Square Enix on Wii, Dragon Quest DS delays FFXIII on PS3
Square Enix’s president, Yoichi Wada, has issued comments about his thoughts on Nintendo’s Wii, plus its various different online download models. In addition, in an interview with Japanese news service ‘Bloomberg Japan’, he mentions how the eagerly awaited Nintendo DS project, Dragon Quest IX, is on the cusp of completion.
The ninth entry into the illustrious Dragon Quest role-playing series, Dragon Quest IX: Defender of the Stars, was originally due to be released at the tail-end of 2007. However, franchise head, Yuji Horii, mentioned briefly that the new entry into the biggest RPG franchise in Japan would follow some Dragon Quest remakes for the dual-screen portable. These were then revealed as Dragon Quest IV, V and VI, revivals of past entries, all in glorious 3D on the DS. The first game has been out in Japan since early December, selling over 1,200,000 copies so far and actually surpassing sales of the original PSone remake of Dragon Quest IV. The next remake, Dragon Quest V, is set for a Spring 2008 release over in Japan and the fourth entry already has 99%-complete English, French, Spanish and German scripts included, pointing towards a definite European release in the near future. As for Dragon Quest IX, the brand new entry, its future was looking shakier by the day until the comments to Bloomberg, where Wada-san said the game was nearly completed and wants as many people as possible to play it.
Enterbrain, the parent company of Famitsu, has predicted that Dragon Quest IX could easily become the biggest and fastest selling DS game so far, selling in excess of five million units, making it also the biggest entry into the multi-million RPG series that sold over four million when Dragon Quest VII hit the PSone and the same for Dragon Quest VII on PlayStation 2. Fans are clearly desperate to get their hands on this new portable version, the first time the series has gone onto a handheld for a main entry, but Wada-san did add that the online mode still requires some tweaking and fine tuning, whilst the single player option is being primed for the perfect balance.
The game is such a huge prospect for Square Enix that the company does not particularly wish to release it and Final Fantasy XIII on the PlayStation 3 in close proximity of each other in Japan for fear of cannibalising sales of one or the other. Therefore, a new report in Nikkei Torendinetto points towards Wada-san discussing how he is unsure whether or not the two high profile role-playing titles should be launched in the same year as business my be hurt as a result. So could Final Fantasy XIII actually be pushed back into early 2009? We shall have to wait and see…
Finally, Wada-san also talked briefly about how he wants Square Enix to make more Wii software. So far the company has seen Dragon Quest Swords: The Masked Queen & The Tower of Mirrors sell around half a million in Japan alone, whilst Chocobo’s Mysterious Dungeon has also sold over 100,000 copies since launching in the middle of December 2007, with Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers being on the horizon. But clearly there is more to be expected soon. He also touched upon how he is interested in the Wii’s download model, which could be related to the Virtual Console (which has seen ActRaiser, Treasure Hunter G and Hanjuku Hero from Square Enix so far) or the WiiWare service (with Square Enix already bringing Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Young King and the Land of Promise as a launch title next month in Japan).
But what would you like Square Enix to bring to Wii, either in a full packaged game format, retro download or new download? And be sure to share your thoughts on the prospect of Dragon Quest IX below…
That’ll be so disappointing if they have FFXIII ready for 2008, only to push it to ‘09 because of the other title… Not that I won’t still buy it lol.
Morne
Give us FFXIII!!!! forget Dragon Quest on the pissy little DS, no one knows about it outside of Japan anyway but everyone knows FF and everyone is waiting for that, so regardless if you release both at the same time, FF will ALWAYS outsell it rivals, DQ is niche, FF is mainstream.
I would like this title on psp… I wonder why they dont due a dual portable launch like they do for consoles. I cant stand the stylus but i love the psp. What is up with square lately? I used to base my systems around their choices but they have been going down hill lately. Embrace playstation Square and forget nintendo!
SE better release FFXIII in 2008, we don’t cares DQ in US. we over here want FFXIII, delay a year that’s a long wait. It felt like 10 years for 1 year wait. DS sux, please release it this year before the Holiday.
Eh, I could not care one bit for FFXIII. I’ve never liked the series (except for FFXII, which I’m still playing).
