Topic: Wii U Version of Dragon Quest X Coming in Late March to Japan

[the_dan_x]

Square Enix also revealed a special Wii U console bundle and DQX beta test starting date!

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/news/33360

Dragon Quest X: Itsutsu no Shuzoku is scheduled for release on March 30 in Japan, Square Enix revealed via the official Dragon Quest X website. The game will be available as a physical retail copy or a download for 6,980 yen. A special Wii U Premium Set, priced at 42,000 yen, will also be available, containing the Wii U version of the game, a Wii U Pro Controller (black), a 1,000 yen Nintendo prepaid card, and an item code for five of the in-game item, “chō genki dama (super energy ball).”

Beta testing for Dragon Quest X will open on March 6 in Japan. Players who purchased Wii U Premium Sets will need to utilize the special registration code included to access the beta test. Aside from having the code, players will also need a broadband Internet connection and a Square Enix account.

Dragon Quest X was released on August 2, 2012 for the Wii in Japan. To read more about the Wii version of the game, be sure to check out Matt Walker’s impressions. 

[Ceric]

Alright, Now we wait a Year for the US release.

[xcwarrior]

No kidding, why is this not being mentioned for the US? it would sell systems. We need RPGs asap on the Wii U.

Come on NWR, somebody make some phone calls and find out what is going on!

[Uncle_Optimus]

I figure that in order to secure this uber-franchise on their system, Ninty agreed to give some perks to Square-Enix. Like, say, distribution and marketing help in other territories. The Wii game came out too late tho, partially because of delays and partially because NoA had already let the Wii market implode by then.
But here we are, shiny new console that NEEDS GAMES and looky here, this is a BIG GAME.


They'll announce its coming here in May. Maybe even as part of a similar boxset to further stimulate sales and play extra nice with Square-Enix as part of their master plan to secure a version of the next mainline Final Fantasy.
(full disclosure: I only believe part of what I just typed)

 

[Ian Sane]

I remember when this was announced for the Wii years ago and it was during a time where we were all wondering where the third party support was.  This came out of nowhere and was the exact pick-me-up we needed.  It just seemed like this would fix everything because in Japan if you have DQ, you win, right?  Little did we know that it wouldn't get released until mere months before the Wii successor came out and that no Wii version would ever be released in North America.  For all the hype of the initial announcement it ended up having so little effect for us that it might as well have never happened.  That's a real downer.

[TJ Spyke]

I figure that in order to secure this uber-franchise on their system, Ninty agreed to give some perks to Square-Enix. Like, say, distribution and marketing help in other territories.

Square Enix always puts Dragon Quest on the best selling system, so Nintendo didn't have to do much (although I am sure they loved Nintendo willing to localize it for them).

[broodwars]

No kidding, why is this not being mentioned for the US? it would sell systems. We need RPGs asap on the Wii U.

No it wouldn't. Dragon Quest is at best a niche franchise within the already niche JRPG genre in North America.  Add DQ X being a subscription-based MMO (a model that has worked out so well for franchises that are loved in the West like Star Wars and DC Comics that...those MMOs have gone free-to-play), and that hurts its prospects even more.  DQ X won't do jack to sell systems in NA. However, any other games Square-Enix brings to NA for the Wii U because of DQ X selling well might sell systems.

[Ceric]

No kidding, why is this not being mentioned for the US? it would sell systems. We need RPGs asap on the Wii U.

No it wouldn't. Dragon Quest is at best a niche franchise within the already niche JRPG genre in North America.  Add DQ X being a subscription-based MMO (a model that has worked out so well for franchises that are loved in the West like Star Wars and DC Comics that...those MMOs have gone free-to-play), and that hurts its prospects even more.  DQ X won't do jack to sell systems in NA. However, any other games Square-Enix brings to NA for the Wii U because of DQ X selling well might sell systems.

You know I find it very interesting how much you despise and disperage Niche titles as system sellers considering what you enjoy yourself.

Every game has the potential to sell systems.  I mean Fire Emblem is well documented of selling 3DS and that is a the niche of a niche.  Dragon Quest is not unpopular in the West.  If its a good game that justify it costs even with a subscription it could work.

[Mop it up]

I don't think this game will have an impact on Wii U sales (in any region), but that said, if the game came to the US and dropped the sub fee, I'd get a Wii U for this game.

