December 25^th, 2002 (12:00am) - Squaresoft has announced that KINGDOM HEARTS, the action role-playing game available for the PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system, has sold through more than 1 million units in North America, making it one of the top-selling “E” rated titles of the 2002 holiday season. This, combined with the units shipped in Japan since March and Europe in November, brings the total of units shipped to 3 million worldwide.

Additionally, the KINGDOM HEARTS FINAL MIX version, which includes new bosses, keyblades, abilities and Heartless is shipping in Japan on Dec. 26.

KINGDOM HEARTS combines classic Disney characters and worlds into a new story with new characters and environments created in the renowned Square style.

The game shipped to North American retailers nationwide on Sept. 17 and was received with overwhelmingly positive response from both gamers and critics alike.

“KINGDOM HEARTS is one of the top-selling PlayStation 2 titles this holiday season.
This game is truly original in concept and a perfect gift for all gamers,” said Doreen McKenzie, director of merchandising, video games, GameStop Corp.

“Square has generated a lot of excitement with this title and we are excited to offer it to our customers for the holidays.”

“Since its release, KINGDOM HEARTS has been embraced by gamers of all ages and we are pleased by the strong sales of this unique collaborative title,” said Jun Iwasaki, president, Square Electronic Arts.

“Given the large number and variety of video games available this crowded holiday season, we are thrilled by the success of the game with fans and at retail.”

“It’s exciting to see the enthusiasm for KINGDOM HEARTS continue to grow,” said Sanjeev Lamba , vice president , Marketing and International, of Disney Interactive. “We’re absolutely delighted to broaden Disney’s reach into the gaming community with an incredible game created by an industry icon such as Square.”

The game has sold over 3 million copies worldwide.