Dragon Quest XI Switch Port Development "Still Unclear At This Moment In Time"

Still in the same hole as FFVII:R, huh?

God, SE seems so incompetent at times. They shouldn't have announced a Switch port if they couldn't make good on the promise in a reasonable time span.

And the 3DS version won't be coming why?

Still waiting for the real Square Enix to please stand up.

So this will come out in time for the Switch 2, then?

I guess I don't understand the excuse? The Unreal Engine for the Switch is an updated version beyond what they are using for the game? But it was not a problem for the PS4 or 3DS?

Square Enix can at least localize Dragon Quest Heroes and Mana Collection for us.

Just excuses Square Enix. Where is the Square Enix of my childhood. I remember great games coming out of both studios such as FF 6 (3), Chrono Trigger, The old Dragon quest games and many more. SE is mostly a letdown nowadays and hugging Sony's leg... I refuse to buy a PS4 because I have a PC and the only console/portable I play anymore is my Switch. No Switch version = no money to SE for me. I may think about a HIGHLY discounted Steam version but I rarely have time to game much on my PC even if It would look nice on the 1070.

"Nintendo uses out of date stuff. We cant bring our stuff over"

"The version of UE4 Nintendo Switch is supported in is too new. We cant bring our stuff over."

Bugger me.

@garthvader
Yeah it is beyond frustrating. I at least still have most of those on Virtual Console on my Wii-U

@Reignmaker
You mean Square Soft

@YummyHappyPills @rdrunner1178

Based on what I've heard recently the Unreal Engine 4 version on switch is slightly behind other versions now. PS4 has a version that's just slightly more advanced and that is what they built it in. The only thing holding up the switch port is Unreal Engine not being fully optimized for switch at this time. If they just said that from the very beginning a lot of the tensions would not have occurred. Still does not give them a single reason why they couldn't have brought over the 3DS version.

Wasn't Outlast 1 made an older Unreal Engine? And didn't those devs port their game within months?

"The Japan team, they wanted to release Dragon Quest XI and bring it overseas as soon as possible for our fans overseas, which is why they proceeded with the PlayStation 4 [and] Steam version[s] this time."

And yet they aren't bringing the ready-made 3DS version outside of Japan.

I agree with the first comment. Watched a YouTube video on this topic. These companies are better off not saying anything until its close to release. It just upsets the public.

Translation: Guys, we get that a lot of you would prefer to play a lengthy JRPG while also watching a movie on your TV, but please, just buy the PS4 version right now, and later buy it again on the Switch.

@retro_player_22 Well, if you want the business side answer: There's no reason to. DQ7 and 8 flopped in the west (I'm not joking, the sales were pretty bad, especially compared to the sales in Japan). SE probably expects similar sales for 11 had they brought it over. Then there's the fact that the 3DS is a dying system at this point. This could mean even less sales.

Now, the localisation is pretty much done for the PS4/PC version, and the 3DS version exists, but the extra money put towards the localisation of the 3DS version, marketing the game, manufacturing the games, shipping (note how all of this is more expensive for smaller quantities), and storage probably means they wouldn't make a profit. Then there's licensing, getting the game rated, etc. I don't even pretend to understand how many loops there are between finishing a game and putting it on the shelf, but most of them cost money. And it all adds up.

That's the only reason I can think of. Does it suck? Yeah. Especially since this means that a unique version of the game won't ever see a western release. But that's business I guess.

Good thing I still have to finish DQ VII and start DQ VIII.

Meh i wont be buying this until Switch version comes out. For PS4 there's Spideman in September so ill get that for my PS4. I was looking forward to the 3DS version as i loved the split screen play.

I thought the full version of Unreal 4 was released on Switch early last year? Is it that difficult to port it with the tools that are available? Sounds like nonsense to me, the game would have been in development far longer than any potential Unreal 4 upgrades which aren't on Switch.

