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Dragon Quest XII Development Facing Difficulties Due to Targeting Adult Audience

Draugoth

Gold Member
dragonquest12.jpeg


More at Noisy Pixel: https://noisypixel.net/dragon-quest-xii-development-difficulties-adult-audience/

Japanese outlet denfaminicogamer recently published a text version of a radio interview they conducted with the creator of Dragon Quest, Yuji Horii. The interview is pretty lengthy, at roughly eight pages.

Still, there is a notable exchange regarding the development of Dragon Quest XII: The Flames of Fate. Horii revealed that due to the game's intended targeted audience being adults, they are having unspecified issues with development.

You can view the full quoted exchange below via our team's Ryuji:

Well, let me start by saying that this year marks the 37th anniversary of the Dragon Quest series, and to coincide with the 35th anniversary, an HD-2D remake of Dragon Quest III has been announced, and there are rumors that the latest title, Dragon Quest XII: The Flames of Fate is about to be released?

Horii: Mmm, I guess it will take a little while. This time we are making a game directed toward an adult audience*, so we are having a lot of trouble (laughs). There was also the Coronavirus pandemic.

Are the game programmers and designers basically working remotely?

Horii: Yes, some employees have not come to the office for about a year, and some don't even use the company's computers, preferring to work from home.

Do you encounter any communication problems [with this method]?

Horii: Basically, we use Zoom to communicate with each other. I have a hard time remembering people's faces and names, so Zoom is just right for me with the names underneath (laughs).

*TL Note: Horii uses 大人向け here, an expression where the subject (in this case, 大人, meaning adult) is the target audience.
 
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Saber

Gold Member
What kinda of difficulty with adult audience they are facing is what I want to hear and know.

Is that about "modern" adults? You know, the ones that don't have time for anything and therefore demands the game to be played by itself?
 
What kinda of difficulty with adult audience they are facing is what I want to hear and know.

Is that about "modern" adults? You know, the ones that don't have time for anything and therefore demands the game to be played by itself?
I doubt that, Probably mature themes. Notice FF 16 was a mature game as well. It's always been teen rated prior. They realize that the majority of target audience for jrpg console games is aging. Younger kids (I was 10 when I played Dragon Warrior in 1988) are no longer into these games and more into minecraft, fortnite, among us, roblox, gaas#231, f2p mobile shyte...
I know this from expeirence with my step son. Luckily he grew out of it and went to better games but it took till he was 15. By that time he was ready for mature games anyway.

They can still do dq story, and keep it lighthearted. DQ11 was a great game and as a 44 year old, I had no issue with it. There was no high pitched Lymel (looking at you star ocean 4) in it, or other "moe"characters.

Of course, I could be wrong and the "adult" in the quote is a mis-translation or meaning something else entirely.
 

Comandr

Member
I mean, I think the rating permits them to tell the stories they want to tell, rather than trying to rewrite or shoe horn into a teen rating. Some things are better shown and not told. How many times has <bad guy> massacred a whole town and you just see a bunch of people .. uh.. asleep on the ground. No blood. FF16 has been a breath of fresh air in this respect. It's nice to see adults talking like adults, there's a certain weight to the story and its actions. FF7R sticks out to me by making jenova's bloody trail .. purple space goop instead. Lame.
 

Saber

Gold Member
Of course, I could be wrong and the "adult" in the quote is a mis-translation or meaning something else entirely.

Thats why would be better if they specify what kinda of problem they are having instead of just saying being adult a problem. Its way too wide to even speculate. Could be a problem with the tone of story like you said( I agree because DQ never was that much edgy or even when the story is dark, its usually light toned), or gameplay like keeping classic combat or not, could be implementing "modern" cancerous topics, and the list goes on.
 
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Belthazar

Member
I imagine the difficulty the team and himself are facing are achieving the balance or it being Dragon Quest while also going for mature themes and narrative. Which makes sense, as feeling very familiar while also innovating is central to the Dragon Quest experience.
 
Y'all pipe dreamin' if you think a mainline DQ game isn't going to stay turn based.
I hope it does stay turn based, don’t take my comment the wrong way. It was more of a shot to people who are bitching about Final Fantasy. I grew up on turn based RPGs, so I love them, but I also love a good action rpg, including FF16. I’m actually looking forward to DQ Infinity Stash, but I really can’t see DQ mainline entries going action if I’m being honest and not sarcastic lol
 
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Danjin44

The nicest person on this forum
I really hope DQ not going to that route...
To me either make light hearted like past DQ games or if you going for darker route then go for it, dont do this awkward between both side.

This is what I liked about FFXVI, they wanted make darker tone and full force with and I love it.
 
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I hope it does stay turn based, don’t take my comment the wrong way. It was more of a shot to people who are bitching about Final Fantasy. I grew up on turn based RPGs, so I love them, but I also love a good action rpg, including FF16. I’m actually looking forward to DQ Infinity Stash, but I really can’t see DQ mainline entries going action if I’m being honest and not sarcastic lol
I enjoy those games too, but all the mainline DQ titles have stayed turn based, is all I'm saying.
 
I enjoy those games too, but all the mainline DQ titles have stayed turn based, is all I'm saying.
Indeed…I don’t think they will change it. The Japanese fan base is way to dedicated to that series and I don’t think they would risk losing those fans. I could see them adding an action option though. Similar to DQXI where you could move around a bit, but adding full control. I’d be cool with an option between turn based and action.
 

Fake

Member
To me either make light hearted like past DQ games or if you going for darker route then go for it, dont do this awkward between both side.

This is what I liked about FFXVI, they wanted make darker tone and full force with and I love it.

Because all those silly 'adult' stuff don't match up with Akira Toriyama style. Dragon Ball Kay was a offense to the common sense.
 

Power Pro

Member
I loved FFVIIR but some parts looks goofy because try to make “T” rating….

example….

maxresdefault.jpg

This looks very weird and goofy to me.
I gotta agree with this. Original FF7 went as dark as they could with a T rating back in the day, but even back then, when you were escaping the cell in Shinra HQ, the halls were covered in blood from Sephiroth's attack...and that was noticeably absent from Remake. This isn't a lust for blood and gore on my part, it's about setting the tone, and if they couldn't do what they did in the original with a T rating, then they should have just went with the M rating.

It's not like ratings matter on games anyway, there are plenty of idiot parents who buy their kids whatever game they want because they think all video games are for children.
 

DonkeyPunchJr

World’s Biggest Weeb
To me either make light hearted like past DQ games or if you going for darker route then go for it, dont do this awkward between both side.

This is what I liked about FFXVI, they wanted make darker tone and full force with and I love it.
It really does feel like most game writers in Japan are perpetually stuck at anime level dialogue and writing.
I think Final Fantasy XII did a great job of creating intelligent adult-level writing and dialog without going full blown Game of Thrones. Something similar could work for a more mature DQ game.
 

Dynasty8

Member
Let see how many people gonna cry river about it and say “it’s not my DQ”.

As long as it's still an RPG at the end of the day. I actually prefer the more mature tone much, much, much more and think it'll work great here.

What I am concerned about is that they'll make one exclusive difficulty option that makes the entire game a breeze with zero challenge.
 

Pigenator

Member
Uhh how are the two quotes related? Unless their issues is with people working from home, which makes the first quote misleading.
 
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Probably modern audience issue.
Better not be that. If so all the female characters will be buttoned up with long sleeves and pant suits. I don't think that's it.
Any devs that push for "Modern Audiences™" is asking for trouble.... they will get praise form Twitter and certain review outlets, but the masses of gamers will reject it. Look at new saints row.
 
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