Quote Originally Posted by Squall Leonhart Loire View Post
Interesting read here - https://www.reddit.com/r/dragonquest...l_well_in_the/
Interesting article and kind of expresses what I think is the case - it's not that DQ is unsuccessful, since it's definitely still one of the most recognizable series in the JRPG genre, it's just that in Japan DQ is the biggest thing ever, and maybe they just think that if that isn't the case in the West, then that's a failure? Idk, I really kind of feel like this is insulting to us DQ fans in the West. Browsing the DQ reddit I've noticed that the DQ fans are some of the loyal and devoted fans on the market, united in what they want out of the series, completely respectful of what the creators put out, regardless of the game's actual quality (granted, I've yet to play a DQ game that would disappoint me in the slightest, but this is kind of beside the point). Compare it to the FF reddits and, well, this forum, where people really can't agree on anything regarding FF and the unrealistic demands made in many regards only serve to splinter the fanbase further. Of course, this is a direct result of FF having wider appeal in general and thus attracting people with a broad range of expectations into the table.

The art style thing, though, may actually also be true. As they mentioned in the first article Pike linked up, Westerners do tend to associate cartoony graphics with kids' games in most cases, whereas that is really not the case in Japan. Of course, I would never want for a DQ game to not have Toriyama's distinct style associated with it, but I get it. Which is why I think the key to DQ's success in the West is the proper marketing, as was the case with VIII (and IX to a lesser extent, though that game's sales were still really high).

But sadly, nowadays it looks like SE is more like "Oh well, I guess Westerners - those foreign, alien beings of legend - cannot wrap their heads around the greatness that is DQ. Trying to sell it to them would be pointless. Let's just see how the next game goes and if it doesn't sell double the Japanese amount, I guess that's it and we're done. It was just never meant to be."