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[Effigenius]

Didn't they say they were bringing all the dqs to iOS? What are they going to do about 7 then? Seems like the smart thing to do would be translate it and release to on 3ds first. Sell as many as you can at $40 then release it on mobile for $20.

 

[Curler]

Let's start tonight. I'm ready!

Hopefully someone from SE is reading this... I wish Japanese publishers followed places like GAF.

 

[Aeana]

Didn't they say they were bringing all the dqs to iOS? What are they going to do about 7 then? Seems like the smart thing to do would be translate it and release to on 3ds first. Sell as many as you can at $40 then release it on mobile for $20.

7 is announced for mobile; however, recently, it was said that it will be very challenging and it sounded like they weren't even sure they'd end up doing it. Either way, if they do, it'll be last.

 

[Sir_Crocodile]

Yeah IIRC the game was in development for a long time so I wasn't really surprised it looked the way it did. Admittedly I didn't have an issue with it but it didn't compare favorably to games released around that time and that's putting it lightly.

Man, I remember when Yamauchi said something like "maybe it'll take a while, maybe horii will have a cold" when the news first came out that the next dq game would be on psx and not snes/n64.

We all thought he was just being bitter(and he was), but damned if it didn't take a realllllly long time.

 

[Wildschwein]

It's encouraging to see some recognition of the western audience, at least. Get that ball rolling.

 

[Aquamarine]

The reason why Square Enix + Nintendo are hesitant to greenlight a localisation of DQ7 for the 3DS is two-fold:

1) The 3DS's software ecosystem isn't particularly strong right now for third-party games

2) DQ4 + DQ5 + DQ6 really didn't sell all that well compared to bigger sellers like DQ8 and DQ9.


To give you an idea of how DQ4 + DQ5 + DQ6 sold in the West, here are opening month NPD figures:

DQ4 Opening Month (September 2008) - 34K

DQ5 Opening Month (February 2009) - 22K

DQ6 Opening Month (February 2011) - 46K


As you see, they really aren't particularly big sellers.

So when you factor in the 3DS's relative weakness to the DS, they've calculated the ROI just isn't there.

Maybe they'll take a gamble and roll the dice on it based on all the fan reaction, but I can see why Mr. Matsuda (the new CEO of Square Enix) and NOA seem to have passed on the title so far.

 

[GhostTrick]

The reason why Square Enix + Nintendo are hesitant to greenlight a localisation of DQ7 for the 3DS is two-fold:

1) The 3DS's software ecosystem isn't particularly strong right now for third-party games

2) DQ4 + DQ5 + DQ6 really didn't sell all that well compared to bigger sellers like DQ8 and DQ9.


To give you an idea of how DQ4 + DQ5 + DQ6 sold in the West, here are opening month NPD figures:

DQ4 Opening Month (September 2008) - 34K

DQ5 Opening Month (February 2009) - 22K

DQ6 Opening Month (February 2011) - 46K


As you see, they really aren't particularly big sellers.

So when you factor in the 3DS's relative weakness to the DS, they've calculated the ROI just isn't there.

Maybe they'll take a gamble and roll the dice on it based on all the fan reaction, but I can see why Mr. Matsuda (the new CEO of Square Enix) and NOA seem to have passed on the title so far.

Except that 3DS proved to be successfull with JRPGs.
Dont forget that in that time, DS was plagued by piracy.
Didnt Bravely Default sold like 600k in West ?
Didnt Fire Emblem sold like 200k only in USA ?
DQVII would do well if they released it in the good time frame.

 

[entremet]

How about starting right fucking now?

Well shit we better get started then!

Could've started earlier in the year?

Cmon man

Gaf is great

 

[AniHawk]

The reason why Square Enix + Nintendo are hesitant to greenlight a localisation of DQ7 for the 3DS is two-fold:

1) The 3DS's software ecosystem isn't particularly strong right now for third-party games

2) DQ4 + DQ5 + DQ6 really didn't sell all that well compared to bigger sellers like DQ8 and DQ9.


