It Could Happen but May Simply Take Time
Much anticipation has been built for the upcoming Kingdom Hearts 3, third installment to the collaborative franchise. With D23, we gained even more info in the game, which you can find here. Thus far, it’s shaping up to be a very sentimental and action-packed adventure. That in mind, Director Tetsuya Nomura wants to bring the game to Nintendo Switch.
Speaking at D23, Nomura said he hasn’t ruled out a Kingdom Hearts 3 for the Nintendo Switch. This is also the first time a franchise game is making its way onto Xbox. That said, it will likely release on PS4 and Xbox One long before coming to the Switch. It’s a matter of priority.
“The Nintendo Switch is definitely a very interesting piece of hardware,” said Nomura, “but if we lightly say, ‘Oh yeah, we’ll be on the Nintendo Switch,’ I’m sure people will come back and say, ‘But what about the PS4 and Xbox One? We want them out first. Don’t focus on other platforms.’ So for now, we want to focus on what platforms we’ve already announced we’re going to be releasing Kingdom Hearts 3 on. And so after, perhaps, maybe we can start thinking about other possibilities.”
As it sits, there are more PS4 and Xbox One units out there than Nintendo Switch. However, records indicate that the Nintendo Switch has sold many more units in its life span than either console in the same period. Hence, without a doubt, Nintendo’s portable console has proven very popular among the masses. By the time Kingdom Hearts 3 arrives, there will be much more in the marketplace due to consumer demand.
Now that Nomura has vocalized his desire to release Kingdom Hearts 3 on all consoles, fans are wondering whether the Kingdom Hearts HD Collection titles will reach Xbox One. That depends on demand.
“Just like with the previous answer, if we were to announce yet another non-Kingdom Hearts 3 [project]…people are going to be like, ‘Hey, what’s going on?’” commented Nomura. “So we will want to focus on releasing on the platforms that we have already announced. Do the Western audiences want Kingdom Hearts titles on the Microsoft or Xbox platforms? Japan might say ‘well, we don’t want any more on Xbox.’”
First and foremost, Japanese developers look to the local marketplace before releasing their games on a certain console. And Xbox One sales have performed poorly. Oppositely, Nintendo Switches are flying off the shelves like hotcakes.
Kingdom Hearts 3 will arrive for PS4 and Xbox One in 2018. Before then, tell us your thoughts on a possible Switch release? Would it be your console of choice? Comment down below.