Jetsetter: More Kingdom Hearts for Japan, less ArmA III for Iran

In Jetsetter for the week ending Sept. 22, Japan gets another exclusive Kingdom Hearts series and ArmA III gets smacked down in Iran,

It’s time to make like Boutros Boutros Ghali with a Game Boy, because Jetsetter is coming at you! That’s right, it’s Digital Trends weekly look at the wide world of video games beyond the borders of the United States. North America may represent the biggest video game market and development community there is, but there are untold riches in the other 193 countries beyond Canada, Mexico, and the US. We write about those neighbors too, though. Come on; BioWare’s in Canada, so we’ve got to!

If you’ve got a hot tip from your nick of the woods, let us know about it in the comments. Particularly if you’re in Estonia, because that place has got to have some sweet games. You can also follow yours truly on Twitter at @ajohnagnello.

* Square-Enix announces Kingdom Hearts 1.5 HD ReMIX at Tokyo Game Show.

Square is re-releasing the original Kingdom Hearts from 2002 yet again. The publisher announced at the Tokyo Game Show a brand new compilation for PlayStation 3 that includes HD remasters of Kingdom Hearts and Kingdom Hearts Re: Chain of Memories from the PlayStation 2, as well as all of the cutscenes from Nintendo DS game Kingdom Hearts: 358/2 Days. Why aren’t Kingdom Hearts 2: Final Mix, Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep Final Mix and Kingdom Hearts: Re:Coded included? Because what else will Square sell in the next package? This one is only announced for Japan and it may well stay there, as the aforementioned Final Mix releases have never left that country.

* ArmA 3 banned in Iran.

There aren’t many games that you can play legally in Iran at the moment. Trade sanctions on the country are keeping Iranian players locked out of MMOs like World of Warcraft, and that’s in addition to games banned by that country’s Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance. Want to play Assassin’s Creed III or Call of Duty: Black Ops II? Too bad because they engage in the “promotion of superstition and mythology.” You can add Bohemia Interactive’s ArmA III to that list as well. Since the military simulator depicts NATO forces repelling an invasion of Greek islands by the Iranian Armed Forces, the National Foundation of Computer Games in Iran has banned the game before it’s even out in stores.

* India gets new 12GB flash drive and 500GB PS3 models.

While Sony hasn’t announced prices for its new console models in India, it did confirm that the country is on the shortlist of those that will receive its new budget flash drive model. When Sony announced the details of the new PS3 at the Tokyo Game Show, only Australia, Europe, and Hong Kong were confirmed as markets for the 12GB flash drive PS3. MCV India reported on Thursday that India would also get access to the model. The 500GB console will also be available as part of a bundle. The 250GB model available elsewhere is getting the cold shoulder though.