Dragon Quest is one of those series’ that remains a known name for fans of RPGs, but it is still very much a niche franchise when viewed from a broader perspective. Though the games have historically sold incredible numbers in Japan, western audiences are a little more cool towards them, and this is likely due in no small part to the lengthy amounts of time that Square Enix takes in translating them.
Dragon Quest XI producer Yuu Miyake recently spoke on the issue in an interview with Game Informer, describing the company’s desire to speed things up. Here’s what was said:
It has a disadvantage in that way. It’s really the speed of localization; it takes a long time because of how the game is and the text by Mr. Horii is a very important part of the game and appeals to the fans. Obviously, we have to look at making that process shorter and more efficient. For the quality of the translation, the translators really have to understand the world itself and get it just right. We really do make sure to add the accents of the people in the world to make it work for each individual region.
Hopefully Square will get this sorted out in the next few years, so the series can continue building a fanbase in the West. Meanwhile, the wait for Dragon Quest XI—one of the first games ever announced for the Switch—continues to wear on…
What do you think? Which Dragon Quest is your favorite? Do you think the localization time-lag has significantly hurt the series’ hold in the West? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
[source gameinformer.com]
Comments 38
As long as I can play a good DQ game without waiting long enough for two more to come out, I would be satisfied
I don't think is just the localization delay. The series itself is very niche in the west.
It's probably because the gameplay is still a very classic turn-based JRPG. Unlike the FF series which aims to reach a "broader" audience being more action...ish.
Still i would appreciate a faster localization as long it doesn't affect the quality. Dragon Quest is one of the few triple-A turn based JRPG in the market after all.
Poor localisation can really mar a game, and it can be enough to drag the whole game down, especially in an atmosphere and story heavy game like DQ. I think it's great that they spend so much time on it, because DQ games are special, and all versions deserve to shine as much as the Japanese originals. I just hope that in trying to shorten the process, they don't end up rushing it instead. Some things are worth waiting for, in order to have them done properly.
Sure, I bet Dragon Quest, with shorten localization time, will become a Sony exclusive leaving Nintendo in the dust. SquareEnix is going to SquareEnix.
I have been studying Japanese for 8 years and have lived in Japan for about 3. I can appreciate the difficulty involved in localization as opposed to simple translation.
On the other hand. I would assume that a major company, with a history of producing games of this nature would have a crack team that they use for this very purpose. And if they don't, they should.
Still waiting on those dragon warrior monster 3ds remakes...
The thing is, for DQXI it was more than just the translation. They added voice-acting and even re-did cutscenes so the lips would sync up. Add to that the other quality of life changes they made such as the run button, a hard mode etc. and you can see why it's taken a long time. But I have no problem waiting because they're actually taking the time to ensure this game is a hit in the West.
I feel like some people underestimate the workload of localization. When you have oodles and oodles of text, getting the messages across while making them sound natural, well-written, and consistent is extremely tough. Animal Crossing, Xenoblade, Dragon Quest, these all have a ton of text that requires even more time fully adapting to a different language. Direct translations almost never work.
That said, if they're working to make sure the West gets Dragon Quest at more timely dates, then I'm all for it. Always a good thing when companies manage to be much more efficient with their output. Though since this is Square Enix, who don't really understand efficient work...
In your headline it’s Square, not Squre.
I’m a little confused. I know that localization takes time, but don’t they already have the localizations for the PS4 and PC releases in September? Am I missing something obvious?
Regardless, I’m looking forward to it coming out on Switch eventually.
@Mrtoad Good catch!
Still waiting on Dragon Quest X...
@Korosanbo Oh, you’re right. I thought he was talking about porting it to the Switch when he was talking about localization in general. Thanks for your help.
After playing the original Secret of Mana a few years ago, I can appreciate devs/pubs taking the time to make sure the translation is up to par.
FF7 was the best selling Final Fantasy in the west and it had a google-translate localization.
People don't care as much as they think.
I guess that means no longer expecting Nintendo to do the translation almost two years later.
DQ11 2020
@Tokiwa FF flatlined at the end lately because they changed everything. There isn't much fantasy about it at all. They went to future like stuff and all the cuteness are gone. Nothing special to those latest games. Dragon Quest knows how to keep their formula and thats why its a big hit in Japan. With that said
@sonicmeerkat Yeah, I want the Dragon Warrior Monsters remakes too. That would be awesome.
I love RPGs, especially FF 1-10 (the rest was a bit meh to me), but I have never played a Dragon Quest game. If it finally makes it to switch in Europe might have to give it a go.
@Bunkerneath im sure you will love it.great games
Word on the street is it took Square Enix three months to draft this statement.
I don't think he is talking about XI's taking so much time to be available on Switch. It's probably some general talk on the DQ series. There are probably other issues regarding this huge delay.
About localization, it's such delicate work. Only people who are in the translation area would understand this kind of work taking such a long time. Every word must be well studied to make this kind of game flow and be natural. The idea should be to balance speed of translation and quality. Rushing it is not an option
Id say there are other things that need sped up first
@Korosanbo Except that their story changes whenever they release another statement (once every 10 months or so). In previous statements they had to upgrade the engine because Switch used a newer version of Unreal Engine. Later it was that they had not received SDK-kits for Switch which is strange to me since at the announcement of the Switch in januari last year they stated that development had already started. I love Square games but the way the company talks about releases on Nintendo systems sometimes has me raging.
Well yeah, they could have just released XI without the dubbing since the original Japanese release didn't have any...
Can they drop the cockney dialect too? I just play in Japanese at this point because that is easier to read. Or at least give a UK and a USA option?
They could do like western games and translate it simultaneously. No need to make people wait.
