Is nothing sacred?
Square Enix announced this week that it plans to release a new game in its Kingdom Hearts role-playing franchise on mobile devices later this year in Japan, with a vision for an overseas release. Kingdom Hearts Unchained χ (pronounced “qui”) will be a free-to-play title for iOS and Android devices, with paid items and elements. This launch is the next in a line of the Tokyo-based company’s moves toward the online and mobile market with its top franchises, something it’s already done with its popular Final Fantasy franchise. Kingdom Hearts has sold over 20 million copies worldwide.
As with the previous console-only Kingdom Hearts games, Kingdom Hearts Unchained χ continues its partnership with The Walt Disney Company, which brings characters and settings from Disney’s properties into a unique world alongside popular Square Enix game characters and themes. The game has some ties to Japan-only PC browser game Kingdom Hearts χ, and it has been retooled for smartphones.
Square Enix ended the fiscal year with revenues up 8 percent, crediting an expanded presence in the smartphone and browser game market.
Console ties remain
The Kingdom Hearts franchise began as a PlayStation 2 game and later moved to the Nintendo DS and other portables. At E3 2013, a third game, Kingdom Hearts III, was announced for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. While a solid release date has not been set for Kingdom Hearts III, details and announcements are expected later this year at Japan’s D23 Expo.