Merilly

I'm okay with no more Disney worlds being revealed, although there's no denying that I would have preferred it if there had been at least one more movie from the hand-drawn era, but I think all of us would have liked one world over another so that's to be expected. (For example, I could really do without 100 Acre Woods. I don't need more minigames and I simply loathe Winnie the Pooh.) But all other KH games were no different in that regard. We all had worlds we would have liked to skip or plainly skipped if possible. The worlds are also considerably larger now, so the amount is fine, though I still hope they will balance them a little better next time. Admittedly, I've never been too fond of the Gummi Ship and I'm skeptical if I'll be in KH3, but I have to admit that outsourcing it was likely the best option since they could focus on other things and it looks really good. I do hope however that most of the stuff is optional since I don't want to spend too much time in-between worlds on my first playthrough. That's something I'd rather save for the post-game things since it appears rather vast and not that relevant to the overall plot. Not to mention that there are enough minigames already and I don't want to feel like I'm spending 80% of the game on those. (Still would have enjoyed a quest system instead but can't be changed.) I think it's strange that his favorite part of the game is something like this though.

I think that would be good, especially with how he's been built up in the last two years, especially through Back Cover. Also, Nomura stated in an intergiew that he won't appear in KH3. That was oddly specific to just limit it to KH3, considering we already know KH will continue. Though I'd also enjoy a version where he's not exactly evil but something in-between and the main antagonist is actually extremely focused on the supremancy of light. That could also result in interesting interactions since light was often depicted as the good side and it might put a different perspective on it while also creating some conflict between those who had closer ties to darkness than others.

Sure it is and I'm not saying the next title will have fewer surprises. It's just that people tend to be a little more excited for the final of a saga, be it a book, TV/movie series, games, etc. because it's the conclusion and what everything so far leads to. I'm sure the next games will still have the excitement of a KH title but subjectively, it feels like games such as DDD and 0.2 did not have the same amount of hype. Which doesn't mean they'll be worse games, I'm just talking about the visible excitement of the fans as a whole. Another factor is that the sequel will probably already focus on something else and we don't have the same built-up and knowledge as we have prior to KH3. Which likely adds to the excitement.

KH3 releases in one month in Japan... Kinda crazy to see how fast time flies. Only a week left until the new year and then we only need to get through January. It will also be a tough time for a lot of us. At least I imagine so, considering there might be more leaks to avoid and spoilers from early received copies revolving around the internet to block as well since each day closer to release makes it more likely. Not to forget those 4 days in-between the Japanese and global release date. It's always strange how the last few weeks are perceived to be the longest and time still flies by so fast, as if December is over before it even began. I will miss this hype after KH3. It will probably be a while until a new game will be announced and even then it might not generate the same excitement as Kingdom Hearts 3 did. Which is why I want to cherish this last bit as much as I can, even if the wait will become more and more painful. In that regard, a Merry Christmas to all who celebrate it and to those who don't I also wish you the best for the last week of 2018.

I don't think a ban will help at all. As you said, capture cards can bypass blocked content fairly easily and putting up an embargo wouldn't work. You can't completely prevent people from streaming the games or uploading content and at some point, it will be difficult to take down every video because of copyright claims. And I'm not sure it's in Square's best interest either since Let's Plays are mostly not considered illegal due to their nature, unless they are monetized. And even then, they will also profit from this type of marketing. It's why companies even give game copies to Youtubers and the like to play it. Quite frankly, I have no issues with them taking down videos before the official release but anything after is ridiculous. I understand the desire to remain unspoiled but at some point, it's up to the individual to avoid certain content and there's a lot we can do to ensure that for ourselves. And if videos aren't there, people will spoil others with pictures and/or texts anyway. It might be an unpopular opinion but it shouldn't be up to Square/Disney to protect the fans from spoilers once the game is out. Not to mention that it's impossible to control all websites. Also, what about the people who can't afford the game/the console and want to watch streams and Let's Plays/Walkthroughs in order to get the full experience and not just snippets? What about those who won't be able to play it right away? Such an embargo would only protect those who will get the game immediately and would be impossible to keep up for long. An event has a much smaller scale and I'm sure there was some sort of agreement to prevent information from leaking out. KH3 is too anticipated to control entire sites like Twitch, Youtube, etc. I'm all for restricting videos for unreleased games but once the game is out, the responsibility is ours alone.

Yeah, it was pretty good. A nice combination of Disney and original story. It didn't hype me up as much as proper trailers did but for a commercial, it summed up the experience quite well. Having Sora cry is actually not the worst choice because otherwise, the game may be regarded as too child-friendly with the inclusion of Disney. This way, they created a nice balance of gameplay, Disney and original properties for those who have little knowledge about KH.