It's not as if Square Enix have a history of development troubles for big rpg's 🤔

You say "back" on Nintendo as though literally every main Dragon Quest game hasn't been released on Nintendo

"but the version for Unreal Engine needs to be updated, I suppose, in order to support Switch."
Why does he "suppose"? Shouldn't he know?

@LordGeovanni
Ok. thanks for clarifying that. The way he worded it sounded like he was saying that they had built the game in Unreal 4 and then would have to move to an updated version for the Switch. But yeah it seems silly to hear him say "The Japan team, they wanted to release Dragon Quest XI and bring it overseas as soon as possible for our fans overseas, which is why they proceeded with the PlayStation 4" when they have not been very concerned with localizing many other games for us.

@rdrunner1178 I agree in particular about the mana collection, makes zero sense it would appease those that were unhappy we were not getting secret of mana hd by at least giving us the collection. I really want to play secret of mana 2, but keep waiting in hopes of having an official release to support rather than just getting a rom of it.

@LordGeovanni All consoles are on the same version of UE4 now. 4.11 I believe is when Switch was added around April 2017 with full support. That is the oldest version to support Switch.

This game would have begun work on a version of UE4 that supported PS4, whoch is likely to be all of them given the PS4 arrived before UE4. So theyd be making this in say, 4.2, and then nesd to upgrade to 4.11 to get Switch support.

Just waiting for the cancellation news anyday now, expecting it to be after the PS4 and PC release don't do so well. If they do well then I'll bite my tounge.

Eh, no matter what happens with it I'm not getting it if it doesn't come to Switch.

@carlos82 The full version of Unreal Engine 4 at the time. They're currently on version 4.18 or 4.19. Let's say Switch support was added when 4.10 was the most current version. The Switch supports everything from 4.10 up (provided the new versions are optimised for Switch). But they didn't go back to optimise the older versions of UE for Switch. Or at least they didn't go as far back as the version that DQ11 is running on.

Simply put, the Switch doesn't support the older versions of UE4, that's what DQ11 is running on.

Already have my pre-order on PS4. Just like Monster Hunter - I'll play Dragon Quest on whatever box they make it on.

No point waiting months begging for the Switch/3DS version. I'll get an Indie to play on my commute for that month.

What I really don't understand is that if they wanted to release a version of this game asap on a Nintendo platform in the west, why not localize the 3ds version? It makes no sense to me at all

How many teams does Square Enix have? They have a lot of big games coming up, Avengers, Kingdom Hearts 3, Octopath Traveller, Final Fantasy 7 and DQ XI amongst others; so maybe their time is all taken up at the moment.

That's a good strategy to sell more

@BradC40 this is what Nintendo is doing this gen and i think it’s the right thing. I love that we are getting games like la noire just a couple months after announcement. It’s a constant flow of all different types of games.

I wouldn't mind this if I had a PS4, but I already have a Switch and Xbox One and I don't have the money or time for another system. So I guess I'll just wait for the Switch release, unless they cancel it

damn it. i wont buy the ps4 version as i have no interest in lengthy adventure / rpg playing solely on TV

The Unreal Engine is a piece of crap. I noticed it while some friends were playing co-op on Left 4 Dead.

It's a race then. Shin Megami Tensei 5 or Dragon Quest XI - which one will hit Switch first? The all-new entry being built and written from the ground up or the port of a game which has now been out for several months?

Then what about 3DS if you're releasing these outside?

Why am I so unsurprised at SE's incompetence...

So... Unreal Engine is old... let's release the game on PS4. No logic.

The girl in the thumbnail looks like an HD Shantae

@ieatdragonz You'll be waiting a while then as both those platforms are going to do well for this game.

@ecco6t9 But....Left 4 Dead isn't Unreal Engine....

@SanderEvers Or not.

@SanderEvers Oh you're one of those....

(It's not true, sorry)

Cool. So I guess it will be a long way until I buy your game then.

@Octane This still doesn't explain the fact they've already had almost a year to convert it to a later version of Unreal 4 or indeed that they would have known since early development that the Switch didn't support the version they were using to build the game with.