To give you an idea of how DQ4 + DQ5 + DQ6 sold in the West, here are opening month NPD figures:

DQ4 Opening Month (September 2008) - 34K

DQ5 Opening Month (February 2009) - 22K

DQ6 Opening Month (February 2011) - 46K


As you see, they really aren't particularly big sellers.

So when you factor in the 3DS's relative weakness to the DS, they've calculated the ROI just isn't there.

Maybe they'll take a gamble and roll the dice on it based on all the fan reaction, but I can see why Mr. Matsuda (the new CEO of Square Enix) and NOA seem to have passed on the title so far.

i feel the 3ds is at least a little strong regarding 3rd party rpgs. i would have to imagine fire emblem, bravely default, and smt iv all exceeded expectations, and formed a base on the platform. even project x-zone did better than i would have expected of it. and unlike the ds, it's not like the focus is so spread out that it would be ignored like the other dq remakes.

it's too bad there's not enough clamor for the dqm remakes or rocket slime 3. those would be a lot easier to work on and get a decent return on investment, i think. i can understand why dq vii would be so daunting.

 

[Aquamarine]

Except that 3DS proved to be successfull with JRPGs.
Dont forget that in that time, DS was plagued by piracy.
Didnt Bravely Default sold like 600k in West ?
Didnt Fire Emblem sold like 200k only in USA ?
DQVII would do well if they released it in the good time frame.

i feel the 3ds is at least a little strong regarding 3rd party rpgs. i would have to imagine fire emblem, bravely default, and smt iv all exceeded expectations, and formed a base on the platform. even project x-zone did better than i would have expected of it. and unlike the ds, it's not like the focus is so spread out that it would be ignored like the other dq remakes.

it's too bad there's not enough clamor for the dqm remakes or rocket slime 3. those would be a lot easier to work on and get a decent return on investment, i think. i can understand why dq vii would be so daunting.

Those may be reasons why Square Enix + Nintendo are re-evaluating it.

It's just hard for a company to justify such a lengthy localisation + retail release when DQ4 + DQ5 + DQ6 could have done a lot better.

 

[CO_Andy]

Localising DQ7 would of been a much better investment than Murdered.

 

[AniHawk]

Those may be reasons why Square Enix + Nintendo are re-evaluating it.

It's just hard for a company to justify such a lengthy localisation + retail release when DQ4 + DQ5 + DQ6 could have done a lot better.

i really can't remember any buildup for dq iv-vi. there was just so much on the ds that it was hard to narrow down categories to their very best. i think the 3ds market really snapped up a lot of the hardcore psp market considering that even fire emblem was a fairly normal-selling 200k-250k game aside from the gba 'original' and awakening.

and to be fair, nintendo kind of left developers to themselves in that era. they're much more buddy-buddy now it seems, especially with promoting third-party games.

 

[Cheerilee]

“Our translators develop localization strategies through glossaries and style guides so that we communicate not only the information but the appeal of the games.

“For instance, on Dragon Quest IV, we really wanted to emphasize the game’s sense of exploration and adventure to players, so we localized each region with its own accent and wrote the party characters’ dialogue in line with their respective hometowns.”

The developers create an eclectic culture in-game by first heeding the larger demands of the localized language. That can mean incorporating idioms, puns, rhymes, and other linguistic touches.

They put a lot of effort into making DQ4 a chore to play. Just imagine the expense involved in trying to ruin DQ7.

 

[Parfait]

How about starting right fucking now?

Exactly

 

[Foffy]

Those may be reasons why Square Enix + Nintendo are re-evaluating it.

It's just hard for a company to justify such a lengthy localisation + retail release when DQ4 + DQ5 + DQ6 could have done a lot better.

Didn't DQIX do well? Granted, the games released was marketed by Nintendo, so maybe the game just needs more awareness.

I remember DQVI came out to the sound of wet farts. No marketing was ever made for that game in droves, especially with the realization it was the last missing game for an internal audience regarding official releases.

 

[Aquamarine]

Didn't DQIX do well? Granted, the games released was marketed by Nintendo, so maybe the game just needs more awareness.