Kingdom Hearts 3: Watch your favorite characters suffer!

I'm not sure 15 seconds will be sufficient for that amount of suffering. I want at least 1 second per character to make it worthwhile.

I don't know how it was before though. Judging by my group's experiences it was still somewhat f2p friendly. There are a lot of games with a similar style though so it could very well be one of those. I wouldn't put it beyond them to have such a game.

I'm not bothered by the time at all. It's just that 15 seconds is such a short time frame that it's hard to really include anything too new. For that time, it would probably make more sense to show the Disney aspects since commercials are essentily made for those who either don't know whether to buy it or who don't know KH at all. And Disney would probably appeal to a younger audience more than seeing some unknown character with no relevance to them cry. That's just my opinion though and not based on an actual marketing analysis. I'm just not sure what to expect out of 15 seconds and won't have too high expectations, considering it's a commercial. But as I mentioned, I thought the same about the 30 seconds one and got slapped in the face so to speak.

Not that I'm aware of... I've just been playing since September but so far, everything was free. You have to use the in-game currency or tickets to draw but so far there has not been a single unit that needed to be paid for in the strict sense. It's not the most generous of games for sure but it doesn't force you to pay, just like KHUx.

15 seconds is really short but then again, we got hit in the face with a crying Sora in a 30 second commercial so I'm not inclined to say we will see nothing of utmost importance. I don't know if I want to see something like this again, considering it will be ripped immensely out of context and it's still a commercial after all.

Good luck to everyone who will participate! I think this contest is really an amazing opportunity, though I'm not going to enter. I already have a pre-order for the Deluxe Edition and I'm not exactly in desperate need of money, so I'm not going to attempt to take part in this. I'm just going to do my usual posts whenever I'm free and want to write something instead. (Not that I post that much to begin with...) Still, creating such a contest for members is great, especially that it's also available for members from other countries.

There's a difference between doing that sometimes, considering we all have to suck it up at times, or always. And he's not the type to do it always because otherwise, not a lot of people would be able to connect to him. Someone who is generally more careful with showing emotions is easier to understand than someone who is smiling 24/7 because that borders on creepy in my opinion. Mainly because it suggests that they don't know how to deal with emotion. But as I said, Sora isn't like that. He shows a large variety of emotion and everyone has to put up a front at times. There's nothing wrong with that.

That's why I think disabling PS4 Share makes no sense whatsoever... It's not that big of a deal to record footage nowadays. And if it's about spoilers, people might even resort to the most basic of equipment and record it via smartphone camera if they have to. I feel like disabling PS4, even just partly, makes that feature obsolete. Yeah, people still use it to showcase a few things but anyone who wants to spread information will find a way to do so anyway. I personally hope it will bebincluded in a Day One patch. Though I'm honestly not too thrilled about it because I hate this reliance on internet connectivity. Yes, it's no big deal nowadays for most but I would still appreciate it if the game was complete when I get it. These type of patches are not a positive aspect of games currently. Especially to prevent spoilers. It's not like I dislike them trying to prevent spoilers but to be honest, I don't want leaks regardless of importance. It's little comforting to have "the biggest spoilers" under wraps when the rest of the game is out there. But I don't blame that on Nomura. They can't possibly do more and they didn't do anything wrong, I just don't know if that explanation really makes it okay to not have the epilogue on disc.

To be honest, I'm glad we will see some intense emotions. It wouldn't be a good climax to a saga if Sora would be smiling 24/7 or just be angry. There's more to emotions than this and while I don't want to see him crying, it's usually those moments which make us feel for a character the most. O think we all want to feel something when playing KH3 and not have just funny moments or characters facing each other with determination. Speaking for myself, I also want to have some despair mixed in, though I ultimately hope for a good ending. That doesn't mean he won't be the cheerful, happy-go-lucky type again or has abandoned all optimism for good. It creeps me out if characters wont show much emotion and are always smiling because it seems like they either don't care or are putting up a really fake front in order to ignore their own feelings. But Sora isn't like that since he's compassionate and it's not the first time he has cried either. I wouldn't want him to change too much after all this because just about anyone already said it has to be Sora because he is who he is. Character development isn't always necessary to a high degree if there's no good explanation. He's been through so much that I can't imagine a 180° turn for a longer period of time. Perhaps for a portion of the game. Still, I don't think this is necessarily an indication anyone will die. It just implies that Sora will possibly have to face something alone.

