Iwata's Quest: help sell Dragon Quest IX
by Chris Greenhough 
{ Dec 11th 2008 at 6:00PM }
Let's be clear: Square Enix will have no trouble whatsoever selling Dragon Quest IX in Japan. In the west, where Final Fantasy is a far bigger name than its stable-mate, huge sales are by no means guaranteed. That's something Satoru Iwata wants to change, and if that means teaming up with Square Enix to promote the game in not-Japan, so be it."At Nintendo, we were able to popularize the Brain Age series overseas, which was said to be unmarketable," the Nintendo boss told the assembled press after yesterday's Square Enix conference. "I want to increase the number of people worldwide that understand the appeal of Dragon Quest."
Iwata added that he is keen to "form a strong tag team" with Square Enix to achieve this, and mentioned that he was looking forward to working with the publisher and Dragon Quest creator Yuji Horii. Does this mean Nintendo is definitely going to be pouring some of its own resources into pushing DQIX outside Japan? It's not official, but we can't think of many better partners to help sell your game than Nintendo! Make the jump for Iwata's full comment.
Gallery: Dragon Quest IX
"With the release of Dragon Quest IX, there are two things I'd like to make reality. The first is to build a thriving Japanese game market together with Dragon Quest that rivals the West's. The second is to form a strong tag team to promote Dragon Quest overseas. At Nintendo, we were able to popularize the Brain Age series overseas, which was said to be unmarketable. I want to increase the number of people worldwide that understand the appeal of Dragon Quest, which represents all Japanese gaming culture ... even if that only turns out to be a single person. I'm looking forward to working together with Mr. Horii and Square Enix."
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
aj @ Dec 11th 2008 6:51PM
I'm out there on the streets every day spreading the good word to the Godless heathens who don't know about Dragon Quest. I've already got 3 or 4 converts. No worries here.
chibi_wings @ Dec 12th 2008 3:11PM
bless you aj. you made me crack a smile =)
Zealot @ Dec 11th 2008 7:08PM
Intriguing. However, Nintendo, you could get a little jump start on promoting JRPGs in the west by actually PUBLISHING AND RELEASING Archaic Sealed Heat. Y'know, that one you already have fully translated, complete with an ESRB rating? Yeah, that one.
Zealot @ Dec 12th 2008 1:18AM
Yeah, my inability to place DQ in the RPG spectrum comes from inexperience with it (as I said, I just started DQIV but didn't get to play enough yet to get a feel for the game as a whole). If the game/series turns out to be a grindfest with little in between, then it's fine to determine its sub-genre based solely on combat and it would indeed be a turn-based/strategy RPG and not an ARPG.
The reason I mention Persona as an ambiguous case is because there are large portions of the game not immediately connected to the grind--not just from the standpoint of navigating the character but the objectives (i.e. school/relationship sim portions). From a combat standpoint it's turn-based, but overall it defies, at least for me, categorization.
Zealot @ Dec 12th 2008 1:22AM
That was meant to be a reply to Josh. Pardon me while I remind myself why I don't comment at 1:30 A.M. during finals week when I'm dead tired.
Kia @ Dec 12th 2008 4:21PM
QFGJ.
I finally gave in and bought ASH from Play-Asia during a sale, and I'm so glad I did. Why the -HELL- Nintendo isn't letting this come out is beyond me. -_-
Kimiko @ Dec 11th 2008 7:40PM
Oh, I see the Japanese DQ9 does have kanji text after all, but with furigana in the conversations at least. Hmm, might be an even more interesting buy then once I get started learning kanji :)
Uhm, wasn't ASH a strategy RPG instead of a regular one? I think that's why I crossed it off my wishlist.
Zealot @ Dec 11th 2008 8:36PM
ASH is an SRPG, DQ games are ARPGs with turn-based battles. Either way, they're both sub-genres of RPG. Nintendo is making a huge mistake if they think they can use Dragon Quest to bait casuals into the DS userbase and keep them there, though. While they can obviously promote the hell out of it and rack up sales, people who are new to gaming or even just new to RPGs will not find it accessible once they start playing and realize their decision was based on the colorful and cartoony look of the game.
Apparently, even if ASH could sell to the base in NA/EU, it couldn't sell to the Good Housekeeping set and so Nintendo must have withdrawn their publishing support for it at the last minute, and, in an inexplicable move, they're still keeping their hands on it. It would have obviously been out ages ago if they had ever pawned it off to Atlus or XSEED. It smacks of ego--no one is allowed to profit off of a bad decision of Nintendo's.
