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Iwata's Quest: help sell Dragon Quest IX
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-15248%
Dragon Quest IX to destroy Japanese wallets March 28
Square Enix held a Dragon Quest-related press conference today, the news of which was completely dominated by some offhand remarks by Yuji Horii about something or other. But the other big news, for which there was an official, planned announcement, was the release date for Dragon Quest IX: Protectors of the Starry Sky. Japanese gamers can expect to stand in line on March 28, and hand over a staggering 5,980 yen ($65) to get their copies. Dragon Quest IX demos were set up at the unit, using DSi systems outfitted with totally sweet Slime-themed Hori Protect Cases. The Slime speaker stands, after the break, are equally wonderful! When can we get some announcements about those? %Gallery-15248%
Rumor: Dragon Quest IX spreading to Wii
Square Enix's announcement that Dragon Quest IX would be exclusive to the DS effectively signaled the end of this generation's console wars in Japan. Now, according to an EGM rumor, the DS will have to share the title with the Wii. "Quartermann," EGM's pseudonym for various rumermongering staffers, says that Protectors of the Starry Sky will be ported to the Wii, probably in the same manner as the dual DS/Wii Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Echoes of Time. If true, this is actually a pretty decent arrangement: people desiring the more traditional Dragon Quest experience would be able to play at home on the TV, DS players can enjoy it on the go, and both can engage in the new multiplayer mode. If it isn't true ... we can just play it on the DS. It's the best kind of rumor: the kind that isn't really that disappointing if it turns out to be bunk.
Character customization and more in Dragon Quest IX
I've you've been passing the days wondering just what your main man (or chick) in Dragon Quest IX will look like, well, uh, keep wondering. Unless you already have an image fixed in your mind, we can't help you. But we can point you to Famitsu, where they have a pretty extensive look at the character customization in the latest from the long-running franchise. Bald? No problem. Pigtails? Done. Crazy, coked-up eyeballs? Hey, it's your game. We're just pointing you to the screenshots. You've gotta wonder if you're stuck with some of these crazier expressions throughout the game. Angry smirking face is less funny in a sad moment. Or is it funnier? That's up to you, too.
Dragon Quest IX screens come to town
Square Enix has released new screens of Dragon Quest IX for the first time in what seems like forever. And it looks really great, of course, like a handheld continuation of what Level-5 did with Dragon Quest VIII. The day-night cycle from previous Dragon Quests returns, as does the more accurately-scaled world map from the last game. You can see the monsters roaming around and avoid them rather than getting stuck in random battles. This is, of course, great for getting yourself back to an inn, and terrible for forcing yourself to level-grind. But it's the town environments that really impress us. The town screenshots, both external and inside shops, have a very warm, inviting look about them. We can only hope this game actually comes out in March so we can get an English version sooner! %Gallery-15248%
First look at Dragon Quest IX's Wi-Fi mode
Game Watch has a dozen new Dragon Quest IX screens, all of which are now ensconced in our gallery. Besides revealing the obvious (the obvious being: Dragon Quest IX is totally beautiful), they include the first glimpse of the Wi-Fi cooperative multiplayer in action (right). It seems to work logically enough: players take turns to issue commands, with each human participant's choices marked out with color-coded symbols, so you can tell what your allies intend to do, and curse loudly when your mage friend neglects to save you with an antidotal herb and decides to attack instead. Another nice touch is the way your on-screen character's appearance changes as you load him up with equipment and accessories. Just imagining you're wearing all that alchemical bling is soooo 2004. %Gallery-15248%
DQIX dated for March release in Japan
We're narrowing in on the release date for Square Enix's upcoming DS RPG, Dragon Quest IX. The company announced today that Japanese gamers can expect to get their hands on the game in March of next year. As for an exact date, they weren't willing to divulge that information at this time. So who's dying to get their hands on this? %Gallery-15248%
Dragon Quest IX coming March 2009 in Japan
After almost two years of waiting, Square Enix has dated Dragon Quest IX. Sort of. Staying true to its previous promise of the fiscal year ending March 31, 2009, the company plans to launch the game in Japan sometime next March (Protip: If you don't know Japanese, just keep an eye out for 2009?). No international release has been set, but we're willing to bet the game will see a US release before the impending 2012 apocalypse. Square Enix is hosting a 90-minute Dragon Quest session each day at this month's Tokyo Game Show. [Via Siliconera]
Dragon Quest IX plans shrouded in mystery
It's one of the DS-related mysteries that keeps us up at night: what is the dealio with Dragon Quest IX? Square Enix claimed the game was "almost finished" back on February 1st, developer Level 5 has long been targeting a 2008 release, and the game's official page still has the title down for a launch this year. Despite this, Spencer at Siliconera points out that there has been no recent press coverage of the game, never mind a concrete release date from Square Enix, who plan to make an unholy amount of wonga from the game. Maybe we'll find out more at the Tokyo Game Show next month, though just to confuse matters further, the game won't be playable there. It's all very bizarre. Source: Dragon Quest IX might make 2008 ... Source: ... but it won't be playable at TGS.