I'm not sure this would be the right reaction toward leaks. Yes, they would likely prevent too much damage but at the same time, they would cater to some person's crime. Of course no one demanded an earlier release date with some sort of threat but if one company, or in this case 2, bends to the actions of a single individual, it might become problematic in the future. Of course we want the game more than ever now and as early as possible with these leaks, but I wouldn't like SE or Disney to adjust their plans because someone procured a copy through allegedly illegal means. If they did that, what would prevent others from doing the same and demanding an earlier release, etc.? The damage is more or less done. I think people can do a lot by not pursuing that any further if they wish to remain unspoiled. I read KH13's Discord thread about how to avoid spoilers and they're currently collecting loads of solid advice for all manner of websites and devices while also collecting names, etc. of people who spread leaks. I think it's worth a look and helps avoiding spoilers since there are things we can do ourselves. 6 weeks are long, no questions asked, and I can't deny that I also wished for a moment they would rease it earlier so we wouldn't be so anxious for such a long time. But something in me would be apalled if SE/Disney had to react to such a terrible occurrence by putting the game out earlier. Leaks are one thing but they do not need to set a precedence for strange actions. Which is not to say that I don't want them to take legal action against the person as far as that is possible. And they shouldn't let other fans suffer because a few people are disrespectful like Nintendo once did for Europe even though the fans did nothing to warrant that. But I'm just not sure if adjusting the release date is the best reaction. I'm also not certain they can even manage it. I have no idea if they could release it everywhere they planned to on such short notice. Of course it must already be stored in some way or he wouldn't have been able to acquire it but that doesn't mean they have enough to keep up with demand and that it would reach more remote locations in time. I don't know how it's shipped, how much is done and how long it'll take though since I know very little about shopping procedures for games in other countries in particular. Not to mention they would need to change their schedule for promotion. The complete version of Face my Fears was supposed to release next month and fewer people would buy it if the full version is already to be heard in the game. There're lots of other things to consider as well. However, I would still like to express my gratitude to the moderators trying really hard to keep us safe from unwanted information and helping us to protect ourselves as well. Ironically, I feel less threatened to come across spoilers on KH-related websites because people here are very keen on keeping spoilers and leaks where they belong, even if they are endangered to face them themselves instead. I'm not particularly worried to read too much unwanted information here. Youtube and Tumblr are more problematic due to the sheer amount of information.

I think the KH13 Discord just made a thread about how to avoid leaks. It might not be 100% safe but I think it's still a lot better than having to stand by idly without being able to do anything. I've also been waiting for this game since it got announced (not before that though because we got so many games in the meantime that the perception of what KH3 would be like changed with every new game and I was basically expecting a different game with each new title that came out), and I understand how frustrating it is. I truly do. I'm also unhappy with the possible outcomes for this, especially those surfacing in the next few hours and days with probably more and more people spreading them. But I think trying to do something may result in the opposite and it might become counterproductive. Exposition is what these people often seek. I'm not even sure if the person selling this even intended to spoil anyone or whether he just send those videos as some sort of proof that he owned the game and others just spread it instead. But we know people would ruin it for others if it meant garnering a reaction and a little fame, even if it procurs hate. As per usual, not reacting to this sort of thing is probably better than trying to change it because behind an anonymous persona, it's always easy to talk big and mock others for loving a franchise by pulling that kind of stunt. And giving them even more attention may provoke the opposite reaction of what people actually want. They might spread it even more and again and again, no matter how often they are deleted. Just like those bots continuously advertising those websites on here. They're quick to delete them but they are seen by a few nonetheless and more take their place. The main thing is, I would hate for fans to harrass others and this become a huge argument.I think we all want to enjoy KH3 and I think it might make us more annoyed instead if we jump on this bandwagon of hate where lots of fans are grabbing their pitchforks to hunt down those posting leaks. I'm not condoning it and he should get a just punishment if there was really a crime such as theft involved, but I've seen so many stories today that it's hard to determine what's true anymore and this kind of witchhunt won't do the excitement nor KH3 any good.

