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Kingdom Hearts Fragmented Keys
Kingdom Hearts Fragmented Keys, also known as Kingdom Hearts Online, was a proposed mobile game in the Kingdom Hearts series. Work on the project began around 2012, but it was canceled in 2014 before being announced to the public.[1][2] It was developed for Disney Interactive by Studio EX in cooperation with a number of other studios; Square Enix was not involved in the project.
Development[edit]
In December 2012, South Korean studio Studio EX was acquired by Disney. At the time of the acquisition, Korean news site inews24 reported that Studio EX was working on a yet-unannounced mobile game titled Kingdom Hearts Online.[1] The project's existence was confirmed by former Disney Interactive co-president John Pleasants in an interview with The Wall Street Journal in November 2013.[3]
A number of different studios worked on the project, including Trilabyrinth, Go For Launch Productions, and Wideload Games. Information about the game was posted on the websites of several studios and employees.
The game was intended for iOS and Android devices and designed in Unity and C#.[4][5][6] Former developers allege that the game was relatively far along by the time it was cancelled in 2014.[6][2]
Concept[edit]
Kingdom Hearts Fragmented Keys would have been a free-to-play action RPG.[6][2] Because it was canceled before being publicly revealed, there is little official information about the project. Early stages of concept and design art were uploaded on the official websites of two animation studios and the personal websites of several developers.
The artwork includes a mixture of original drawings and models, official Disney artwork, official Square Enix renders, and Kingdom Hearts fan art. It is unknown whether any of the properties used in the concept pitch were actually planned or approved for inclusion in the final game. The early concept featured worlds based on a number of new and returning Disney properties: Aladdin, Alice in Wonderland, Frozen, Peter Pan, Snow White, Star Wars, Tangled, Tron: Uprising, and Wreck-It-Ralph. Game Central Station would have acted as a hub world.[7] There is also artwork for Traverse Town and "New Town", a new world inspired by Radiant Garden.
The design concept culminated in a simulation of what gameplay could look like, featuring a mock-up battle on the rooftops of Peter Pan's London.[8][9]
Video[edit]
| Kingdom Hearts Fragmented Keys Gameplay Simulation |
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Notes and references[edit]
- ^ Jump up to: a b inews24: "New developer with 50 employees, developing Kingdom Hearts Online[...] In addition, it has been confirmed that an online game for the famous console game 'Kingdom Hearts' is being developed, although it has not been released to the public." (Translated.)
- ^ Jump up to: a b c LinkedIn, Cedric Busse: Unannounced Mobile Game | Feb 2013 - Mar 2014 | Project was a free-to-play action RPG for iOS and Android platforms, created using Unity3d and C#. Project had earned approval for release when work ceased on it.
- ^ The Wall Street Journal: John Pleasants: "I've focused on the Asian business; we built up our mobile business in Japan. We have a studio in Seoul working on 'Kingdom Hearts Online.'"
- ^ inews24: "The online game Kingdom Hearts, which StudioEX is developing, is expected to be a multi-platform game that can be enjoyed without restrictions on smartphones or the web, developed with the Unity Engine. The genre is an action MORPG, and it is highly likely that it will have a similar game style to Dungeon & Fighter or Mabinogi Heroes." (Translated.)
- ^ LinkedIn, Tom Ketola: "We were responsible for the premium Avengers Initiative iOS game, as well as for the free-to-play Kingdom Hearts: Forgotten Keys game for iOS and Android. Our games ran using Unity3D, and I helped architect a system that allowed us to run our games for live service without requiring re-submission through Apple or the Android marketplace."
- ^ Jump up to: a b c KH13 archive of developer LinkedIn, Developer: "A mobile, free to play action rpg for iOS and Android phones, written with Unity and C#. The project was deep into development before being cancelled several months after I left the studio."
- ^ KH13 archive of developer LinkedIn, Developer: "The concepts for this game was to have several Kingdom Hearts heroes transported to the worlds of our favorite Disney Characters. Traveling through a Grand Central like station our heroes could visit any Disney world of their choosing and join forces with the heroes of those worlds to defeat their enemies."
- ^ KH13 archive of developer LinkedIn, Developer: "We also created 'World Tour' video that introduced the Kingdom Hearts characters to the Disney worlds and culminated in a game play simulation battle on the rooftops of Peter Pan's London, England. The video formed a large part of a video presentation given to Disney US and Disney Japan executives."
- ^ Kingdom Hearts Fragmented Keys by Go For Launch Productions and Studio EX
External links[edit]
- Go For Launch Productions gallery 1 (Archived)
- Go For Launch Productions gallery 2 (Archived)
- Trilabyrinth 3D gallery (Archived)
- Trilabyrinth 2D gallery (Archived)
- Developer 2D gallery (Archived)
- Developer 3D gallery (Archived)
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