Dragon Quest X: Should it Come to the West?

[Freya]

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Dragon Quest X is soon to be released for the Wii U on March 30th in Japan. Hopefully we'll get a stateside representation but as for now a recently released trailer showing off the graphics of the Wii U was shown to fans.

If you don't know much about Dragon Quest X, let me help you there! Dragon Quest X is a MMORPG set in the Dragon Quest Universe. The game was originally released last year for the Wii console but was soon upgraded with updated graphics to the Wii U. Both consoles share servers so regardless of what console you play on, you'll be able to play with your friends.
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Unfortunately there isn't any news on a NA or EU release as of yet but there are hopes that this re-release will spark the DQ love again. When it was first released for the Wii, the game only sold roughly 400,000 copies. Compare that to Dragon Quest IX who sold around 5 million world wide, that's really low. With the sales so low, there isn't much hope for a localization as of yet. Fans are optimistic that a localization will come out of it as well as the bundle that Japan is seeing with the Wii U.

The Deluxe 32 gb Wii U starts at $349.99 and includes the game Nintendo Land here in North America. The bundle that would come with Dragon Quest X would have the game replace Nintendo Land. It will also include a black Pro Controller, a Nintendo prepaid card worth 1,000 yen, and five super health orbs for 42,000 yen which is roughly $452. If they can translate that over to the NA and EU regions, much like the Zombie U bundle that consisted of a similar package, they will most likely have to go for a lower price point in America such as the $389 that the Zombie U bundle was.

Dragon Quest X may be the perfect game to get the Wii U sales to step up a bit in the Western markets. Currently the only games available for the Wii U have limited mutliplayer aspects. With a limited selection of games to keep them interested, Wii U owners are less likely to stick with the console. With Dragon Quest offering a more kid friendly MMO environment for the Wii U, the sales could sky rocket if marketed correctly. There wouldn't be a question of losing players because there is always more content in an MMO. Even if you run out, they can always add more with MMO's.

What do you think? Should Dragon Quest X be localized? Would you play it? Would you be more inclined to buy a Wii U if it was bundled with Dragon Quest X?

[Del Murder]

I personally have no interest in a MMO DQ game.

[Raistlin]

I doubt Squeenix will release DQX in the West, regardless of how cool the game may be. DQ is very, very popular in Japan, but from what I've heard, elsewhere the interest is much less significant. I doubt there'd be a huge market for DQX in the West, where WoW, GW2, and (hopefully soon) FFXIV already have a foothold.

[Bolivar]

Not to be negative but even as a big DQ fan, I'm not interested in an MMO version. That's not why I play those games.

Nintendo already tried to promote DQ in the West by publishing VI and IX over here, I'm not sure how well it worked.

[Mikztsu]

Shame it's a MMORPG. I really loved a previous DQ.

[Wolf Kanno]

Well this will depend on a few factors if you ask me. On the one hand, I'm pretty sure Nintendo really needs this game to get released, not because its a guaranteed smash hit for the WiiU, but more because I feel this game will seriously force Nintendo to take that much needed long hard look at their stubborn policy of online network. If Nintendo is going to survive this console cycle and really hope to grab the more "hardcore" gamer crowd like they are saying they are wanting to do, then they need to play catch up with Sony and Microsoft and really make sure their online network is up to par. I feel this game is a good starter to help them see serious holes in the system. They need a Western perspective of it, and I feel its better for Nintendo to get it from a mediocre title like DQX than wait and discover problems with online multiplayer when the WiiU's version of Smash Bros and Mario Kart get released.

As for Square-Enix... This would really depend on the market, how well has the DQ franchise done in the West? What is the state of the MMO market right now and what's trending abroad? Honestly, due to its low sales in Japan of all places, I'm going to say Squenix would be better off just not bothering in the West. DQ just never had the popularity it had in Japan, and if the Japanese are not really jumping aboard, then it will probably do abysmally outside of Japan. It would be more cost effective for SE to just keep it on its shores and use the money to pump up other projects.

[XxSephirothxX]

The guys on the 8-4 Play podcast were talking about this recently. They work in Japan to localize games for the west--they did Dragon Quest VI, Metal Gear Solid Rising: Revengeance, and Fire Emblem Awakening, just to name a few. They said it didn't make much sense for the game to come out in the west, and I have to agree with them.

Despite how many people in the US bought the Wii, I can't see many of those people buying a subscription-based JRPG MMO for $50 and then paying $10 a month for it after that. There's not an audience for that kind of game on the Wii--it's a tough market nowadays even on the PC, where people are used to it.

And as for the Wii U, well, the install base just isn't there. Dragon Quest has never been big over here, even if IX did pretty well on the DS. And X sold less than a million copies on the Wii in Japan. Square said they'd already recouped development costs back in December, so it's doing well enough. But those aren't big numbers for a Dragon Quest game, and I have a feeling its subscriber count will drop off pretty steeply this year.

I don't think it makes financial sense to release the game in the West. If it does happen, I bet it's because Nintendo publishes the game, like they did for IX, because they're desperate to get something out on the Wii U.

[Freya]

I think they'd have to make it free to play for it to work in the NA regions. Specially if they target kids. Do that stupid free to play, play to win bull that kids seem to love.

[Cecil Leonhart]

I would love for it to make it to NA, but then I wonder if it'd be really worth it. I mean, would there even be enough people on it for it to have the authentic mmo experience? Not only is it DQ, but it's on the friggin' Wii U.