Kimiko @ Dec 11th 2008 9:24PM
I think "Action" and "turn-based" are contradictory. Action means something like the classic Seiken Densetsu games, or the modern Crystal Chronicle games.
Dragon Quest's characters are DBZ-like? Oh, that's a serious minus then. I don't like that look at all. Though Chrono Trigger wasn't too bad during the actual game. Haven't played the new version yet though. It has the PSX version's cutscenes, doesn't it?
Zealot @ Dec 11th 2008 9:48PM
In DQ (as far as I know; I'm only a little into DQIV) the overworld and towns are freely navigable, so it's definitely closer to action than strategy, however, both of these labels are becoming increasingly obsolete as more and more RPGs borrow elements from each other. I'm playing Persona 4 right now, and I would be completely at a loss if I had to sum up its RPG sub-genre in one word.
Couldn't tell you about Chrono Trigger. I've never played it (not that I've never wanted to, though) and haven't been following the remake.
Josh @ Dec 12th 2008 12:40AM
Kimiko, can you already understand the text in those screenshots without having to look up at most one word?
If not, then don't bother with importing the game.
Trust me, I've tried (but not with DQIX, of course).
Josh @ Dec 12th 2008 12:43AM
By the way, Zealot, Dragon Quest is a turn-based RPG, not an Action RPG.
And if Persona 4's battle system is anything like Persona 3's, then it's also a turn-based RPG.
The subgenre of an RPG depends on its battle system, not its navigation system or anything like that.
Kia @ Dec 12th 2008 4:23PM
Um, Zealot...MOST RPGs have towns that are freely navigable.
Please to be learning the difference between action-RPGs and typical JRPGs. To that end, also, Persona is a JRPG. Plain and simple. Not action, not strategy, etc.
Lern to genre.
Zealot @ Dec 12th 2008 4:54PM
If you haven't read what I intended to respond to Josh with, do so. I'm not a moron, as your snarking would reveal you to think; I obviously have reasoning behind what I said, and if you still have a problem, whatever. It's not worth it to me to churn out massive tl;drs to elaborately parse out my own typing or refute anyone else's.
Shoyz @ Dec 11th 2008 8:31PM
I love how they always say it's "Japanese like it, Western doesnt".
Maybe I like the fact that Final Fantasy isn't a Dragon Ball ripoff. I'm sick of it, Blue Dragon, Chrono Trigger (Gasp!), and anything else like it.
Zealot @ Dec 11th 2008 9:14PM
Wait, Chrono Trigger, Blue Dragon, and Dragon Quest are ripoffs of Dragonball because they all have the same character designer? By that same line of reasoning, Kingdom Hearts, TWEWY, and who knows what else would all be ripoffs of the modern Final Fantasy games. Do I need to spell out how illogical that is?
Gewurz Man got equipped with... Guitar Hero! @ Dec 11th 2008 9:17PM
That's ridiculous. You're calling Dragon Quest a ripoff of Dragon Ball? And Blue Dragon and Chrono Trigger? Just because it's the same artist doesn't mean they have anything to do with one another.
That's like calling each subsequent Pixar film a ripoff of the previous one.
If you just plain don't like Akira Toriyama's style, that's one thing, but to say an artists' work is a ripoff of his own earlier work also makes no sense.
Shoyz @ Dec 11th 2008 9:43PM
I've personally never seen any resemblance between Kingdom Hearts, TWEWY and Final Fantasy.
I guess I forgot to put "art", but they all seem to be a ripoff of DB IMO due to the fact that they seem to me to be using the style just so people that recognize it will buy the game for it. If I thought that same Art = Story Ripoff, I wouldn't be a fan of Final Fantasy games, since they're the same in most aspects aside from the Story.
Basically, the reason I dislike Chrono/BlueDragon/DragonQuest is the same reason I'd hate a random RPG in the art style of South Park, since it would seem like a cash-in attempt at anybody who likes South Park. That's why I consider it a ripoff.
Also: I like his art. Just not on anything aside from Dragon Ball.
Zealot @ Dec 11th 2008 9:52PM
Well, I was using Tetsuya Nomura as a counter-example because he does the character design for all three, but I can see your point because, although some art for things like KH, TWEWY, and Dissidia looks the same, admittedly he does use more realistic designs for flagship FF titles.
Point taken, since it's not just about the art :)
Josh @ Dec 12th 2008 12:46AM
Shoyz, you're drawing conclusions where they don't exist.
Akira Toriyama simply has a very distinctly unique style that carries over through all of his works. There's no "conspiracy" going on there.
