'Kingdom Hearts III' Stream Restrictions Bans "Commercial" Streaming

The long-awaited arrive of Kingdom Hearts III is almost here and already the reviews are pouring in with high praises regarding the highly anticipated game from Square Enix. But just because media received copies early and the full game is already out in Japan doesn't mean it's a free-for-all as the studio aims to protect the game's integrity in the streaming scene.

Before streamers begin their adventure, they must adhere to the below rules including barring the music and other guidelines:

This game is a copyrighted work. The copyright is held by The Walt Disney Company and a collaboration of authors representing The Walt Disney Company. Additionally, the copyright of certain characters is held by Square Enix Co, Ltd.

You are free to stream the game in non-commercial contexts. However, using the streams of the game to primarily provide or listen to the music is prohibited even in such non-commercial contexts.

For more information on the terms of use related to streaming the game, please see the official Kingdom Hearts site.

As mentioned by Kotaku, Square Enix doesn't have this listed anywhere on their main site. When many aimed to clarify what "non-commercial" use meant exactly, the studio's PR representatives were unable to provide a distinct answer. It's a little odd, but with the full game having already seen a full release elsewhere, it does make sense that they would want to protect that. Hopefully their earlier statement about wanting to revisit different timed releases will be put into affect and this confusion can be avoided.

As for when fans can try out everything new for themselves, Kingdom Hearts III releases on Xbox One and PlayStation 4 on January 29th. The reviews for it have already begun pouring in and so far, everyone is loving it!

You can learn even more about the upcoming game with our previous coverage here, as well as a snippet from Square Enix below:

"Kingdom Hearts III tells the story of the power of friendship as Sora and his friends embark on a perilous adventure. Set in a vast array of Disney worlds, Kingdom Hearts follows the journey of Sora, a young boy and unknowing heir to a spectacular power. Sora is joined by Donald Duck and Goofy, two emissaries sent by King Mickey from Disney Castle, to stop an evil force known as the Heartless from invading and overtaking the universe. Through the power of positivity and friendship, Sora, Donald and Goofy unite with iconic Disney-Pixar characters old and new to prevail tremendous challenges and persevere against the darkness threatening their worlds."