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Is Junction Point's "Epic Mickey" actually the next Kingdom Hearts?

W

wsippel

Banned
This might be an odd theory, but here it goes:

We know that Junction Point is working on a project codenamed "Epic Mickey" (supposedly a Wii exclusive). We know that it's the only project Junction Point is working on, and working on since 2007, so based on the limited info we have so far it should be a platformer/ RPG hybrid - the project was initially described as a RPG, but rumors say it'll be a platformer, so at least I'll assume it's a hybrid (ARPG). We know that it's set in a fantasy world that's not really typical Disney fare, we know that Mickey is in some way in it, and Junction Point is working with Disney Feature Animation and Pixar, which is why I believe it'll be a crossover featuring several Disney and Pixar franchises. Junction Point also hired artists who worked on several different Disney movies like Ariel and Winnie the Pooh to work on this project. According to Warren Spector, the project is as obvious at it is surprising - and that's pretty much the only hint he's willing to give.

There also was an interview with Nomura recently, and he mentioned that Disney was originally supposed to develop KH Coded internally, so Disney developing a Kingdom Hearts title doesn't really seem all that unlikely. He also mentioned that the next Kingdom Hearts will be a main game but not KH3, and he doesn't seem to have much involvement, mentioning he's pretty busy with other projects.

The main question is: Would Disney really develop a Disney crossover fantasy ARPG that isn't Kingdom Hearts?
 
Posting the "main question" at the end of your OP instead of in the thread's title is a bit stupid if that's indeed this question you want to see answered.
 
Ramenman said:
Posting the "main question" at the end of your OP instead of in the thread's title is a bit stupid if that's indeed this question you want to see answered.
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It's actually pretty much the same question I've posted in the title, just worded differently.
 
wsippel said:
It's actually pretty much the same question I've posted in the title, just worded differently.
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No, it's not. The first question is a factual one, where one can answer yes or no and provide evidence supporting it and be done with it. Your "main question," however, is one that has no correct answer, and I could easily answer it differently than the topic question-- and I will.

No, Epic Mickey is not the next Kingdom Hearts.

Yes, I think Disney would be willing to create another crossover fantasy action-RPG even if various factors came into play that put a damper on their working relationship with Square-Enix (since your question's phrased in a way that seemingly excludes Kingdom Hearts). If their relationship remained amicable, then absolutely, I see an internal Kingdom Hearts game being inevitable. Might be a cheesy card-matching game for cell phones, but still.

Are they currently doing so (which would be a much closer "re-wording" of your topic title)? No.
 
As wsippel said Epic Mickey is confirmed to be in development for Wii. But then I wonder why they would call it "Epic Mickey" (project title of course) and not "Kingdom Hearts Wii". The one is not less revealing than the other.

Also interesting: Many staffers entered the team during the latter half of 2008. So the real production might have just started.
But what did Junction Point do before mid-2007? They were founded in 2004. Could it be that "The Crucible" was their game?
 
It really is the same question:

Disney is working on what appears to be a crossover action rpg (Pixar and Mickey are both involved, and it's an RPG platformer)

If it's a crossover action RPG, and they wouldn't make a crossover action rpg that isn't kingdom hearts, then it has to be kingdom hearts, QED
 
Wii Will Rock U said:
"Epic Mickey" is not KHIII. /thread.
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How do you know? :P

Anyway, didn't someone say something about the guy from the SNES Mickey game working on this? It might be a sequel to that.

That game was epic as is. :O
 
I can't quite grasp why GAF is excited for this game. Disney isn't going to make a Mickey Mouse game for people who play lots of videogames. This will be the game they roll out at E3 next year when talking about their tween division.
 
Why would Warren Spector want to work with Nomura characters?

wsippel said:
The main question is: Would Disney really develop a Disney crossover fantasy ARPG that isn't Kingdom Hearts?
Click to expand...

Why would Disney be so committed to Nomura characters that they wouldn't make an RPG without them? Think about the library of characters Disney has-why isn't the answer to your question obviously "Yes"?

By the way, I don't remember hearing anything about this game being an RPG. I only ever heard Warren Spector's Disney project described as a platformer.
 
Epic Mickey is not KH3. Btw, Nintendo was supposed to unveil it during its E3 Media Briefing, but they changed their plans at the last minute.
 
Art leaked RE: Epic Mickey, so that's probably how some people know people who know it isn't Kingdom Hearts. I still don't believe Epic Mickey is in production.. Spector said to Edge that Disney doesn't trust him with those characters, yet.
snoopers said:
Nintendo was supposed to unveil it during its E3 Media Briefing, but they changed their plans at the last minute.
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Huh? Oh you mean KH3, not Epic Mickey..
 
Specter has a pretty good bunch of good games behind him. I'd trust him with my characters.

Also, he has the best last name ever.
 