There are still many people in the US that cares for DQ. DQ’s simplicity is perfect for DS. In anyways, the sells of FFXIII in Japan would definitely be nowhere near the sells of DQIX.
I haven’t cared much for FF since X… it doesn’t have the oldschool feel that I’ve loved since the originals and I doubt XIII will change that. Can’t freakin wait for DQ IX, though! That and the FFIV remake(favorite FF)
Lost of nintendo hating around here, but just face it Sony fans one of the reasons you bought the Ps3 for is gone, Square-Enix is now making games for Nintendo systems only, aside from FF XIII and versus. Now go get a wii and a ds to play your favorite games otherwise you’ll be left out.
I am too disappointed by this because I got a ps3 to play FF titles but the waiting is just ridiculous… Though I prefer handheld games over anything.
lol it looks shit. get a ps3
You fanboys are a joke, you need to face some reality. No one cares which system YOU think is better (Just because it happens to be the one you own). I own a Wii, 360, PS3, DS and PSP and you know what, it’s a trend that’s going strong. DS and DS games are the #1 selling platform in the world, and they allow square to do new things while making money at it. Believe it or not, they do this to make money, not to make fanboys happy. FF13 will get here eventually, and fanboys will wait, but I don’t expect Square Enix to wait to make money because you want your game now. Seriously, get over yourselves. If you’re that pissy because you want more RPG’s to play then buy another system so you have a better selection. If you insist that much you want to be a fanboy then shut up and wait like the rest of them!
Yes, someone else who has enough sense to know that no video game company would ever make games unless they knew they could get money off of it. As for what they’re doing with the new Final Fantasy game, I don’t really care. I think that in console markets, they’ve sort of moved away from most of the actual RPG roots of their company with that series. If you’d like an idea of what I mean by that, the last game I purchased from Square was the re-release of Final Fantasy VI.
You know what Squeenix made that totally took me by surprise? The World Ends With You! I’m playing that to tide me over till DQ & FF.
I don’t know how many of you have been to Square’s website recently, but you should probably take a look. There is almost NO MENTION AT ALL of either Final Fantasy XIII titles. They have clips and previews of every other game, including DQ, but nothing on FF except the PSP stuff and TONS of DS games they are releasing. They even announced publicly that they prefer programming for the DS than the current consoles. DS is getting all of Square’s love lately so get used to it and go with it or get over it and find another developer that likes your console because that’s where the ball is rolling. Do some research (and by that I don’t mean PSN)… seriously, look around. Sony’s ties with Square are all but over… and rightfully so, they have gone back to Nintendo, the company that put them on the map in the first place…
The nds line up of games for 2008 is a joke.
time to sell this cheap toy.
Harsh… Alas, your name fits you well, xbot.
Fanboys can talk all the trash they want, but the nearly 50 million people who all bought the DS in just a couple years and the millions that continue to EVERY month aren’t all wrong. DS Looks GREAT for 08′, It is hands down the best hand held platform that has ever existed.
The nds is full of kiddie games, but my biggest beef with the toy is the lack of analog stick.
d’pad sucks.
Sounds like a personal problem.
Like pcphantom said, the numbers speak for themselves. The DS is selling well and therefore will recieve more attention from Square Enix.
I havent seen any decent RPGs on the nds yet only ports of games i already played 10 years ago.
Besides DQ IX (soon), The World Ends With You is an awesome RPG! There are also a couple of Mana games, Contact is really good, Final Fantasy III, IV is on the way. And although a port, DISGAEA! There are some decent RPGs, and more are coming.
Fuck all you fanboys with your petty little “OMG DS SUX”. If you don’t like the system, don’t buy it. You aren’t the developer and don’t use your fucken little egos to try and belittle people who make these games especially when your minds don’t even remotely possess the INTELLECT needed to think these games up! Square made a choice to work on Dragon Quest on the DS and whether you little fuckers like it or not, it’s going to happen. I’m sick and tired of your egos being the only stupid foundation for your illegitimate arguements. Everyone has their taste but when you cross that line between a fan and a fucken zealot, you deserve no less than to be ripped apart because of your egotistical attitude. /end rant
Well, since this topic has been reopened, albeit with a rant, I believe I will express my excitement over Dragon Quest X being announced for the Wii!