Right I've just found a bit more information, the PS4 version is built on version 4.13 and back in October last year they said the Switch version is being built on 4.15 and beyond (unless this was assumed as there are no direct quotes). So this new statement makes it sound like they are having difficulties with that for whatever reason and are hoping Epic will fix it for them by making 4.13 compatible.

I still find it hard to believe that they have known that version of Unreal wasn't compatible for a couple of years and still haven't seemingly found a solution. Is it that difficult to move games between versions of the same engine? I mean the Arkham games moved from Unreal 3 to Unreal 4 in less time than this has been in development

I removed this game from my wish list for the time being, because [removed] THEM!

@ecco6t9 not sure if your trolling but you do know L4D was made with the source engine and not UE?

Can you believe this is the same company that at one point felt it was worth it to localize a game as niche as Parasite Eve 2?

Still waiting on the 3DS remake of Dragon Warrior Monsters 2 that we'll never get.

the only thing that keeping me from completely saying square enix is dead to me is project octopath.

Something to learn here; porting games IS difficult.
I often heard people saying, "just port the game! Why is it taking you guys so long!".
Well it is not as easy as that folks. It costs money, time and manpower. I say, take your time. I'll wait for this than having it on my PS4.
My PS4 is left in the cold for a very long time now.

Even though the Switch is a thing, I would have preferred to have the 3DS version. Maaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan.

So 2019 then? If it’s way behind the PS4 version & that’s not releasing until Sept, I can’t see how we get a Switch version this year. Really disappointed because this is one of my all-time favorite series.

I am frankly really sick of 3rd party companies spitting on and spurning Nintendo with their excuses. Fact is Square Enix is one of the biggest and most capable companies around. They could could get the game done and done right, and done well, in time for a similar launch window on Nintendo, Sony and Steam. But they wont, because for whatever reason, then continue to look down on Nintendo, and by extension, Nintendo players.

It's insulting.

@YummyHappyPills
I will be honest here, I don't know about Unreal Engine 4 all that much. Originally I was told by a Dragon Quest fan local to me that's Unreal Engine 4 on switch was a later build then the Unreal Engine 4 that built Dragon Quest 11. As he was looking at a lot of the technical details, he's now saying that the Unreal Engine 4 that Dragon Quest 11 has been upgraded to is now more advanced than the Unreal Engine 4 version switch uses and is not compatible. If that source is Right, Nintendo needs upgrade Unreal Engine 4 on switch prior to Dragon Quest 11 coming to the system.

@Octane Yet, the Dragon Quest spins off on PC/PS4/Vita flopped as well. This is a company that released a Vita game THIS year in 2018. There is no excuse on why the 3DS game cannot come to the West.

Again, why support a company that isn't acting serious about the Switch? It is pretty obvious the Switch version is an afterthought and I will be amazed if it does not end up canceled. And even if it does release, it will have to compete with discounted PS4 and PC versions.

Why even bother?

The only part of this I'm perplexed by is why was DQXI the first third party Switch title announced? Seems like they had a title and an idea but nothing else.

This may be an unpopular opinion on a Nintendo website, but articles like this are exactly why I invested in a PS4. They are quite cheap to pick up and it gives you access to virtually all 3rd party games. Nintendo is my favourite and will always be in first place for me but I'm an adult and I can afford a second system. For my personally, it's very hard to be fully satisfied if Nintendo is my only console.

@Nintendofan83 It's not an unpopular opinion, it's a shame that that's how it is, but it has been widely accepted that to fully enjoy and satisfy your gaming needs youd have to own a Nintendo platform having also another system to back it up.

Most people go for the Nintendo/PC combination, some Sony/Nintendo and some all at once. Regardless, it's a very big shame that Nintendo gets underwhelming support even when their sales are exploding and their console is such a technological phenomenon. Oh well, maybe time will change some things. Meanwhile, I'm more excited to see SMT5 and Octopath (which are exclusives) over this game.