I tend to agree with this. I would have no issues with others discussing leaks in their respective categories. The circumstances of these leaks are unfortunate and sad because the copies were allegedly stolen, but I do agree that people shouldn't be banned for talking about them as long as they don't force them on others who wish to remain unspoiled. The problem is that this won't stay in those forums because there are people who spread leaks not for those who want to see them but deliberately send it to people who want nothing to do with them just to ruin the game for them. I have nonissues with people receiving legal copies early and keeping it to themselves or within a group where it will stay. But we all know that won't happen because some are petty like that. But quite frankly, there's no solution for this. For every account banned, two more will surface to take its place because once something is on the internet, it's newrly impossible to get rid of it. If one person ceases uploading, another will take it from them and continue doing it. So even banning all accounts will only result in more accounts posting the same thing over and over. Even if you ban an IP, they will just do it via proxy or public computers and so on. To be honest, it wouldn't bother anyone nearly as much if they would just stay at home playing it quietly for themselves or keeping it bottled up within a forum tread. The problem lies with the character and quite frankly, no amount of banning or hate will fix that. Quite the oppositie. The more people are ready to take up the fork and riot, the more they want to troll those getting worked up over this. The easiest sokution would probably be to remain calm. Don't blow it out of proportion, don't persecute it, don't follow or search for possible "offenders". I'm also anxious, but with the fandom on the verge of exploding, the trolls and leakers are getting what they want - a reaction. And a desired one to boot because everyone is angry, scared or sad. I think it will become more quiet around the leaks if people calm down a bit. Report things where it doesn't belong but don't search for content to block. Blacklist the things you don't want to see as much as possible but otherwise, I suggest that we should just go on about our business like usual. Yes, we should proceed with caution but not all of us can go dark for over a month. I haven't been searching for leaks and won't do so. And so far, my recommendations were clean except for those reporting on them. Which is good to inform people of the danger of being spoiled. But if you don't actively search for them and have blacklisted a lot of things, you still don't need to abandon the entire internet.

I would imagine it's not illegal to possess the footage itself. I guess that would be a similar gray zone as to how it's not illegal to rip videos off of Youtube. It's probably not exactly recommendable/wanted either but you won't get in trouble for downloading them. It might be a different matter if they actually bought an illegally obtained copy or would post the content for everyone to see but if you asked them and they shared it with you privately, it shouldn't be a problem. I'm no lawyer but that's how it's handled here. There are a lot of gray zones in law and quite frankly, it'll be hard to persecute people for owning footage of this type since the content itself is not illegal.

When I read the summary of Chip and Dale drinking tea, I had to laugh because it didn't mention a book at all. What a revelation! It's great to see these translation. They don't reveal too much while still being somewhat revelant for the most part. Since they're ripped out of context, they're not even that much of a spoiler. I'm rather glad they chose to remain cryptic and hope it stays this way in the future, too. I love seeing them hype up things but I guess most of us merely want a moderate amount of information that doesn't spoil too much of the important plot points.

Yeah, I will leave some of the exploring for later. I rather do that than be assaulted with spoilers. But everyone has their own way of playing this game. Since I will do the first playthrough together with my friend, we will focus more on story and after I'm done playing it once with her, I will start another playthrough where I'm taking my time to be more thorough. By all means, it doesn't mean we will rush through it, but I guess we won't be taking too long either. I want to cherish this experience but there's only so much time we can take off work/university too and after that it will become harder to meet up. It's a bit of a balancing act between cherishing the first playthrough which can never be replaced and avoiding spoilers. I won't rush to reach the end but I likely won't play the minigames more times than required either and leave some things like collecting synthesis materials up for after I'm done with the main story, except for things which are picked up along the way anyway of course. For example, if there's an Ultima Keyblade, I likely won't pursue that before the final boss, same as with optional bosses which may unlock before it. I'm less worried about the forum but rather websites such as Youtube and the like which aren't monitored for spoilers such as this forum because no one cares for them there. Or rather, there are no rules in regards to spoilers. Yes, you can blacklist certain things but if people are not tagging it appropriately, it's all a waste of time anyway. My friend has gone through a lot of trouble to avoid all news and still received the recommendations for the opening.

Haha, true! Even though I'm making fun of it a little, I'm actually glad he looks the way he does. Sure, they could always improve a little here or there but considering it's in-game, it's still fairly pleasing. To be honest, I was worried the most for Master Xehanort's look since his face is very unique and you can't replicate the shape easily by copying another model. Especially in the beginning when the models looked considerably worse, I was afraid he might look strange, laughable even, but I'm relieved he looks pretty much like he should.

Master Xehanort has an interesting level of detail with the veins on his scalp. As per usual, some models look a little awkward by being overlighted or using too little which sacrifices a bit of the detail and consistency, but overall, it looks fairly good. At least better than in 0.2. The eyes are still a little flat though. But I love the renders. I'm still disappointed that Lea still has no new outfit of his own but I'm still loving them.

I don't think it's impossible either. 2 worlds are less likely but 1 is still within reason. They could potentially show more than 1 too in a really long trailer, but I'd be fine if it's just one more. I mean, it's just wishful thinking at this point but as you said, it's not entirely out of the question either. But I consider it good that people's expectation have decreased a little and that they've started to accept the possibility that this might be it. I kinda wanna see something from the hand-drawn era and not another Pixar movie though. Nothing against Pixar but there's no need to use up all the suitable movies in one game. A returning world would also be fine as long as it has another color scheme.