The people who work at Square Enix making DQ games should ask the people who work at Square Enix making FF games how they manage to have world wide simultaneous releases. And not just FF but other games as well. It almost seems like DQ are the only games not getting a simultaneous release.
Did XC 2 get a simultaneous release? Ni No Kuni 2? It really feels to me like more often than not big games get simultaneous releases. DQXI is one of the few games I feel like I'm waiting on after a Japanese release. I think Kingdom Hearts 3 will be simultaneous as well.
@Tokiwa Ironically, I find the turn-based formula of Dragon Quest easier to "sell" to friend than some of the more action RPGs out there, weirdly enough.
Then again the fact is that unlike a lot of other turn-based jRPG series, the Dragon have generally kept thing -simple- rather than introduce new, sometimes or downright convoluted, mechanics all the time. Even those that had skill points-based customization system still had a large core of character abilities and spell tied to standard leveling by example.
@AyanamiReign To be honest, I don't know.
Dubbing, weirdly enough, seem to have -really- helped the original western release of Dragon Quest VIII compared to later titles and remakes. DQIX sort of sold for example but at the same time I feel it pulled it off only due to VIII's popularity and actually being marketed by Nintendo... while actually adding some decision that might have killed it's initial momentum afterward. It's "successor", DQX being a MMOrpg while FFXIV online was just starting to kick off probably didn't help either in it having any chances to be localized when Square Enix was already wishing to make sure FFXIV would be a success at all(especially after it's rocky start).
Though that's just a personal impression.
Well i hate English voice-acting on Japanese anime/games so i would very much prefer if they just added english subtitles. Ok it will sell less copies cause many people can't be arsed to read but i think that after people try it for some time they would see its better.
@Ludovsky DQ VIII did a fantastic job with its audio overhaul (not only dubbing, but fully orchestrating the soundtrack too) for the west, to be sure, but if we’re looking at factors that helped push it to breakout-hit status, it’s also worth remembering that it piggybacked on Final Fantasy’s western dominance by including a demo disc for the not-yet-released FF XII in its first print run.
Just sayin’
@Fath That's a pretty good point to be honest!
This said, I wonder if it might not, indirectly, benefit from some other surprise success.
Stupid to say, I'm speaking about something I observed with the Monster Hunter World crowd, of all people. The game was a breakout success and brought in tons of new players since it released in January and...
… well, right now a phenomenon that I didn't expect that I'm now witnessing is just how many of these new players are now bored of the limited amount of content in World that are now outright considering buying a Switch for the first time because of the sheer amount of content held by Monster Hunter Generations despite it's older tech and graphics.
The interesting bit that I'm noticing here though, is that when they're still on the edge in trying to decide whether to get a Switch or not, the titles that have helped me convince a fair amount of them? It wasn't Zelda Breath of the Wild, and certainly not Mario.
Rather, it was Octopath Traveler and Dragon Quest Builders which helped me convince some to indeed consider the Switch a viable purchase. jRPGs and RPG-adjacent games.
I would say that considering that these players, as said, are tired by the lack of content in Monster Hunter World that they're played all to hell since it's release in January. And possibly the most popular console Monster Hunter World has been played upon has been the PS4.
Like said, if jRPGs is what can convince a lot of these players old and new, of Monster Hunter to get a Switch... chances are that a lot of those who already own PS4 may very well consider Dragon Quest XI a go when it releases in September I feel. Which could turn out interesting since World was renowned for selling 8 millions copies in as little as three months.
I do not think Dragon Quest XI might hit exactly those numbers but...
...we may very well have some surprises in store for us when it come hit the west again in full force again at a time where it won't have a whole ton of jRPG competition just as some people playing the last major Japanese company are increasingly burnt out of the same experience and looking for more. There's a lot of crosspollination between Monster Hunter players and jRPGs players and if something like Octopath Traveller/Dragon Quest Builders can make some of these interested in the Switch.... I feel this crowd may very well notice something like Dragon Quest XI when the only alternatives that season will be stuff like Tomb Raiders or Spiderman which have little to do with the genres they're likely actually interested in.
This statement has me completely baffled at times. Square Enix has been making Dragon Quest games since their merger and since Enix started playing back in 1985. I have grown up with the Remakes starting at the Game Boy Color. I also started the games with seven moving forward with the original releases. They take a horrendous amount of time to localize these games and the major significance of it is because they want to add Regional accents to the dialogue.
Now I will be honest here, I overwhelmingly love and approve of the efforts Dragon Quest makes for RPGs. Dragon Quest is effectively the last major traditional RPG series. All the other ones like Final Fantasy are moving over to action RPG's and Action Adventures instead of remaining traditional RPG. But why not simplify this Regional accent dilemma? DQ7 wasn't even announced localized for the 3DS until far after 8 came out in Japan remade for the 3DS. That is not just "localization", that is Square Enix refusing to listen to the West fans.
If SquareEnix wants to continue making Dragon Quest games, wants to continue building fans in the West, they need to be more on top of localizing. You can't have a game that was announced for the Switch two years before the Switch came out and then not have the game even being created and possibly released over two years after the Switch came out. The biggest problem with this is that the PlayStation 4 version, and the 3DS version, are already out. They decided to not localize the 3DS version and so now I have to decide if I want to buy an entire PlayStation 4 to play a game without being spoiled. Because the internet's going to spoil me on it because I love Dragon Quest and therefore I can't wait two more years without being spoiled.
Wake me when it's here.
Another suggestion: make games in English.
Square Enix says they'll attempt to shorten the localization process, but it already takes long enough to complete the original Japanese releases!
Oh, hi FFVII Remake, Kingdom Hearts III and FFXV!
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