Nomura noted the approval process for each world was more difficult than with earlier games, because many of the worlds are based on some of Disney's more contemporary films, making it harder to take creative license with the worlds. He explained, "Previous to Kingdom Hearts III, I think these companies kind of saw it more as like, secondary rights permissions. They saw it more as a product, like you would a branded toy or something."
Nomura noted that the approval process for each world was more intricate than in earlier games because many worlds are based on Disney's recent films, limiting creative freedom. He explained, "Prior to Kingdom Hearts III, these companies likely saw it as secondary rights permissions. They viewed it similarly to a branded product or toy."