News by Lindsay M.
While the rest of the world ponders and scratches their heads in confusion waiting for the Nintendo NX to actually be properly announced, developers seem to be actively making games compatible with the upcoming mystery console.
Gematsu has translated an article from Nintendo Dream’s October issue, including a roundtable discussion between Yuji Horii (the creator of Dragon Quest), Junichi Masuda (the series producer for Pokemon), and Masahiro Sakurai (the series director for Super Smash Bros.). In it, Sakurai infers that Dragon Quest XI is being released on the NX as well as the Nintendo 3DS and Sony PlayStation 4. Horii replies, “That’s right. The use of hardware is different for each system, so it’s quite a challenge.”
Related reading: Remember when “false” reports of Dragon Quest XI for the PS4 surfaced, and Square Enix’s stocks plummeted?
Dragon Quest XI will have two versions on the 3DS, a 3D and a 2D. This means that the Dragon Quest team is essentially making four games for three consoles — which sounds downright crazy, doesn’t it? Sakurai asks whether the release dates will shift depending on the console version that requires the most time, but Horii shoots that down immediately, stating, “spoilers will emerge if we release one version earlier.” Does anyone suddenly have mad respect for this man?
Earlier this year, Horii announced that an NX version of Dragon Quest XI would exist, but that was quickly shot down by Square Enix when they stated it was only “considering” the platform. Square Enix is mum on Horii’s above comments, but he sounds pretty darn certain the team is moving ahead with the game.
Dragon Quest XI is set to release in Japan on May 27, 2017. This works with the estimated release date for the NX, which is expected in March 2017. The game becomes the fifth to be confirmed for Nintendo’s mystery console, with The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wind, Just Dance 2017, a Sonic game, and Dragon Quest X all announced to date.
– Lindsay M.
News Editor
