Dragon Quest Builders was released for the PS4 and Vita a few weeks ago, and Square Enix’s Noriyoshi Fujimoto recently sat down with MCV to discuss the game’s development.
Naturally, the conversation eventually shifted to questions about the future of the Dragon Quest franchise in Western locales like the US and UK. While Fujimoto couldn’t make any specific announcements, he did confirm that Square Enix is “committed” to launching more Dragon Quest games outside of Japan:
MCV: How do you think Dragon Quest Builders will affect the series’ Western performance going forwards?
Fujimoto: 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.
Square Enix plans to make good on their promise soon, as they’ll partner with Nintendo to release Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King on the 3DS sometime next year.
The publisher will also launch Dragon Quest XI: In Search of the Departed Time on the 3DS, PS4, and Switch in Japan next Spring, but it’s currently unknown if a Western translation is in the cards.
