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Square Enix ships 5.3 million copies of Dragon Quest IX
Perhaps looking around for some good news to mention in a not particularly good-newsy time, Square Enix announced that as of the end of December, Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies has shipped 5.3 million copies worldwide since its Japanese release in July 2009. Most of those copies were shipped to Japan, of course -- 1.02 million copies have been accounted for outside of Japan in the last year. According to the announcement, it's the first Dragon Quest game to pass 5 million copies shipped, and that makes it the best-selling (or best-shipping, we suppose) Dragon Quest game ever, obviously.
Layton's Unwound Future and Kirby's Epic Yarn join Nintendo's million-seller club
In a supplemental document to Nintendo's latest quarterly earnings report, the company noted its million-sellers during the past three fiscal quarters (April–Dec. 2010), with Professor Layton and pink power-puff Kirby standing out from the games featuring keywords: Mario, Pokémon and Wii. Through the end of 2010, DS puzzler Professor Layton and the Unwound Future had reached global sales of 1.9 million units since its September 12 debut, while Dragon Quest IX just squeezed into the million-seller club with 1.02 million copies sold (since July 11). The Wii-llion seller list for the nine-month period featured several Mario and Wii [Fill in Blank] games, but Donkey Kong Country Returns was also a popular pick, moving a bananas 4.21 million units since its late-November release. Additionally, Kirby's Epic Yarn managed to stitch up sales of 1.4 million units in two and a half months at retail. Sitting on top of DS and Wii million-sellers for the period were Pokemon Black/White with 5.3 million copies sold (and it's not even out in North America and Europe yet!) and Super Mario Galaxy 2 with a hearty 6.2 million units in mushroom-fueled sales, respectively.
Best of the Rest: JC's picks of 2010
Dragon Quest IX DQIX is secretly two games: when you're playing through the main quest, it's a traditional JRPG with a light but interesting story populated by unexpectedly engaging characters and perfectly brisk pacing; then as you approach the end, it becomes a dungeon crawler driven by a dungeon map trading mechanic using the passive communication of the DS. How compelling is that "tag mode" mechanic? I can't think of any other game for which I would go hang out at a GameStop and then a Best Buy, but that's exactly what I did when Nintendo held DQIX events this summer. I needed those maps. That's how I know this is my favorite game of 2010.
Club Nintendo offers Dragon Quest IX screensaver, Mario towels
Club Nintendo has introduced two more choices for your fun-money shopping. Another 10-Coin screensaver is available, this time featuring Dragon Quest IX artwork against a backdrop of the world map. If you're less prone to screen burn-in and more prone to spill your drink, you may be more interested in the other new item: the set of three Mario towels originally released in Japan last July. Of course, given that each towel goes for 350 Coins, you'd probably be better off reaching for the paper towels, instead of ordering one of these and then waiting several weeks for it to arrive. We don't want to imagine the horror of actually cleaning with one of these. They're too ... collectible!
Dragon Quest IX is Japan's favorite Dragon Quest
Last month, Square Enix asked Japanese fans to vote on their favorite Dragon Quest game. Dragon Quest IX on DS took the honors, despite early backlashes about the Sandy/Stella character. Fans also voted on their favorite creature from the series, which we don't even need to name, do we?
Nintendo bringing fall lineup, new WiiWare game to PAX
Visitors to Nintendo's PAX booth will be able to try out some upcoming Wii games, including Kirby's Epic Yarn and Donkey Kong Country Returns, along with anticipated third-party games Goldeneye 007 and NBA Jam. Next week's Metroid: Other M will also be on display. Nintendo will also show a new WiiWare game, Fluidity, for the first time. The game involves "using the three forms of water -- liquid, ice, and cloud" to solve puzzles. Be sure to bring your DS as well, as Nintendo will be distributing a new Dragon Quest IX map, "Orgodemir." If you're anything like us (which is to say hopeless), the rest of the convention will be spent trying to complete said map. Go sit on one of those bean bags and find some pals for multiplayer questing!