Matias @ Dec 11th 2008 9:13PM
I always try to encourage my friends to play other rpg's that are not called final fantasy, however It's really hard, as they're the graphics>>>>everything else type of gamers.
And they don't want to try dragon quest :/
Metayoshi @ Dec 11th 2008 10:40PM
I know how you feel. I have friends who've only played FFVII or later and say they are turned off by the older Final Fantasy graphics. All of my friends who have played FF VI, though, say it's the best FF game, and easily one of the best of the genre.
Though I'm not big on Dragon Quest because the pacing of games in the series is not my style.
Mr Khan @ Dec 11th 2008 9:38PM
And they said Nintendo doesn't advertise for third parties. If the title is big enough, sure they'll help out
Dopple Boppler @ Dec 11th 2008 10:44PM
Forget Dragon Quest IX, where's my Dragon Quest Heroes: Rocket Slime 2 with wifi?
aj @ Dec 12th 2008 3:22AM
The NA release of Rocket Slime IS Rocket Slime 2, as I understand it. Why the first Rocket Slime was never released in English I don't know. Maybe it was a GBA or even an older GB title?
However, I would like to see more Rocket Slime. And I would like to have wifi tank battles.
Puddles @ Dec 12th 2008 1:54AM
It seems to me that the degree to which DQIX will appeal to non-Japanese audiences depends in large part on what kind of online experience it involves. Traditional RPGs are not particularly popular worldwide, but MMORPGs are. If DQIX offers a fun, accessible online component, it will do well outside of Japan. Of course, I'm on board either way, but I've been playing DQ games since Dragon Warrior 1.
rikki @ Dec 12th 2008 1:00PM
You know what would help DQ IX (and a number of other games) sell better in North America, Mr. Iwata?
Ditch the Squeenix Tax.
Zealot @ Dec 12th 2008 2:43PM
Or, the reverse could happen and the $10 Squeenix Tax and the $5 Nintendo Tax could combine to form the nightmarish $15 Squintendo Tax, causing the game to be an unprecedented $45. I can see Iwata and Horii plotting behind the scenes right now--"If we're going to use Dragon Quest as a lure for casuals, why not? It's not like they know the price of an average DS game anyway, mwahahahahaha"
Cue a forked bolt of lightning outside nearest window, thunder crashes, and end scene.
chibi_wings @ Dec 12th 2008 3:31PM
lol Zealot.
This news topic sure has some funny responses =D
And for us poor canadians that's another +$5. which tax is that? it's the who cares about canada so let's charge them an extra 5 dollars that is not even in the conversion because all games are priced up by 5 tax. =) so the sum total comes to 50 plus government taxes making it close to 60. wow gee, we canadians are paying almost the same price as the japanese there eh? don't we feel special...not.
Disclaimer: this is not an angry rant, maybe ;)
Kia @ Dec 12th 2008 4:19PM
Absolutely not. I would like nothing more than to see DQIX fail for giving into the whiny otaku and returning the game to its old, tired, turn-based past. I love turn-based RPGs, but DQ is one of the blandest, most boring series I've ever seen, and I've played the majority of them. An Action-RPG had me anticipating a DQ game for the first time in ages, but then they went and pulled this crap. No. thanks.
Michael @ Dec 13th 2008 5:20AM
That's cool and all, but maybe Nintendo should focus on marketing they're own titles. (Not "bridge" titles such as Wii Fit. They do fine with those.)
Salty Soil @ Dec 14th 2008 8:04PM
It's great that Nintendo is planning on pushing this game as far as it can, but why couldn't they have done this for their own series, EarthBound/Mother?
Still, I'm not complaining about localized DQ games.
Kenryoku_Maxis @ Dec 20th 2008 4:33AM
Here's why DQ isn't popular in America (and Europe).
Bad Localization which includes stereotypical and cheesy translation job (added British/Scottish/French/Russian/etc accents), changed or removed dialogue, lacking or no advertising for certain DQ games and more.
When you treat a game/series like its a secondary product to the other products your company makes, its sales will reflect that. You can't just turn around and go "Ok, we're now releasing our flagship JAPANESE title of the year in America/Europe. Buy it because we're finally spending money on advertising. Don't mind the last 5 games we ruined."
If Nintendo focusing in on trying to make DQIX sell can infuse some QUALITY CONTROL on the series, then I'm all for it. But as of such, the series is on a downward spiral of Square-Enix of Europe self-inflicted death. And its sad, as two of the DQ games America and Europe never got to play are going to be the casualties.