Analyst: Dragon Quest IX to sell 5 million in Japan
Takashi Oka, analyst with Cosmo Securities, has predicted that Square Enix's Dragon Quest IX will bring in 20 billion yen ($190.28 million) from sales of 5 million units. That's in line with Square Enix president Yoichi Wada's sales predictions, since Oka's number is limited only to Japanese sales. Can a third-party game sell 5 million copies in Japan? Only the Pokemons, New Super Mario Bros. and Brain Age 2 have broken the 5 million mark, and all of those are published by Nintendo. Oka said that a portable Dragon Quest doubling the sales of a console release would be "not surprising," and Dragon Quest VIII sold about 3.5 million units in Japan (at least, according to VGChartz). Given the lower price point of DS games, the ubiquity of the DS, and the inestimable popularity of Dragon Quest, 5 million doesn't seem out of the question.
Square Enix not lacking confidence in Dragon Quest IX
Is Dragon Quest IX really "almost done"? And does it even matter? We're not so sure, because Square Enix still isn't budging on a release date for the game. Company President Yoichi Wada announced at Square Enix's recent earnings briefing that the game will be released at some point in the current fiscal year, which ends on March 31, 2009. Are we about to see that hopeful 2008 release date cruelly taken away from us? How much longer will we be writing paragraphs consisting almost exclusively of questions? However long we wait, Square Enix is confident of one thing: Dragon Quest IX is going to sell like cakes of the exceedingly hot variety. "With the DS, 10 million units is a possibility," proclaimed Wada to a bunch of no doubt beatific investors. He's presumably talking about global sales rather than Japan-only figures, but even so, isn't that a touch optimistic? We think it is, anyway -- as it stands, no game published by a third-party has come even close to the magical eight digit mark.
Level-5 working for a 2008 release of Dragon Quest IX
digg_url='http://digg.com/nintendo/Level_5_working_for_a_2008_release_of_Dragon_Quest_IX/'; Square Enix and Level-5 have both previously been reticent about Dragon Quest IX, showing little and saying even less. In fact, the last we heard anything about a possible release period was back in August when it was delayed until 2008, except for Yoichi Wada's assurance of the game's progress. A delay like that won't happen again, according to Level-5 president Akihiro Hino. Hino told Famitsu that he set a goal for 2008 of finishing not only Dragon Quest IX, but the soccer RPG Inazuma Eleven, the third Professor Layton game, and White Knight Chronicles on the Playstation 3. Hino also mentioned that Level-5 would announce a new RPG soon, also for release this year. It's the 10th anniversary of Level-5, and they're celebrating it with work.
Everything you ever wanted to know about Dragon Quest
For gamers not living in Japan, Dragon Quest tends to be considered "that other" Square-Enix series. There's no question that the franchise is constantly overshadowed by Final Fanasy, at least here in the U.S. That's not to say Dragon Quest doesn't have a respectable fanbase, but compared to the support that the series gets in Japan, anything else is peanuts. There's much to be learned about this classic franchise, though. If you're a fan and want to brush up on your Dragon Quest knowledge, be sure to check out Gamasutra's in-depth history. We have to warn you, however -- reading it will only make you hungry for some localization announcements. Hopefully, it's only a matter of time before we hear something tangible.