Visualante said:
Art leaked RE: Epic Mickey, so that's probably how some people know people who know it isn't Kingdom Hearts. I still don't believe Epic Mickey is in production.. Spector said to Edge that Disney doesn't trust him with those characters, yet.
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Do you know when this statement was made? Junction Point Studios' employees say Epic Mickey for Wii is in development.
 
snoopers said:
Epic Mickey is not KH3. Btw, Nintendo was supposed to unveil it during its E3 Media Briefing, but they changed their plans at the last minute.
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What, Epic Mickey?
 
No.

...unless...

We get a game starring Mickey that provides sort of the Western counterpart to KH1 and 2. Maybe something that stars Mickey with two Final Fantasy sidekicks.

But the chances of that are like, less than 1%
 
squicken said:
I don't think the Rabbids games were what Ancel intended when he was planning that next gen Rayman. Things change.
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Things certainly can, yes. But I don't know if GAF is actually "excited" more than "intrigued". Warren Spector developing an epic Disney platform/action/RPG/whatever could eventually turn out to be a hot mess, but at this point the idea is still very interesting.
 
There's enough KH coming (358/2 days is out, BBS, Nomura's "mystery KH," eventually KH3) that somehow I can't see another one being made. I could see Epic Mickey being Disney's consolation prize for the Wii when KH3 goes PS360, however.
 
badcrumble said:
There's enough KH coming (358/2 days is out, BBS, Nomura's "mystery KH," eventually KH3) that somehow I can't see another one being made. I could see Epic Mickey being Disney's consolation prize for the Wii if KH3 goes PS360, however.
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Fixed.
 
Eteric Rice said:
Fixed.
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That's what I meant; same diff, it was a hypothetical already. Sorry if my grammar got your panties in a bunch.

Anyhow, Spector and Disney sounds just as bizarre a match to me as Squaresoft and Disney did back in the day, so hopefully whatever this is turns out to be just as much of a pleasant surprise as KH was a few years ago. Makes me suspect that Disney was the one approaching Square in the first place back in the day, and it seems smart enough to use high-profile video games as a way to leverage the Mickey property since they're doing very few animated shorts these days. Not exactly watching the Disney Channel at my age but I presume there aren't any Mickey TV shows right now either... yes? Makes me wonder if they've approached anyone else as well. I'd love to know whether the timeline of this Spector project starts before or after Eisner's ouster and the Pixar acquisition/merger/importation of leadership.
 
badcrumble said:
. Not exactly watching the Disney Channel at my age but I presume there aren't any Mickey TV shows right now either... yes?
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Well, there's this, but the audience for that clearly skews a little younger than whatever Spector's shooting for.
 
badcrumble said:
That's what I meant; same diff, it was a hypothetical already. Sorry if my grammar got your panties in a bunch.

Anyhow, Spector and Disney sounds just as bizarre a match to me as Squaresoft and Disney did back in the day, so hopefully whatever this is turns out to be just as much of a pleasant surprise as KH was a few years ago. Makes me suspect that Disney was the one approaching Square in the first place back in the day, and it seems smart enough to use high-profile video games as a way to leverage the Mickey property since they're doing very few animated shorts these days. Not exactly watching the Disney Channel at my age but I presume there aren't any Mickey TV shows right now either... yes? Makes me wonder if they've approached anyone else as well. I'd love to know whether the timeline of this Spector project starts before or after Eisner's ouster and the Pixar acquisition/merger/importation of leadership.
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Not really especially here in UK, tends to be the whoring out of Mickey's ears, but Mickey tends to be used in parks and resorts alot more - there they tend to go this about Mickey as if he is the money farm.
 
badcrumble said:
There's enough KH coming (358/2 days is out, BBS, Nomura's "mystery KH," eventually KH3) that somehow I can't see another one being made. I could see Epic Mickey being Disney's consolation prize for the Wii when KH3 goes PS360, however.
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That's exactly the project I'm talking about...
 
I dunno, I just think that it's implausible when it comes to IP rights and royalty negotiations. Kingdom Hearts was difficult enough to negotiate, and that was just between Square and Disney with some FF properties thrown in (apart from the perfunctory dropping some cash in the Burroughs estate tip jar for Tarzan, and the Buena Vista deal that was simple enough given that Disney owns them). I think it'd be far easier for Spector and Disney to deal with each other alone rather than bringing on Nomura for character design and overall story arc (he pretty much owns the series creatively if not legally) as well as Shimomura for all of the different musical themes if they wanted to outsource the KH property to him. It's the same reason why Mushroom Kingdom Hearts is a cute idea but will forever remain just a magazine April Fools joke - the rights and royalties situation would be mindboggling on that one because apart from Squeenix, it'd involve what are possibly the two most IP-protective companies on the face of the planet.
 
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