Dragon Quest IX hits the road, Gamestop distributing treasure maps
Look, America isn't blessed with the near-universal dependence on public transportation and cultural adoption of Square Enix's portable games that makes using Dragon Quest IX's "Tag mode" and other networking features worthwhile. Rather than let our nation's DQIX-playing community steam in a broth of its own jealousy, Nintendo will attempt to rally players together in the one centralized location with which they're all likely familiar: their local Gamestop. This coming Saturday, July 31, select Gamestops will be hosting an all-day event where potential Quest-ers can check out a demo for the game, meet up with other players to wirelessly exchange bonuses, and download the "Zoma" treasure map, which has yet to come stateside. Similar events will be held at Best Buys across the country August 7, as well as select shopping malls every weekend until September 19. That sure beats turning on Tag Mode, then aimlessly walking the streets like some kind of sad Dragon Quest IX panhandler.
This Week on the Nintendo Channel: Yuji Horii on Dragon Quest IX
Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies was just released on the DS -- if you've yet to check out our review, then here's the pertinent linkage. So, considering how much Square Enix has invested in the title, it's no surprise the brunt of producer Horii's chat (which you can see for yourself past the break) largely revolves around his hopes for the game. Basically, he wants everyone to play it. What a surprise!%Gallery-95770%
Dragon Quest IX map, Metroid: Other M demo available at Comic-Con
Yes, there will be lots of interesting panels, swag, premieres, celebrities and other stuff at Comic-Con. Whatever. Nintendo just gave us the real reason the July 22-25 event is worth attending: a new Dragon Quest IX map. If you bring your DS to Nintendo's booth, with the game running in Tag Mode, you'll automatically pick up the "Mortamor" treasure map, being offered for the first time in North America. Presumably, other people will be there doing the same thing, making it your best chance at multiplayer. If you aren't playing DQIX yet, you'll be able to spend some demo time with it at the booth (#2944). You'll also get the opportunity to play Metroid: Other M, over a month before its August 31 release. Now that's an opportunity worth fighting the cosplaying crowd for.
Metareview: Dragon Quest IX
With the release of Dragon Quest IX for DS, Nintendo and Square Enix are trying once again to convert American gamers into Dragon Quest fanatics -- or at least sell some games. While we wait to see how the public responds to the multiplayer-enabled RPG, we decided to check in with reviews of the game other than our own. (We already know how that one went.) 1UP (A): "... The move to DS was a strategic trade-off, and a canny one at that; DQIX sacrifices visual splendor in favor of more subtle technological benefits. In unchaining the series from the television, its creators freed themselves to design the open-ended, player-driven experience the series has always aspired to be." Nintendo Power (9/10): "The idea of adding multiplayer features to a story-driven, turn-based RPG originally struck me as insane, but Dragon Quest IX has made me a believer." GamePro (4/5): "Dragon Quest's appeal lies in its sense of warm, welcoming familiarity. It's refreshingly free of the pretension and overwrought cinematics of much of the current JRPG crop, instead presenting a lighthearted, charming adventure romp akin to what made the original Chrono Trigger such a beloved classic." Game Informer (8/10): "It's the first in the franchise to debut on a handheld, and it changes the classic formula in some significant ways. In many cases, these changes push the genre in interesting directions, but they never go far enough. The end result is an enjoyable Japanese RPG with mere hints of greatness." %Gallery-95770%
This Week on the Nintendo Channel: Iwata Asks -- Dragon Quest IX
We know you had stuff planned today. Grocery shopping, volunteering at the soup kitchen and taking Fido for a walk may have just been a few of those planned activities, but you're going to want to clear your schedule. The Nintendo Channel update this week has nearly 40 minutes of conversation between Nintendo CEO Satoru Iwata and Yuji Horii and Ryutaro Ichimura, the creator of the Dragon Quest series and Dragon Quest IX's producer, respectively. These are some conversations you won't want to miss. For the full list of this week's Nintendo Channel content, head past the break.
Review: Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies
If you're familiar with the Dragon Quest series, Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies will feel like a revolution to you, thanks to changes brought in to accommodate its emphasis on multiplayer. If you're a casual or occasional RPG player, however, it's going to feel old-school to the point of being conventional. But it works well in either case: new players will find an unusually accessible, entirely pleasant RPG, while Dragon Quest diehards will delight in the addition of new features to the gameplay they've loved for years. %Gallery-95770%
Kmart discounts Alan Wake, Peace Walker and more
Though both parties haven't likely realized it yet, Kmart is currently embroiled in a full-on assault against your wallet. The store's offering a slew of discounts on games like Alan Wake, Peace Walker, Singularity and the Call of Duty: War Collection, as well as a few other miscellaneous SKUs.
