Comments on: Dragon Quest X not performing to the level Square Enix expected

By: David Pratt

David Pratt — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 16:31:00 +0000

I think you guys are (for the most part) missing the mark. MMOs don’t do all that well in Japan. It’s even worse when a subscription fee is applied. Many people simply don’t want to shell out that kind of cash every month to play a game, even if it’s a part of the widely popular Dragon Quest series. Regardless if this was available on the PS3 or Wii U, I think this game should still be expanded to the international market (as I liked Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies and I would be willing to try this game as well), however with the removal of a subscription service. I know that is the method used to update and maintain the servers but in-game purchases could easily make up for that.

By: William Cole

William Cole — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 20:04:00 +0000

In reply to Nicholas Gatewood.

I can’t convince you? I don’t need to. PS Vita has no user base and PS3 JRPGS besides Final Fantasy don’t generally do well. Skyrim doesn’t count because it isn’t a JRPG. I think a following that started on Nintendo would stay on NIntendo. More people know of Nintendo in Japan than any other gaming company because they were there before everybody else. Dragon Quest X sold horribly because it was a MMO RPG which Japanese people H.A.T.E!
In comparison Dragon Quest VII, A REMAKE ON 3DS, outsold Dragon Quest X three times over. Why is this important? Well the Wii has 3x the install base than the 3DS. 30 Millon vs. 99 million. And Dragon Quest VII still outsold X in less than 3 days because it was a traditonal Dragon Quest. Try and lie to yourself all you want but some things just don’t change. Dragon Quest became popular on Nintendo and on Nintendo it will stay.

By: Nicholas Gatewood

Nicholas Gatewood — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 04:06:00 +0000

In reply to William Cole.

People in Japan aren’t most fond of Nintendo, Nintendo’s just used some monopolistic tactics for more marketshare over there recently (like how they almost certainly paid off Capcom for Monster Hunter exclusivity).

If they launched Dragon Quest X in the West, only on Nintendo’s mediocre platforms, they wouldn’t see as much success as if it were a PlayStation-exclusive title. I don’t see Xbox gamers ever having interest in Dragon Quest, though, I’ll agree with you on that.

At the end of the day, Dragon Quest X sold horribly on Nintendo’s platforms. You can’t convince me they would’ve done worse on Vita/PS3, especially since they’d be able to make a comparable game on both platforms with few quality concessions.

By: Nicholas Gatewood

Nicholas Gatewood — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 04:06:00 +0000

In reply to William Cole.

By: William Cole

William Cole — Sat, 13 Apr 2013 04:40:00 +0000

In reply to Nicholas Gatewood. Dragon Quest became popular on Nintendo in the first place. The problem with Dragon Quest in the west is the poor marketing and disappearance when Final Fantasy still believed in JRPGS in the US. If Dragon Quest V and VI were released on SNES in the US then Dragon Quest in the west would be totally different as we know it today. Dragon Quest X would have sold even more poorly on PS3 and Xbox because people in Japan are most fond of Nintendo.

By: Nicholas Gatewood

Nicholas Gatewood — Sat, 13 Apr 2013 04:32:00 +0000

In reply to William Cole. Dragon Quest hasn't had a chance to sell on other consoles since they started really pushing it in the West. I guarantee it'd sell better on a PlayStation system, third-party sales are almost always better on PS consoles.

By: Nicholas Gatewood

Nicholas Gatewood — Sat, 13 Apr 2013 04:32:00 +0000

By: William Cole

William Cole — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 23:18:00 +0000

What Square Enix didn’t do is listen to their fans. Or what, Yuji Horii didn’t do was listen to his fans. Dragon Quest sells best on Nitnendo consoles they just chose the wrong genre… a MMO.

By: Nicholas Gatewood

Nicholas Gatewood — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 02:09:00 +0000

Hopefully they put more Dragon Quest games on superior PlayStation systems, third-parties almost always do better outside of Nintendo’s walled garden and they could make better games with better hardware.