I remember DQVI came out to the sound of wet farts. No marketing was ever made for that game in droves, especially with the realization it was the last missing game for an internal audience regarding official releases.

DQ9 did well, actually. So did DQ8.

It's just the handheld remake trilogy that didn't perform all that great. And because DQ7 is also a handheld remake, it's often compared to them when predicting ROI.

 

[sörine]

Just to give some insight on how the DQ mobile ports are doing, here's some figures.

Google Play Store (Worldwide Installs)
Dragon Quest ($2.99) 10,000-50,000
Dragon Quest II ($4.99) 1,000-5,000
Dragon Quest IV ($14.99) 1,000-5,000
Dragon Quest VIII ($19.99) 10,000-50,000

iPhone App Store (US Top 500 Paid Rankings by day)
Dragon Quest ($2.99) start (09/11/14) 14, 8, 13, 19, 20, 25, 42, 29, 31, 47, 75, 78, 122, 162, 135, 143, 180, 211, 273, 274, 287, 275, 225, 223, 163, 229, 315, 254, 80, 73, 83, 131, 161, 169, 146, 160, 195, 373, out (10/19/14), return (10/20/14) 495, out (10/21/14), return (10/23/14) 339, 318, 295, out (1/26/14), return (10/27/14) 370, 361, out (10/29/14), return (10/30/14) 448, 470, out (10/31/14), return (11/07/14) 407, 378, out (11/09/14)
Dragon Quest II ($4.99) start (10/09/14) 41, 35, 74, 107, 127, 137, 174, 298, out (10/17/14)
Dragon Quest IV ($14.99) start (08/07/14) 215, 156, 144, 173, 201, 267, 287, 397, out (08/15/14)
Dragon Quest VIII ($19.99) start (05/29/14) 108, 104, 152, 182, 198, 223, 228, 238, 317, 350, 416, 467, out (06/09/14), return (08/28/14) 400, 416, out (08/30/14)

 

[Curler]

I have my money here in hand when they announce it. Ready to put some bills where my mouth is, too!

 

[Mr. Tibbs]

Localising DQ7 would of been a much better investment than Murdered.

Ditto Thief.

 

[zashga]

I really wish they would. It depresses me how little faith they have in DQ outside of Japan.

 

[roknin]

How about starting right fucking now?

That'd be too easy.

 

[Purple Cheeto]

How long until we get DQIII for iOS? I know it is out in Japan!

 

[Aeana]

How long until we get DQIII for iOS? I know it is out in Japan!

It should be any week now. I was actually expecting it last week, based on the release pattern of DQ1 and 2. But it might take a little longer, I guess.

 

[The Real Abed]

If their porting DQVII to iOS as well then the same translation could be used for both the 3DS and iOS versions to save money.

Hopefully they'll be the same game too. Call me crazy but I might find it easier to play on my iPhone. Also I don't have a 3DS yet. Who am I kidding though, I'd probably buy both.

 

[Curler]

Hopefully they'll be the same game too. Call me crazy but I might find it easier to play on my iPhone. Also I don't have a 3DS yet. Who am I kidding though, I'd probably buy both.

I have ZERO problem with a mobile port, unless it's the ONLY option. If us 3DSers get it too, then I'm totally cool Everyone can get it then!

 

[Teknoman]

I really wish they would. It depresses me how little faith they have in DQ outside of Japan.

I wish Slime Knights was still around...man that was a fun time for Dragon Quest outside Japan. Free stuff, discussions, hype, etc.

 

[Busaiku]

It's never coming, guys.
Just give up now.

 

[Hours Left]

It's never coming, guys.
Just give up now.

You're not allowed to be negative while sporting a harlot Pikachu av.

 

[Curler]

It's never coming, guys.
Just give up now.

Well... well... TYPE-0 HAPPENED!! AND TLG GUARDIAN WILL COME!!! You'll see... >_> 2015 will be GLORIOUS!!!!

 

[Occam]

What's the difference between Dragon Quest VII on 3DS and Dragon Warrior VII that was released in English on PS1 13 years ago?

