Dragon Quest Scores Big in Japan
Anticipated Dragon Quest VIII released.
The Dragon Quest RPG series is all but unknown in Europe, thanks to series creator Enix deciding against releasing any of the games here. In Japan, though, the franchise is enormously popular; a fact underlined by the release of the latest instalment there this past weekend.
After months of teasing, Square Enix finally released Dragon Quest VIII in Japan on Saturday, and the response was overwhelming.
From the villages that dot the countryside to the neon-lit back-alleys of downtown Tokyo, people took to videogame stores in droves, and by the time the dust settled more than three million copies of the game had shipped during the game's opening three days.
This impressive feat means that Dragon Quest VIII has outsold Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas and Halo 2, both of which have themselves been selling like gangbusters since their respective launches earlier this year.
And there's a good chance that Europeans might well get to try the games for themselves.
Square Enix president Yoichi Wada said earlier this year that the company is eager to expand its overseas business, meaning that we could get a chance to see what all the fuss is about for ourselves.
Alex Wollenschlaeger
Editor, Kikizo Games