[Adrock]

I don't think this game will have an impact on Wii U sales (in any region), but that said, if the game came to the US and dropped the sub fee, I'd get a Wii U for this game.

I expect it to do well in Japan. It has sold below expectations, but I think Japan is waiting for the Wii U version. They want to play it on a new console because the Wii was a wasteland by the time the game launched.

They really should drop the subscription fee. That's just another barrier. It works when your game is World of Warcraft, but how many of those are there?

[xcwarrior]

I don't think this game will have an impact on Wii U sales (in any region), but that said, if the game came to the US and dropped the sub fee, I'd get a Wii U for this game.

If it comes to the US, and I think it will, they will drop the sub fee like they did with Monster Hunter. And if that is the case, I'll be buying it. People thought Xenoblade and Last Story wouldn't sell. But guess what, they did. RPGs early in a system's life cycle is a great way to go. We need this in the US. It might not sell tons of systems, but it will sell systems to the hardcore gamer, which is what Nintendo needs to do.

[TJ Spyke]

People thought Xenoblade and Last Story wouldn't sell. But guess what, they did. RPGs early in a system's life cycle is a great way to go.

Although The Last Story may be the best selling game ever published by Xseed Games, it still only sold 50K copies.

[NWR_insanolord]

It's either going to come out in the West without a subscription fee or not at all. Nobody outside Japan would pay a monthly fee for Dragon Quest.

[Stogi]

Kairon would.

[NWR_insanolord]

I didn't mean literally no one, of course, just nowhere near enough to justify server costs.

[Uncle_Optimus]

It's either going to come out in the West without a subscription fee or not at all. Nobody outside Japan would pay a monthly fee for Dragon Quest.

A neat compromise could be to offer a one year subscription with purchase of the game in the US. At $60 bones and the presence of DLC in the game perhaps that would be enough to justify the cost of localization and servers. Development cost itself after all is partially subsidized by the Wii version.

This game of course isn't at all the bee's-knees over here, but I disagree with Broodwars that localizing it would amount to jack. It would be another step for Nintendo in the long road to demonstrating that they are committed to keeping the platform flush with core content. That doesn't happen with one game but rather with sustained support.

[broodwars]

This game of course isn't at all the bee's-knees over here, but I disagree with Broodwars that localizing it would amount to jack. It would be another step for Nintendo in the long road to demonstrating that they are committed to keeping the platform flush with core content. That doesn't happen with one game but rather with sustained support.

Actually, I argued quite the opposite: I said it wouldn't sell systems in NA because Dragon Quest is not a huge franchise over here like it is in Japan, where a new installment sells millions of copies in a day.  However, I basically agreed with you that even a marginal success for DQ X could lead to other more-Western-friendly games crossing over in the future.

[Mop it up]

I expect it to do well in Japan. It has sold below expectations, but I think Japan is waiting for the Wii U version. They want to play it on a new console because the Wii was a wasteland by the time the game launched.

It's certainly possible, but since the game is basically the same on both systems, I think most people who wanted the game have already bought it. We shall see when it launches.

As far as releasing in other regions, the problem is that, unlike Monster Hunter games, DQX is an MMO. That means it has dedicated servers where all the data is stored, and the servers handle other tasks other than simply matchmaking. So if they were to drop the sub fee, then they would have to change the game to make it not an MMO anymore to put a lot less work on the servers, and to save data on the system itself (which would be more feasible with the Wii U). I don't know if they're willing to put that kind of work into a game with low sales potential, but I'm still hoping that Nintendo will get behind it like they have with more recent DQ games.

[Adrock]

There are quite a few free-to-play MMOs. They make up for it in other ways like in game purchases. For example, Phantasy Star Online 2 is free-to-play, but they have microtransactions as well as ads during load times. Feel free to debate whether PSO2 counts as "massively" multiplayer. I'm merely pointing out that there are ways for companies to still cover server costs without charging monthly. Subscription fees are there for games that can get away with it...

...or that need it. Dragon Quest X will be far less popular in regions other than Japan. The servers will require maintenance, but perhaps less of it everywhere outside Japan.

[Mop it up]

I guess they could go that route if they brought over the content that the Japanese version gets (the sub fee includes new content added every ten weeks) and charged for it as DLC, but I would prefer that they take my suggestion rather than microtransactions and/or advertisements.