So a new trailer for Kingdom Hearts 4 came out in the Nintendo Direct today. As well as an announcement for a Kingdom Hearts 1 - 3 compilation... with box art made with genAI. And I have thoughts:
Admittedly, I've felt apprehensive about the future of the Kingdom Hearts franchise for sometime now. With the way the story of 3, Dark Road, and Melody of Memory went down, I've been thinking it'll be harder to just roll with whatever more nonsense Nomura and his writing team will throw out wildly next.
Then fall of 2023 happened, and the Disney Corporation just had to throw around support for some of the worst of humanity. From providing funds towards the genocide in Gaza to capitulating to Trump's fascist executive orders (which aren't laws, there's no good reason to go along with them as EOs). Throw in investing in genAI, and supporting an anime RPG with Disney characters, or anything relating to Disney feels too icky. (and let's be real here, there's always some degree of ickiness dealing with this company, Walt was a quasi-nazi that only made propaganda animations during the war cuz his American patriotism won out over his nazism)
And of course there's Squeenix, whose execs have been all in on ALL the capitalist brain rot that comes with toxic techbro investments like NFTs and genAI. Given their attitude, I wouldn't past them that they're still planning on using NFTs even though no one gives a shit anymore. Put them both together, and you get the genAI box art mention above.
I was already coping hard, with the possibility that Nomura and his team would have enough integrity to not let ANY genAI touch KH! How else am I supposed to react with reality crashing in like that!?!
"But it's just the compilation game, there's no proof of genAI in KH4!"
Yeah, but look at what happened with that box art! Look at Disney and Squeenix!! Can you REALLY not see how high the possibility that the game will have genAI to some degree is!?! CUZ THAT'S ALL I'M THINKING ABOUT NOW!!!!!!!!!!
Sure, we don't know right now if there was/will be any use of genAI in development of KH4. Maybe there isn't. Maybe there won't be. Maybe Nomura and his team will actually see the reality of how hated genAI is. Thing is, we don't know RIGHT NOW! And as it is now, there's just too high of a risk!
So yeah, I'm done with new KH stuff, but you know what I think is weird?
I am... surprisingly okay with this.
I figured I would be in denial, making excuses, wanting to hold on to hope for the future of my 2nd favorite game franchise. And yet, I feel fine leaving at this. I feel at peace.
I've had a great time with Kingdom Hearts up until now. And I do still have at least some of the games if I really wanted to play KH again. Plus there's at least one indie game in development that I'm aware of with KH2 style combat (if there's any others, I'm open to recs!)
The Xehanort/Dark Seeker Saga is enough for me