why no Kingdom Hearts stuff in WDW?

[Dragonrider1227]

Kingdom Hearts has to be one the BEST franchises under the Disney name and desptie what I hear about it having merchandise in Tokyo Disneyland, it's constantly ignored here in the states? Why? Do they have any idea how much money their passing up? I would buy SO MUCH Kingdom Hearts stuff if they sold it here. While we're on this, i've learned through Ebay that Japan gets ALOT of the good plushes and merchandise. Don't get me wrong, alot of the stuff in Disneyworld is good, but the stuff in Japan is even better. My older sister got online a Peter Pan plush that's only sold in Japan and it's awesome. I've seen pictures of LOTS of great Disney merchandise that's only sold in Japan. Disneyworld has good stuff but you have to go all the way to Disneyworld to get it and it's still not as good as the stuff I see in Japan. And all we get at the Disney Stores are those lame electronic happy lights. >_>

 

[Thrawn]

Because video games don't sell anything except for video games. Take a look at the Doom movie. $15m is awful.

Plus, most people have no idea what Kingdom Hearts is, or Final Fantasy. There are the characters that are used occasionally, but other than that, you aren't going to get anything more.

 

[Dragonrider1227]

Do they really not sell in anything other than video games? Or do the stuff they do for the video games just suck? Because alot of the things i've seen people do with video games tends to apply to the second one. I mean, Doom didn't work, but Mortal Kombat did. I've seen the pictures of Japan's Kingdom Hearts toys and they're AWESOME! Send those over here and they'd sell. I just know it.

 

[Kuzco]

Last year at MNSSHP, Donald (in Kingdom Hearts garb) and Sora were present. That's probably about as much Kingdom Hearts stuff you'll ever find at Walt Disney World. Sorry!

 

[FrumiousBoojum]

I think there's enough of a following that Kingdom Hearts could sell some things. After all, the T-Shirts and 2 series of action figures that were being sold in the states did pretty well.

Just about the only things of KH I've seen in the parks were the game being played at Innoventions when the game was new and the KH Donald and Goofy in Tomorrowland and MNSSHP.

With the third game in the series coming soon and Disney toying around with the idea of a KH movie, I'm sure more *may* be seen eventually...

 

[Dragonrider1227]

perhaps. I've noticed Disney tends to move slowly with new franchises they've never worked with before. With thir Pirates movie, they didn't do alot with it in merchandise because it was a new concept that they wern't sure would work but now that it's a hit, HOO BOY! You can't go five steps in some places without seeing a Captain Jack Sparrow SOMETHING! XD So with the KH sequal coming, maybe they'll be more willing to do this. I think they should put the KH characters in World Showcase's Japan being anime characters and all XD.

 

[Tigger1988]

With the third game in the series coming soon and Disney toying around with the idea of a KH movie, I'm sure more *may* be seen eventually...

Third?? There was a second one?...thats why it won't sell most people have no idea about it.

 

[Dragonrider1227]

There's a game for the GBA called "Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories. It's not really considered a sequel. Just something to keep us busy until KH 2 is released.

 

[NeedABreak]

There's a game for the GBA called "Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories. It's not really considered a sequel. Just something to keep us busy until KH 2 is released.

That game has got to have the best opening movie graphics ever! CAn't wait for KH2, the screen shots for it are looking great.

 

[Rotel1026]

Third?? There was a second one?...thats why it won't sell most people have no idea about it.

That's the exact same thing I was thinking. First time I ever heard of KD was on this board and I had to look it up to see what it was. I have seen maybe one commercial for this game since.

 

[Thrawn]

Do they really not sell in anything other than video games? Or do the stuff they do for the video games just suck? Because alot of the things i've seen people do with video games tends to apply to the second one. I mean, Doom didn't work, but Mortal Kombat did.

Mortal Kombat did ok. Not well. Just enough to warrant the awful sequel. Also, just because the movie did well doesn't mean that it sold anything else.

I've seen the pictures of Japan's Kingdom Hearts toys and they're AWESOME! Send those over here and they'd sell. I just know it.

I'm sure that there are people with much more marketing experience than you that know whether or not those things will sell in North America, and determined it isn't a good decision to bring them here.

I think they should put the KH characters in World Showcase's Japan being anime characters and all XD.

That is an awful idea. Put video game characters in Japan, because, of course, what you see in a video game is exactly like it is in Japan. And because the characters are in anime animation form, they are of course from Japan.

I've noticed Disney tends to move slowly with new franchises they've never worked with before. With thir Pirates movie, they didn't do alot with it in merchandise because it was a new concept that they wern't sure would work but now that it's a hit, HOO BOY! You can't go five steps in some places without seeing a Captain Jack Sparrow SOMETHING! XD So with the KH sequal coming, maybe they'll be more willing to do this.

