Kingdom Hearts III
Game
Documents about Kingdom Hearts III
Article
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.
DiGRAJun 2025
Article
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.
Loading... The Journal of the Canadian Game Studies AssociationAug 2022
Article
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.
Gamecity HamburgAug 2018
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