Yuji Horii explains the Dragon Quest Slime's origin
This Sunday, with the release of Dragon Quest IX, thousands of gamers will begin the time-honored tradition of slaughtering adorable Slimes, over and over and over again. Don't feel bad, that's what they're there for. But how did Akira Toriyama's cutest character design ever (take that, all Dragon Ball characters) come to be? "I was really hooked on Wizardry the PC game, and that's kind of where I got the inspiration for the Slime," Dragon Quest producer Yuji Horii told MTV Multiplayer. "There's ... slime-looking characters [in Wizardry], so I got the inspiration from it. I was doodling the slime-looking character and I took it to Mr. Toriyama, who did the character design, and he made it the Slime we see today." The Slime went on to appear not only in every Dragon Quest game, but also in its own games, along with plenty of adorable merchandise.
Meet Yuji Horii at Dragon Quest IX launch event
Those in the New York area eager to pick up Dragon Quest IX a day early -- and have Dragon Quest creator Yuji Horii autograph their plush Slimes -- should make their way to the Nintendo World Store Saturday, July 10.
Video: Seth Green pitches Dragon Quest IX to teens
Nintendo is giving Dragon Quest IX some much-needed promotion with a commercial starring Airborne's Seth Green, premiering at movie theaters before showings of The Twilight Saga: Eclipse. After the break, see Green use the lessons of Square Enix's multiplayer RPG to counsel desperate teenagers.
Visual overload: Nintendo's E3 DS lineup
If, at any point in the last week, you forgot about the existing DS platform due to all the news about the 3DS, you've made a serious error, and you owe the Nintendo DS an apology. Nintendo brought a diverse selection of first-party (and sorta-first-party, in the case of Dragon Quest IX) DS games to E3, and we've collected trailers and artwork for the whole set. Included after the break is Professor Layton and the Unwound Future. It might be a little ... puzzling, but Nintendo brought two Professor Layton games to E3 (which means, by the way, that this was the best E3 of all time) -- this one, number 3 in the series, for the original DS, and Professor Layton and the Mask of Miracle, which is number 5, for 3DS.
Dragon Quest IX trailer is a grand adventure
Nintendo released a new trailer for Dragon Quest IX, on the same day it announced the news of the new DSi XL color. It's kind of co-marketing the two without explicitly making a connection. This trailer features the wonderful animation seen in the North American announcement trailer, with one welcome addition: actual gameplay footage. Nintendo also released a ton of character art, depicting the various character classes you can choose to play. You can find that treasure trove of Akira Toriyama artwork in our gallery. %Gallery-94727%
Dragon Quest IX launches in North America on July 11 [update]
Nintendo and Square Enix have announced that the North American release of Dragon Quest IX: Sentinel of the Starry Skies for DS has been set for June July 11, exactly a year after it launched in Japan. As was revealed in February, Nintendo will be publishing the game here -- although the English localization is being handled by Square Enix and not NOA's Treehouse team. Dragon Quest IX has sold more than four million copies to date in Japan, where the game's WiFi "Pass-By Guest" feature has proven very popular. North American gamers will get a chance to experience it as the renamed "Tag Mode," silently trading character stats, battle records and play data with other DQIX players simply by walking near each other with their handhelds in sleep mode. If you encounter a player who's logged more than 400 hours in the game, it's probably this guy. You'll find pre-order information (and a rather delightful trailer) on the game's official website. Update: Dragon Quest IX will be released in Europe on July 23. %Gallery-93250%
Final Fantasy XIII, Dragon Quest IX, Batman sales lead Square Enix fiscal year
Square Enix had a good fiscal year (ended March 31, 2010), but its games division had a very good year. Final Fantasy XIII sold over five million units globally during the period, with the Japan-only release of Dragon Quest IX coming in second with 4.26 million units. Thanks to the company's acquisition of Eidos last year, the company could count on some Batman: Arkham Asylum cash, with the pointy-eared detective's critically acclaimed title selling 3.24 million units -- it's a shame Square won't get a piece of the sequel. Squenix's games division had sales of ¥109.9 billion ($1.18 billion) in the last fiscal year, up an impressive 128 percent over last year. With the Dark Knight out of the picture, Square Enix will have to depend on its other western franchises, including Kane & Lynch, Deus Ex and the games of Ms. Croft. Source [PDF link] -- Results Briefing Session for the Fiscal Year ended March 31, 2010
