Square Enix Says They Are “Committed” To Bringing More Dragon Quest Titles To The West

With the release of Dragon Quest Builders as well as the remake of Dragon Quest VII in North America and Europe, it’s certainly been a good time to be a Dragon Quest fan. However, it’s possible we could be looking forward to seeing more Dragon Quest titles make their way overseas to the west. In a recent interview with MCV, Square Enix’s Noriyoshi Fujimoto discussed the impact Dragon Quest Builders has had in Japan since releasing nearly nine months ago, why they chose that particular direction for the game, and why he thinks it’s a great title for someone unfamiliar with Dragon Quest to get introduced to the series’ universe. In addition, he noted that the company is “committed” to bringing more Dragon Quest games overseas.

First, when asked why they picked such a new and different direction to take the series with the creation of Dragon Quest Builders, Fujimoto said the following:

‘Accessibility’ in one of the most important factors in what makes Dragon Quest games so unique. If it can’t be picked up by anyone to play then it’s not Dragon Quest. Dragon Quest first brought RPGs to console gaming for wider access of the genre to the masses when it was predominantly PC based at the time.

This time with Dragon Quest Builders we wanted to retain the RPG side but bring in a new element of building and creating anything one wishes in a sandbox environment. For those who found existing block sandbox games too abrupt and without purpose after a few minutes, they may actually still like the gameplay if there was a story to follow and quests to achieve. On the other hand, if you are already into this genre then Dragon Quest Builders is a great way of getting to know the Dragon Quest universe while savouring the genre you enjoy.

Next, Fujimoto had this to say when asked how Builders has performed in Japan thus far:

Superb. We reached over half a million sales in Japan alone within days of launch, consolidating Dragon Quest Builders as a title in its own right in the market. This game is also all about user generated content – so many people are still posting all sorts of creations and their own stories with the game, generating a cascade effect of player base increase. We’ve been told by many people that they’ve discovered the joy of creating through Dragon Quest Builders, and essentially that’s exactly what we wanted the title to serve in Japan. We’re really pleased!

Finally, Fujimoto had the following to say after being asked how he thinks Dragon Quest Builders will affect the series’ Western performance as a whole:

2016 marks the 30th anniversary of Dragon Quest series. It’s not as well known in the West as we would like but it really plays an epoch making role in the console gaming history. If gamers were to ‘discover’ Dragon Quest now, they may be surprised to the sheer breadth of the universe, in terms of variety and depth. But they would also have instant access to something that has taken us 30 years to build. Dragon Quest Builders is definitely a great way of getting the feel of Dragon Quest while having great fun right from the start.

We’re committed to bringing more Dragon Quest titles in the West as we believe it truly has potential to succeed even better. So watch this space.

To see more from the interview with MCV, you can go here.

Dragon Quest Builders is available for the PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation Vita.