 

[Aostia]

How about starting right fucking now?

first post nailed it

 

[Man God]

What's the difference between Dragon Quest VII on 3DS and Dragon Warrior VII that was released in English on PS1 14 years ago?

Some improvements both major and minor. The real issue at hand is 14 years of raised localization standards and that Dragon Quest (which was still Dragon Warrior at that time) now has set names for various monsters/items/attacks that used to be all over the place.

 

[Stumpokapow]

“I believe every flagship Dragon Quest title, not just Dragon Quest VII, is worthy of localizing to the best of our current abilities,” he says.

ok let's start with the titles that haven't been localized in the last ten years

oh wait that only leaves DQ3 and DQ7

 

[Aquamarine]

What's the difference between Dragon Quest VII on 3DS and Dragon Warrior VII that was released in English on PS1 13 years ago?

Well first of all, the 3DS remake is in full 3D.

PS1:

'


3DS:

 

[Sir_Crocodile]

Some improvements both major and minor. The real issue at hand is 14 years of raised localization standards and that Dragon Quest (which was still Dragon Warrior at that time) now has set names for various monsters/items/attacks that used to be all over the place.

I really hope that if 7 gets translated they don't do all those accents again like in the DS ones.

that was horrible

 

[Megalosaro]

I really hope that if 7 gets translated they don't do all those accents again like in the DS ones.

that was horrible

They will because they're under the impression its cute. Instead its just annoying.

 

[Orniletter]

I can understand their reasoning. Such a costly localization is definitely a risk... I get that they´ve become incredibly risk averse when it comes to handhelds since....2011

...but they could throw their fanbase a bone by making the old, already translated games available on digital storefronts.

I want Dragon Quest 1-3 GBC on the eShop and 7 and 8 on PSN

Edit: Yeah, there are the smartphone ports.....I guess.....

 

[Deleted member 20920]

I can understand their reasoning. Such a costly localization is definitely a risk... I get that they´ve become incredibly risk averse when it comes to handhelds since....2011

...but they could throw their fanbase a bone by making the old, already translated games available on digital storefronts.

I want Dragon Quest 1-3 GBC on the eShop and 7 and 8 on PSN

Edit: Yeah, there are the smartphone ports.....I guess.....

The smartphones ports have been fine. Except VIII and the bad framerate. And maybe the scaling in DQ1 but most people won't notice it. Go buy them and support more DQ releases

 

[KiTA]

This recent revamp of them talking about DQ in English really... promising. They've mentioned Rocket Slime, DQ7 (repeatedly), and... DQX? Or was it DQM?

As I've mentioned before, I really think SE JP somehow got it in their heads that the US just doesn't like JRPGs or something. Things like Operation Hero and Bravely Default's success I think really took them by surprise. They're really, really out of touch or listening to some phenomenally bad advice. I can't tell which.

 

[Kouriozan]

That's why I want the 3DS to be region free, so I can stop having false hope everytime >.<

 

[Linkup]

How about starting right fucking now?

Yes please.


This is one of the few games on 3DS I would buy right away at full price and one of the few series left that I care about from SE. DQ8 made lots of new fans with myself included and it's one of the last traditional RPGs that I've played through multiple times now. I don't mind if it takes a year from today, I will be there at NA launch.

 

[Aquamarine]

This recent revamp of them talking about DQ in English really... promising. They've mentioned Rocket Slime, DQ7 (repeatedly), and... DQX? Or was it DQM?

As I've mentioned before, I really think SE JP somehow got it in their heads that the US just doesn't like JRPGs or something. Things like Operation Hero and Bravely Default's success I think really took them by surprise. They're really, really out of touch or listening to some phenomenally bad advice. I can't tell which.

They aren't operating under "phenomenally bad advice" and they aren't "out of touch." They're just unsure whether or not, if they release the game in the west, it will be worth their while.

There are some positive indicators (like RPGs doing better-than-expected on the 3DS + fan support) and some negative indicators (like DQ4 + DQ5 + DQ6 not selling all that well + mobile DQ ports underperforming).

If DQ4 + DQ5 + DQ6 would have sold better (i.e. if they sold at DQ9 levels), Square Enix would have jumped on DQ7 localisation right when it released in Japan.