First, the "moving slowly with new franchises" simply isn't true. But equating a video game with a hit movie simply is false. They don't equate. Especially when the game isn't a blockbuster on the level of Half Life 2 or GTA. KH was decent, but it did not innovate in any way.

BTW, can you stop with the XD thing? Its really annoying.

 

[Dragonrider1227]

That game has got to have the best opening movie graphics ever! CAn't wait for KH2, the screen shots for it are looking great.

agreed. It kinda makes me sad though. The GBA is capable of ALOT and it often just gets used for SNES type games. >_>

 

[Chux]

Regardless of how well it did, I loved it, and hope to see Goofy and Donald this year at Halloween.

But I'm not expecting much

 

[Dragonrider1227]

honestly, I all I truly ask for is merchandise. toys, t-shirts, ect. I look this stuff up on ebay and see action figyures, role playing toys, and I would SO buy them if Disney sold them here. Plus, it would be a refreshing change from all the Stich dolls we've been bombared with lately.

 

[shoppingnut]

I'm sure that there are people with much more marketing experience than you that know whether or not those things will sell in North America, and determined it isn't a good decision to bring them here.

In general the merchandise marketing people, namely the buyers, at Disney aren't that great or they are very restrictive in what they are allowed to buy. There are many items that shouldn't be in the stores since they are sold in Walmart for much less money. There are also many items they are missing the boat on because they choose to ignore a large segment of guest that comes to WDW and these two things are what cause the Disney Store's to be sold off. If these folks knew what they were doing, the stores would never have been sold off.

They choose to force one character down your throat, like stitch and ignore the fact that their icon is Mickey and sometimes you can't find anything with just him on it. And what about making some decent stuff with the princesses on it for adults, ya know we'd like some of the same merchandise that children are able to buy too. It's a sad day when I can visit WDW and spend well under $100 on souveniers.

Also, since they already have these items over in Japan being produced, they could bring some of them here to the US and do a test run with just some of the items.

 

[Stitch_Kingdom]

Kingdom Hearts was ridiculously good and the Disney fans did love it. It wouldnt hurt to put a Kingdom Hearts section, not even a section, at least the characters. It would do no harm. Maybe Fantasyland, not Japan in EPCOT.

Just a suggestion.

 

[Connor002]

Kingdom Hearts has to be one the BEST franchises

I disagree.

under the Disney name

Square Enix has a stake in it as well, so it's not completly under disney.

and desptie what I hear about it having merchandise in Tokyo Disneyland, it's constantly ignored here in the states?

Video games are much more popular in Japan, that will sell merchandise there, but the same isn't true here.

Why? Do they have any idea how much money their passing up?

Not as much as I assume you believe...

I would buy SO MUCH Kingdom Hearts stuff if they sold it here.

I doubt that would do anything to change their mind, unless you plan on buying several thousand toys (probably more) in the course of a month, and then do it again the next month, and again, enough to make a profit.



I love the game as well, but I'm smart enough to understand what a bad business decision is. At this point in time, there is no reason to bring the merchandise here, and until there is demand, they will not supply.

 

[Stitch_Kingdom]

Connor, i thought you'd be all for KH in the parks, well, judging by your avatar...

 

[billybluenose]

I'm sure that there are people with much more marketing experience than you that know whether or not those things will sell in North America, and determined it isn't a good decision to bring them here.

I hate to pick on ya, my big blue buddy, but that's a horsesh!t response.

If you were to apply that logic to every discussion and every idea, there'd be no progress.

In addition, you're "the only thing video games sell is video games" is pretty baseless too. It's about as fair "the only thing cartoons sell is popcorn and soda pop."

-Billy

 

[TchaikovskyVCID]

That is an awful idea. Put video game characters in Japan, because, of course, what you see in a video game is exactly like it is in Japan. And because the characters are in anime animation form, they are of course from Japan.

I think he meant more along the lines of anime being a beloved part of Japanese culture these days, which it is.

Apart from that, when Kingdom Hearts came out it was HUGE in my school. EVERYONE had a copy. And I usually get VERY bored with video games but this one somehow kept my attention. The video game was praised in video game magazines and sites such as www.gamespot.com for originally being scoffed at by Final Fantasy veterans as a "kid game" but having a surprisingly mature storyline, and the sequel is projected to do even better. While i don't think that the Kingdom Hearts merchandise would do as well in the United States as it does in Japan, I do think it would sell well enough to warrant being sold there. If I'm not mistaken people thought that Nightmare Before Christmas merchandise wouldnt do well either, but on the contrary it does very well.

Edit- after reading connor's post... hopefully the sequel will be high profile enough to create demand for Riku, Kairi and Sora dolls as well as the other Kingdom-Hearts-ified characters. I would certainly enjoy that