Dragon Quest guru finds Revolution controller 'exciting'

By Patrick Garratt Published 13 January, 2006

DQ 'might be next Harry Potter'.

Speaking at a European launch event for Dragon Quest VIII in London yesterday, project lead and series producer Yuji Horii revealed his excitement about Revolution's controller and hinted at his global ambitions for the top-selling Japanese RPG.

"When I was making Manga, I met up with the technology of computer games," he told journalists. "I loved the fact that it was interactive, that you do something and you get feedback. I thought that an interactive story where you get feedback and rewards from everything that you do would be interesting. I like the idea of interactivity with the hardware, so there, where you mention the Nintendo controller, it's a new interface, and it's exciting to have that reaction. You do something, and it reacts to you. It's human nature that to have some feedback from your actions it rewarding."

On sheets given to the press before interviews yesterday, the question, "Are they any plans to release this title on different platforms or game consoles?" was listed next to an ominous, "TBD".

The Dragon Quest series has sold more than 40 million units in Japan alone. Horii was in London to promote the European release of the eighth game in April, which has been renamed Dragon Quest: The Journey of the Cursed King for PAL territories, the number being dropped as this is the first Dragon Quest game to hit Europe.

Horii was stoical about the possibility of achieving the status of "cultural phenomenon" in the west - his words to describe the way the series has integrated into Japanese life - but remained open-minded of its chances.

"It might just catch on and become the next Harry Potter, we'll just see how it goes," he said. "We just did the best we could. From meeting you guys and other [Europeans], I know now that fans of Dragon Quest in the west are huge otaku, that they're big fans, so I want to give them more chance to play the game."

Check back on Monday for the full interview with Horii and Dragon Quest The Journey of the Cursed King's producer, Ryutaro Ichimura. For now, check out the shots we took yesterday.

Picture of Patrick.

About Patrick Garratt

Read more articles from Patrick by visiting the Patrick Garratt archive page.

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Comments (26) Latest comment 6 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • Stickman #1 6 years ago

    Where's Ms Gibson today? Loving your work with parenthesis by the way.

  • Blerk #2 6 years ago

    Are Squenix self-publishing this, or is someone else doing the honours?

  • patlike #3 6 years ago

    It's being self-published.

  • Blerk #4 6 years ago

    Christ on a bike! Squenix Europe releasing something?!

    /dies
    /twice
    Edited by 1 at 13/01/06 @ 12:50

  • jack_klugman #5 6 years ago

    I know little about the Dragon Quest series. Is each title linked or do they just retain the name in the same way as Final Fantasy games?

  • Mr_Brown #6 6 years ago

    They are just like the FF games. They aren't linked as far as I'm aware. I highley recomend DQVIII to any RPG fan. Its awesome.

  • patlike #7 6 years ago

    "Christ on a bike! Squenix Europe releasing something?! "

    This is the first one they're doing. I'll put the full interview up on Monday, but he basically said it just wasn't possible before because of distribution (they didn't have any over here), resources, etc.

  • Blerk #8 6 years ago

    I look forward to seeing it! Shame you didn't ask for raging fanboy questions before-hand - I can certainly think of a few. ;-)

  • patlike #9 6 years ago

    There was a Japanese guy in there who's moved to Sweden asking questions about Dragon Quest II :-D

  • kangarootoo #10 6 years ago

    Do the guys that work on Dragon's Quest have a royalty system do you know? I know next to nothing about this game, other than it sells about one copy for every grain of rice in my local supermarket (thats an awful lot, 'cos its a big place).

  • Repsode #11 6 years ago

    Why rename it at all? I can't remember any confusion over FFVII when it was released.(I know, I know!. DieHard DQ fanboy!) Put the VIII back in! PLEASE!

  • Scientist #12 6 years ago

    "There was a Japanese guy in there who's moved to Sweden asking questions about Dragon Quest II :-D"

    Was he the guy from Player One magazine? He got me into trouble for releasing assets which were under embargo. Tut, journalists :-)

  • Blerk #13 6 years ago

    Why rename it at all? I can't remember any confusion over FFVII when it was released.(I know, I know!. DieHard DQ fanboy!) Put the VIII back in! PLEASE!

    VII didn't get released over here.