Dragon Quest IX almost done?
According to an interview with Square Enix president Yoichi Wada, Japan could be playing Dragon Quest IX as soon as (whenever Square Enix decides to release it.) He told Bloomberg Japan that the game is almost finished, and that they are currently in the process of tuning whatever kind of wireless functionality and insuring the "important" balance between multiplayer and single-player. So, basically, they're in the final stages of creating the game. This doesn't necessarily mean that the game will be released anytime soon -- we'd expect fall at the earliest. This is going to be the cornerstone of Square Enix's 2008 lineup, so it's going to be a holiday release in whichever year it comes out. We're just glad to hear it hasn't been cancelled or moved to another console (though the DS wasn't mentioned, we're pretty sure that would slow development.) [Via NeoGAF]
Dressed for Quest
Famitsu received some images of Dragon Quest IX's protagonist in four different costumes. They didn't actually get any information about the significance or identity of the job associated with each outfit, but, being people who have played a video game before, their crack staff was able to make some educated guesses. They guessed pretty much like we did: from left to right, Magic Guy, Curing Magic Guy, Martial Arts Guy, and Sword Fighty Guy. Hey, it's like the Dress Sphere system in Final Fantasy X-2! And Final Fantasy III, and lots of other games, but its funnier and more satisfying if we make you respect Final Fantasy X-2 a little.
Dragon Quest IX still exists
We haven't heard much about Dragon Quest IX for a while. Most of the news coming out about the franchise in the last month or so has been focused on the Dragon Quest IV remake, instead of, you know, the new one. These screens are evidence that the game is still being made and still exists, and that non-remake games are still possible these days. Impressively, the more we see of it, the more Dragon Quest IX looks like Level-5's PS2 Dragon Quest VIII. Going full-3D like this is a bold move. Not as bold as making it an action RPG, which didn't end up happening, but still plenty bold for a series that is built on rigid tradition.
DQIX gets pushed back to 2008
Those of you who've been eagerly awaiting Square Enix's latest title on the DS will have to wait extra long, as the company has announced that Dragon Quest IX has been delayed until 2008. The reason for delaying the game? Square Enix apparently needs to improve the quality of the game, but we're going on machine translation, so it isn't the best. Who will be joining us for a cry session in the corner?
Dragon Quest IX ditches the Wi-Fi Connect?
Apparently, a couple of scans from the latest Famitsu over at Jeux-France showcase new screens for the upcoming Square Enix romp Dragon Quest IX., but portray the omission of a very important game feature: Wi-Fi Connect compatibility. Well, perhaps that's a bit of an overstatement, as the article apparently does say that Wi-Fi will be used "for something else" aside from what we would normally expect it to include (co-op gameplay, versus multiplayer etc.). That isn't to say this is all set in stone, though. The page has been translated by an individual (registration required) over at The Platformers, so we're mainly going on their translation (darn our inability to read Japanese!). [Via The Platformers]
Etrian Odyssey is 'the last great turn-based RPG'
Etrian Odyssey director Kazuya Niinou has been posting fascinating, and disarmingly honest, blog entries on the game's official website. The fourth page was just posted, and contains a rather bold statement: "So I've decided! Etrian Odyssey will be the last great turn-based RPG." This was a reaction to the rumors of Dragon Quest IX going action-RPG-- rumors that turned out not to be true. While we admire Niinou for his confidence that his game is good enough to exemplify a genre (confidence that increases our frothing demand for the game significantly), we're afraid Etrian Odyssey is going to continue to face stiff competition from Dragon Quest. And we doubt that any number of awesome blog posts will put down that particular cultural phenomenon.
Dragon Quest IX in full color
We've seen some of this before, particularly the lower right panel, but only in scans -- look at the difference in the full color screenshots! The production values on this are staggering; remember the jaggy screenshots from Chocobo Tales? The backgrounds in Final Fantasy III? Those games are beautiful in motion, but suffer somewhat in stills. If this comparison is any indication of what's in store for us with Dragon Quest IX, we're not sure we can handle that much awesome.
