Today, Square Enix set the Internet on fire with a financial briefing in which they outlined their future plans.
This outline included three games planned for “FY2018/3 and beyond,” Kingdom Hearts 3, the Final Fantasy VII Remake, and a Marvel game. They “plan to launch each of these upcoming titles in the next three years or so.”
Somehow, fans have taken this to mean Kingdom Hearts 3 and the Final Fantasy VII Remake won’t be out for three years.
But that’s not what Square Enix said at all!
First, these are their plans starting from fiscal year 2018. That means games on the slide could be released in 2018.
Second, these games will be released “in the next three years or so.” In other words, they’ll be released within three years, not necessarily three years from now.
Finally, the slide refers to “a robust pipeline from which 1-2 blockbuster titles as well as multiple mid-size titles are constantly launched every year.” If they hope to release 1-2 blockbuster titles every year, it makes sense that the blockbuster titles listed on the same slide could be among them.
In short, Square Enix did NOT say we have to wait 3 years for Kingdom Hearts 3 or the Final Fantasy VII Remake (or the Marvel game). This news does NOT mean these games won’t be out until then.
Instead, it means these games should be out in 2018, 2019, or 2020. One could come out each of those three years, even.
Update: According to DualShockers, a more accurate translation of the Japanese statement is: “We plan to launch them sequentially over the next three years or so.” That makes the one-per-year scenario even more likely.
Many people have chosen to interpret this announcement in the most pessimistic way, but I don’t think that’s how it was intended. I know I’ve been mistaken before (I never expected Final Fantasy XV’s structure would be so odd), but there’s no need to panic. This news doesn’t rule out a 2018 Kingdom Hearts 3 release date by any means.
I hope Square Enix provides more information at E3, maybe even with more specific windows for their upcoming games. Who knows? Maybe we’ll even get a solid release date.
Oh hey you’re trying to debunk Fake News now!
This isn’t even fake news so much as hugely misinterpreted news.
Hey, people can call whatever they don’t like Fake News, so…
You can call the huge misinterpreters fake newsters… though that implies it’s purposefully malicious.
I think some sites did start reporting it that way, in which case it could be fake news… and people using it as a sign of how bad Square Enix is could be considered malicious, too.
Yes, that kind of spin would be malicious.
A lot of it, though, is just that people see “KH3 will be released in the next 3 years” or “KH3 will be released by 2020” and read it as “KH3 will be out IN 2020.”
Well, it makes sense from people’s perspectives.
If they’re in school and the final paper is due at the end of the term, are they likely to finish it in the first two months or start it a week before the final? <_<
XD That’s true.
However, Dualshockers just released an article with new information that I’m going to update mine with now. It makes it even clearer.