    It doesn't really matter that we lost the number. At least they didn't rename it to 'Final Fantasy'. :-)

  • Rociel #14 6 years ago

    "Christ on a bike! Squenix Europe releasing something?! "

    What next? Namco (or Namco Bandai) Europe publishing an RPG?

  • Scientist #15 6 years ago

    "Namco (or Namco Bandai) Europe publishing an RPG?"

    There have been 3 of them since November last year:

    Xenosaga 2
    Tales of Symphonia
    Baten Kaitos

  • Daryoon #16 6 years ago

    I know little about the Dragon Quest series. Is each title linked or do they just retain the name in the same way as Final Fantasy games?

    Actually, they are linked to an extent. However, the links are minor enough so you don't need to have played previous games, much like with the Zelda series.

  • Firewine #17 6 years ago

    "Namco (or Namco Bandai) Europe publishing an RPG?"

    There have been 3 of them since November last year:

    Xenosaga 2
    Tales of Symphonia
    Baten Kaitos

    Nintendo published those two in Europe iirc.
    Edited by 1 at 13/01/06 @ 15:50

  • Scientist #18 6 years ago

    "Nintendo published those two in Europe iirc."

    Techincally speaking, it was a co-publishing deal between the two parties.

  • Firewine #19 6 years ago

    Techincally speaking, it was a co-publishing deal between the two parties.

    Aye, maybe so. The point is, without Nintendo's influence, Namco probably wouldn't have bothered with them.

  • Rociel #20 6 years ago

    "The point is, without Nintendo's influence, Namco probably wouldn't have bothered with them."

    That's kind of what I was getting at. The translation for Symphonia waqs funded by Nintendo. Namco never release anything good over here without help (We Love Katamari and Xenosaga II are exceptions). Ģ50 says that 'Tales of the Abyss' (reportedly the best Tales of game) never makes it to the States, let alone here.

  • Scientist #21 6 years ago

    "The translation for Symphonia was funded by Nintendo"

    Almost all Namco titles are localised by the European co-publisher (e.g Nintendo, SCEE, EA). This is the way Namco has operated in Europe since Ridge Racer.


    "Namco never release anything good over here without help (We Love Katamari and Xenosaga II are exceptions)."

    In what way are they they exceptions? You don't really know what you are talking about, I'm afraid.

  • Sorb #22 6 years ago

    "which has been renamed Dragon Quest: The Journey of the Cursed King for PAL territories"

    Was it really necessary to specify in the title that it is for PAL territories? ;)

    Anyway I canīt wait to read a proper review of this one. You know, one which isnīt rambling and hugely irrelevant.

  • OnlyMe #23 6 years ago

    Well, it's not much different from the north american title, which is Dragon Quest VIII - the Journey of the Cursed King.

    However, by removing the VIII they make themselves reliant on having subtitles on every game that gets released here in Europe from now on, unless they want to start the same stupid system Squaresoft did with FF when they started releasing FF games in the states.
    Edited by 1 at 14/01/06 @ 09:17

  • Repsode #24 6 years ago

    Blerk, neither did DQ I-VI, or Final Fantasy I-VI either until the franchise was successful.

    Anyway the name's not so important, I'm just gald that Japan's most popular franchise is finally seeing the light of day here. Damn americans only missed V and VI, and thats only cause Enix USA closed down for a while). I've played some translated roms of the other games and they are great for traditional RPG fans who may feel that Final Fantasy is changing a little too much (fans, like me, are wary but optimistic about XII).

    I agree that now DQ can never have it's proper numbering system for IX onwards either. And what about potental rereleases of older games?

    I just hope that DQ can become as big a hit here as in America.(It'll never reach Japan's level, they just go nuts as soon as you mention a slime)

  • Repsode #25 6 years ago

    To Mr Brown.

    Funnily enough, some of the games are linked. Dragon Quest I-III were set in the same world and delt with the legacy of the great warrior Roto. IV-VI were also linked by the same world and it's own legends. VII and VIII are not linked and are their own unique entities.

    You can still treat them as individual but there are little references in linked games to please the fans.

  • Galvanizer #26 6 years ago

    GREAT!

    Square Enix are self-publishing their 2nd game in Europe! Can't wait till April! I also ish they kept the VIII in the name.

    As long as there is a sticker on the box that reads from the people behind Dragon Ball Z LOADS of people will buy it. :-)