Tetsuya Nomura Shares Details About Kingdom Hearts Pitch

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Tetsuya Nomura Shares Details About Kingdom Hearts Pitch

Highlights

  • Kingdom Hearts co-creator Tetsuya Nomura wasn’t in the elevator when the fateful meeting between Square Enix and Disney came to pass.
  • The iconic crossover between Disney and Final Fantasy was born from a chance encounter between the two companies in an office building in Tokyo.
  • Nomura drew inspiration for Kingdom Hearts from the 3D world found in Super Mario 64, creating a beloved RPG series that continues to captivate fans to this day.

As a longtime fan of the Kingdom Hearts series, I can’t help but be fascinated by the serendipitous origins of this beloved franchise. Tetsuya Nomura’s recent revelation that he wasn’t present during the elevator pitch that started it all only adds to the magic of the story.

Tetsuya Nomura, one of the co-creators of “Kingdom Hearts,” recently revealed some behind-the-scenes information about the development of this popular RPG franchise. Contrary to common belief, he wasn’t part of the pivotal moment when Disney and “Final Fantasy” worlds intersected for the first time. The original “Kingdom Hearts,” released in 2002, introduced players to a young boy named Sora who embarked on an adventure with Donald Duck and Goofy to locate his missing friends and combat an ominous force endangering several Disney realms. This game was a massive hit on PlayStation 2, leading to a continuous series that remains popular today.

As a dedicated fan, I’ve always been captivated by the enchanting origin story of how Kingdom Hearts came into existence. It’s almost as if magic was at work when Disney and Square Enix employees serendipitously crossed paths in Japan’s Arco Towers. On an ordinary day, Square Enix game producer Shinji Hashimoto found himself sharing an elevator ride with a Disney executive. Seizing the opportunity, Shinji pitched his idea for a 3D game, reminiscent of Super Mario 64, that he had brainstormed with Final Fantasy creator Hironobu Sakaguchi. The Disney executive was intrigued by the concept and granted Square Enix permission to incorporate its beloved characters into the project. And thus began the journey towards creating the magical world of Kingdom Hearts.

A common misunderstanding exists regarding the origin of Kingdom Hearts, specifically concerning Tetsuya Nomura’s involvement during the initial meeting. Contrary to popular belief, Nomura wasn’t present during this encounter. In an interview with Famitsu (as reported by aitaikimochi on Twitter), Nomura clarified that he wasn’t part of the conversation resulting in Disney and Square Enix’s partnership. However, beforehand, he had overheard Shinji Hashimoto and Hironobu Sakaguchi discussing their idea for a 3D platformer similar to Super Mario 64. They mentioned that only characters as popular as Mario could potentially challenge them, leading Nomura to take notice due to Disney’s extensive character library.

Tetsuya Nomura Wasn’t In The Elevator During The Kingdom Hearts Pitch

Tetsuya Nomura recalls being influenced by the unrestricted exploration in 3D space of “Super Mario 64” during his tenure on “Final Fantasy 7”. Though he can’t specifically remember where he was when Hashimoto and Sakaguchi proposed their concept for a Disney-themed game, he eagerly seized the opportunity to head the project and replicate that captivating sense of freedom.

That project would take the form of Kingdom Hearts, a franchise that owes its existence to seemingly random encounters that formed a bridge between Disney and Square Enix that has continued for over two decades. It’s hard for many RPG fans to imagine a world without Kingdom Hearts, so it’s a good thing that Tetsuya Nomura was around when the game was first being planned – even if he actually wasn’t in the elevator when Shinji Hashimoto shared this plan with Disney for the first time.

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2024-07-18 21:43