Narration, Gamification, and the Platform Unconscious of Kingdom Hearts and Disney Parks
This analysis explores the "platform unconscious" within the Kingdom Hearts (KH) franchise, particularly focusing on the fan reception of the "Attraction Flow Attack" mechanic in Kingdom Hearts III.
- The paper argues that fan backlash against Kingdom Hearts III's Attraction Flow combat, which turns Disney theme park rides like Splash Mountain and the Mad Tea Party into weapons, reveals a 'platform unconscious': nonpublic conflicts between platforms and IP creators surfacing within the fictional worlds themselves.
- Using Fredric Jameson's political unconscious and James Malazita's platforms-as-sociotechnical-objects theory, the authors contend the Kingdom Hearts franchise requires interpretive tools beyond existing transmedia storytelling and media mix frameworks.
- The paper contrasts Arendelle (based on Frozen), which follows its source film through linear, cutscene-triggered routes resembling theme park paths and drew fan criticism for lacking originality, with Toy Box, which has an original arc integrating Toy Story characters and a repurposed, cancelled Final Fantasy XIII-Versus project.
Controllers and the Magic Kingdom: Corporate Partnership, Synergy and the Limits of Cross-Promotion in Kingdom Hearts III (2019)
The Kingdom Hearts franchise serves as a critical case study for the complexities of trans-industrial collaboration, revealing the inherent friction between Square Enix’s expansive media-mix strategy and Disney’s rigid intellectual property management.
- The Kingdom Hearts franchise operates as a 'superfranchise' that remediates Disney and Square Enix intellectual properties, serving as a case study for the limits of corporate synergy in transmedia production.
- Disney’s internal video game strategy has been characterized by frequent restructuring, including the 2015 merger of its interactive media division into Consumer Products and the 2016 discontinuation of the Disney Infinity toy-to-life system.
- Creative control in the franchise is contested, with director Tetsuya Nomura navigating complex negotiations over character rights and noting that collaborating with creators of newer Disney films is more restrictive than working with older, established properties.
Square Enix Holdings Financial Results Briefing: Fiscal Year Ended March 31, 2019
Square Enix Holdings reported financial results for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2019, characterized by a divergence between top-line growth and bottom-line contraction.
- Square Enix grew net sales 8.2% to ¥271 billion in the fiscal year ended March 31, 2019, but operating income fell 35.7% to ¥24.5 billion and net income attributable to parent shareholders dropped 28.5% to ¥18.4 billion.
- Revenue growth was driven by major HD game releases, namely Kingdom Hearts III, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, and Just Cause 4.
- The profit decline was attributed to high development and release costs, underperformance in the smart device and PC browser sub-segment, and the discontinuation of operations at Studio Istolia.
Square Enix Holdings Financial Results: Fiscal Year Ended March 31, 2019
Square Enix Holdings reported financial results for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2019, reflecting a period of revenue growth tempered by declining operating margins.
- Square Enix reported net sales of 271.0 billion yen for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2019, but operating income fell significantly to 24.5 billion yen, down from 38.1 billion yen in the previous year.
- The Digital Entertainment segment, the company's largest revenue driver, saw operating income drop from 43.4 billion yen to 29.0 billion yen, resulting in an operating margin contraction of 8.5 percentage points to 14.2%.
- Digital sales in the HD games segment have grown by an annual average of approximately 40% over the past five years, with digital downloads accounting for 40% of total HD sales in FY2019/3.
Square Enix Holdings 3Q FY2019/3 Financial Results Briefing
Square Enix Holdings reported a challenging financial performance for the nine-month period ending December 31, 2018.
- Square Enix reported a 65.3% year-over-year decline in operating income to ¥11.7 billion for the nine-month period ending December 31, 2018, alongside a 4.8% drop in net sales to ¥179 billion.
- The Digital Entertainment segment, the company's core business, saw net sales fall to ¥130.4 billion due to high development amortization costs, heavy advertising spend, and underperforming titles like Just Cause 4.
- To improve operational efficiency and profitability, Square Enix will consolidate its eleven existing business divisions into four units starting in fiscal year 2020.
Square Enix Holdings 1Q FY2019/3 Financial Results Briefing
Square Enix Holdings reported a decline in financial performance for the first quarter of the fiscal year ending March 31, 2019.
- Square Enix Holdings' 1Q FY2019/3 net sales fell 20.2% year-over-year to ¥45.4 billion, while operating income dropped 66.9% to ¥4.2 billion.
- The decline was attributed to a lack of new game releases in the quarter and the absence of one-off licensing fees that boosted the prior-year figures.
- Earnings fell across all business segments, but management said results still exceeded internal expectations because digital sales held up.
Gamescom 2018: Square Enix Line-up
Square Enix announced an extensive presence at Gamescom 2018 in Cologne, positioning the Japanese publisher, whose German headquarters sit in Hamburg, as a company back in strong form after a period of renewed momentum.
- Square Enix showcased a major 2018 release portfolio at Gamescom 2018, utilizing a 1,500-square-meter booth in Hall 9.1.
- The exhibition featured over 200 individual playstations to provide hands-on demonstrations for attendees.
- The primary lineup included high-profile titles such as Kingdom Hearts III, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Dragon Quest XI, Just Cause 4, Final Fantasy XIV, and the premiere of Life is Strange 2.
U.K. Road Show Material: February 2017
This document outlines a strategic plan for achieving sustained sales and profit growth, primarily driven by the Digital Entertainment (DE) segment.
- Square Enix aims to reach 400 billion JPY in sales by fiscal year 2019, targeting six consecutive years of growth in its Digital Entertainment segment.
- The company is prioritizing profitability in its high-definition (HD) gaming division while maintaining a stable revenue foundation through MMOs and smart device games.
- Strategy focuses on three pillars: enhancing digital sales via a new global website, maximizing multi-platform accessibility across consoles, PC, and mobile, and expanding IP into merchandising and publishing.
Companies behind it
As the documents state it.