@retro_player_22 3DS is dead

Dang. I really want to wait for teh Switch version but seeing how it is still unknow how long it will take, I think I'll go with the the PS4 version..maybe get the Switch version in the future. Although I don't see the point of having the same game twice.

@SanderEvers once again, exclusive deals are exclusive deals. Only "console exclusive" and/or "timed exclusive" can presuppose the game appearing outside one company's consoles - but when a game simultaneously releases on Xbox One (MHW) or 3DS (DQXI) from these start, what is Sony supposed to have spent money on, a pointless bribe to have to explain before antitrust watchdogs later? Might as well go retrospective and make an anti-Nintendo conspiracy theory about Final Fantasy XIII-XV while we're at it. :V

While fans were ranting about how Switch is too underequipped to run new games, one game found itself too underequipped to run on Switch. Irony is a cosmic power.

We'll get there when we'll get there. Besides my general backlog, DQIII remains the only one I'm done with so far. Currently still pondering whether to emulate the first game on NES or outright play the remake on Android - the latter is pretty much the one version available to buy at this point, but in terms of more authentic franchise growth experience (like with Final Fantasy NES games, although back when I played them, there was no way in hell you could purchase any of the licensed remakes/ports here)... or maybe I'm already a hypocrite for chasing it after the lack of visible unit movement range and souped-up story are tempting me to eschew the first Fire Emblem in favour of Shadow Dragon? ¯(ツ)/¯

I’m not sure if SE is slacking or what, but I’ll wait for DQXI. If it gets canceled it’s whatever. I’m really loving the demo of Octopath Traveler. That one better not get delayed from July to 2019! I’m also stoked for SMTV! After the announcement, I booted up SMTIV: Apocalypse again.

@carlos82 We're talking about the same company that's still figuring out how to develop the Final Fantasy 7 remake. I think it's fair to say that anything that can be done within a few weeks of months is going to take years on Square Enix's schedule. Maybe they're not even putting the effort into it, but they're just waiting for Epic to patch in support for the older versions of UE4. I don't know!

@Malakai I'm not saying every game release makes sense. But that's the only reason I can think of. Although, there is another bit of interesting information...

Dragon Quest 7 and 8 were published by Nintendo (according to their own site), meaning that Nintendo handled all the costs of localisation and marketing the games. To me this shows that Square was never interesting in bringing the other games over to begin with. So Nintendo stepped in, paid them, and published them over here. With the 3DS on a steady decline, it's possible that neither Square, nor Nintendo saw reason to bring this over.

Game will be just as fun next year. I can wait.

I very much do care what system I play it on. Didn't used to care, but Switch has changed that.

I can wait.

@LordGeovanni Wrong way around. The version of UE4 that DQXI uses needs to be upgraded to match Switch.

DQXI was made on an older version, that supports PS4, obviously as DQXI started development first.

Switch was added into UE4 later, as such, DQXI needs to be moved up to that newer version.

If it was the way you described it, there would be no porting trouble, because every current system once it is supported by a release of UE4 will be supported by all future versions, which means even if DQXI was on the most recent release of UE4, Switch support would be there.

@Octane Nintendo is still releasing new 3DS games in 2019. DQ7 and DQ8 did sell terribly but they were also ports. DQ9 sold well and managed to crack 1m outside Japan. I would think that Nintendo would try to bring it over if SE would let them.

@JaxonH
If it is released next year, I'll be amazed.

@OmegaDestroyer
Not me. Porting games takes less time than development ground up, even if extra work is involved. The other versions are done. A fall 2019 release gives 18 months to get it out, and that's on top of whatever progress already made.

A fall 2019 release is extremely, extremely likely for the Switch version. Not that it matters but, any guess to the contrary would not seem to be grounded in reason, but skepticism overriding reason.

@DK-Fan Not when it still has games coming for it both physical and digital.

Ok square, but what about the 3ds version ? why idn't the 3ds version been released in the west ?

Bring PUBG to Switch Please

It's cancelled, isn't it...