 

[The_Endgamer]

Just to give some insight on how the DQ mobile ports are doing, here's some figures.

Google Play Store (Worldwide Installs)
Dragon Quest ($2.99) 10,000-50,000
Dragon Quest II ($4.99) 1,000-5,000
Dragon Quest IV ($14.99) 1,000-5,000
Dragon Quest VIII ($19.99) 10,000-50,000

iPhone App Store (US Top 500 Paid Rankings by day)
Dragon Quest ($2.99) start (09/11/14) 14, 8, 13, 19, 20, 25, 42, 29, 31, 47, 75, 78, 122, 162, 135, 143, 180, 211, 273, 274, 287, 275, 225, 223, 163, 229, 315, 254, 80, 73, 83, 131, 161, 169, 146, 160, 195, 373, out (10/19/14), return (10/20/14) 495, out (10/21/14), return (10/23/14) 339, 318, 295, out (1/26/14), return (10/27/14) 370, 361, out (10/29/14), return (10/30/14) 448, 470, out (10/31/14), return (11/07/14) 407, 378, out (11/09/14)
Dragon Quest II ($4.99) start (10/09/14) 41, 35, 74, 107, 127, 137, 174, 298, out (10/17/14)
Dragon Quest IV ($14.99) start (08/07/14) 215, 156, 144, 173, 201, 267, 287, 397, out (08/15/14)
Dragon Quest VIII ($19.99) start (05/29/14) 108, 104, 152, 182, 198, 223, 228, 238, 317, 350, 416, 467, out (06/09/14), return (08/28/14) 400, 416, out (08/30/14)

Mapping these figures out on a line graph along with the average iOS game would do wonders to put these into proper context and show just how overpriced Square have their iOS games.

I don't feel sorry for them at all on how they fare in the iOS/Android market.

 

[Mr YuYu]

This and majora's mask are the only 2 titles i still want for the 3ds. Please square-enix, make it happen!!

 

[Gormenghast]

I'd rather play classic 7 than a port.

...Anyway. The fact is that a localization already exists. Going through it and updating it is A LOT LESS WORK than translating a game from zero.

The game can be as big as you want, it STILL requires far less work than translating something from scratch.

A year to go through a script already translated? Are you completely crazy?

A guy alone could probably do a good job in three months or so. The script already exists. You don't have to rewrite it from the first word to the last. And as far as I know the 7 current translation isn't considered bad at all.

More famous JRPGs are known to have FAR WORSE scripts (like FF6).

 

[CANLI]

I would buy if it was released this year but now, I gave up.
Square Enix can go concentrate on their simple reremake on mobile.
DQ monsters was my last purchase from them in my life.

 

[Sammy Samusu]

2016 year of the 3DS!

Square Enix you are so useless.

 

[Jucksalbe]

I'm glad it seems to at least still be under consideration, I expected them to have dropped the idea by now. But they really have to start soon if they expect it to take a year to do it. If they take too long there won't be a market for 3DS games anymore by the time they are finished.
I guess it might hinge on the future of the mobile port, I'd think they would be a lot more willing to take on the risk if they knew they could also use the new translation for the mobile port soon after.

 

[Deleted member 20920]

I'd rather play classic 7 than a port.

...Anyway. The fact is that a localization already exists. Going through it and updating it is A LOT LESS WORK than translating a game from zero.

The game can be as big as you want, it STILL requires far less work than translating something from scratch.

A year to go through a script already translated? Are you completely crazy?

A guy alone could probably do a good job in three months or so. The script already exists. You don't have to rewrite it from the first word to the last. And as far as I know the 7 current translation isn't considered bad at all.

More famous JRPGs are known to have FAR WORSE scripts (like FF6).

Like many have said, the old translation just doesn't cut it, especially since DQ has really come together to create a specific flavour with its translation and VII's old translation has none of that. It also suffers from the very situation that this guy wants to avoid. The game was translated by many different people and the tone is inconsistent. It just won't cut it.

 

[Zophar]

If only they did it right the first time.