How Did Kingdom Hearts come to be?

[Enigma]

To me, it just seems like a partnership with Disney and SquareEnix wasn't something that was destined from the start. The two companies are worlds apart in nature, and they're characters are represented to a completly different audience. So how did they manage to come together to manage one of the greater games of our time?

[DA ORG'S #1]

dont know but whatever the case they did a great job. kh1 was the best ps2 game i had played and the n kh2 was the icing on the cake

[KeYbLaDe RocKa]

i didnt think it would work at first either until i witnessed the storyline and the characters really blended together nicelyy great alliance in my opinion between square enix and disney!!:p :p

[Riku]

This is unconfirmed information, but it's the best I could find:

The peculiar origins of Kingdom Hearts came about when the producer, Shinji Hashimoto, met a Disney executive in an elevator. SquareSoft and the Japanese wing of Disney worked out of the same Tokyo office. When A Bug's Life was released, SquareSoft's President saw the movie and thought that after many years of watching Disney movies, he could make them more adult-friendly. He met with Roy E. Disney and they had many ideas to release a game involving a new Square-designed character and some classic Disney characters such as Donald, Goofy, and Mickey. They agreed that Buena Vista and Square would make a short demo and if the company gave a good reaction, they would start production on an actual game. The demo was met with a great impression, as if it was a new installment of the Final Fantasy series. At a second meeting, the two parties agreed to include some SquareSoft characters in the game. Two years later, the first playable demo was revealed at E3 and then released the following year.

[skidderz]

an elevator??......hahah nice.....i would think it would be someone's brillant plan that would have been sent to square or something like that.

-skidd

[KeYbLaDe RocKa]

very very interesting i would have never guessed that well mr. hashmito's plan worked after all haha

[The Real keyblade Master]

Super Interesting!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[The King of KH]

the partnership was good. in my opinion i think that kh1 will be a ps2 classic

[Riku-Sora]

Everything starts at an elevator doesnt it? LOL!

Even if it is unconfirmed it started right after a Bugs Life. That was interesting.

[Kingdom-heart]

I guess they just got together adn got an Idea I think?

[Warrior of Light]

Square used to do games for Disney, I'm pretty sure. So it would make seince for them to meet up in places like that.