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[Psycho_Mantis]

New interview with Horii Yuji
http://i.imgur.com/puwYRk4.jpg

Q. What will happen to games in the future

Horii: People say that home consoles don't sell anymore in Japan, but once the smartphone boom settles I think home consoles will be the focus of attention again.

Horii: It's true that with smartphones and handhelds you have the benefits of taking them anywhere with you or watching TV as you play, but I think fans of video games are still feeling the desire to play games on the big screen. Also, with handhelds because the controller and the screen is on the same device it makes it painful to play for long periods of time. Playing with a home console controller and being able to move your hands around is more comfortable.

Interviewer: In the West, games like GTA seem to be the next popular thing.

Horii: Ah, Grand Theft Auto. This was the first game that employed the open world system. Instead of being forced down a certain path they put you in an open world and let you do whatever you want. This seems to be the genre most popular in the foreign market. Doing whatever you want in a game that doesn't give you instructions requires a certain talent, a playing talent; And if you don't have it you really have no idea what to do in an open space that doesn't tell you were to go. I think this is one of the reasons most Western games don't hit big in Japan.

Horii: The ability to play sounds like a pretty good way to describe it. People who aren't really good at games seem to stay away from them. This seems to currently be the problem with adults in Japan. In terms of Japanese core gamers how many do you think are in Japan?

Yuji: All together regardless of genre, I think there's about 500,000 core games in Japan. Whether or not this increases is what we will be working hard towards in the future.

All credit goes to zeromcd73

DQXI PS4 hype? DQXI PS4 Hype

 

[urfe]

Damn, as a handheld guy and a Dragon Quest fan I'm a little scared.

 

[bon]

Godspeed, Horii.

 

[Sesuadra]

yes yes yes YES YES.

 

[Mung]

Agree. The media in particular often like to jump on every new thing, but it takes several years to work out whether it is a permanent change or just a bubble. I don't think consoles are doomed.

 

[Shengar]

Don't know about console rise with Japan declining demographic, but smartphone boom can't last forever that's true.

 

[Pennywise83]

If DQXI will PS3+PS4, I can see selling as much as DQIX on DS. If it will be on PS4 alone, good luck with that.

In any case, Western sales will be painful to watch.

 

[kurahador]

About damn time someone said it.

 

[Chezzymann]

Eh, I disagree. I feel that once the smart phone boom settles the market will mature and we'll get out of this free to play craze, allowing for developers to make more traditional games at a higher price and result in much higher quality titles. Combine that with attachable controllers (hopefully) becoming standardized and eventually I see smart phones being looked upon as the default gaming device to the general population, just like how consoles replaced arcades as the default gaming device.

 

[DangerousDave]

I think he's wrong.

Home consoles will never return on Japan. The use of portable consoles (and now smartphones) fit better with the modern lifestyle. Specially now that portable and smartphones are powerful enought to fit all videogame genres and experiences (even sandbox games) without problems.

 

[Kyoufu]

Man, DQXI is going to look beautiful on consoles.

 

[RyoonZ]

Yaaaaaaaaaaaas!!!

 

[clay_ghost]

Doesn't this mean that DQ will not be on console for the time being?

 

[zeromcd73]

Drop da bomb Horii.

 

[ZeroX03]

The industry must die before it can be reborn!

 

[Sophia]

I think he's wrong.

Home consoles will never return on Japan. The use of portable consoles (and now smartphones) fit better with the moder lifestyle. Specially now that portable and smartphones are powerful enought to fit all videogame genres and experiences (even sandbox games) without problems.

It's a bit disingenuous to say stuff like that. Lifestyles change, and you can only assert the state of the future so much.

From the way Horii put it, it seems as if he believes the smartphone market will eventually settle down and there will be room for both big consoles and portable devices such as handhelds/smartphones. Note that he does not call it a bubble, but rather a "boom", as well as asserts the advantages of the devices instead of merely dismissing them.

 

[Nanashrew]

I get this feeling that Japan will never return to consoles over portable systems. But I really want to believe in what Horii said.

 

[Psycho_Mantis]

More. I'll add it to the OP

Interviewer: In the West, games like GTA seem to be the next popular thing.

Horii: Ah, Grand Theft Auto. This was the first game that employed the open world system. Instead of being forced down a certain path they put you in an open world and let you do whatever you want. This seems to be the genre most popular in the foreign market. Doing whatever you want in a game that doesn't give you instructions requires a certain talent, a playing talent; And if you don't have it you really have no idea what to do in an open space that doesn't tell you were to go. I think this is one of the reasons most Western games don't hit big in Japan.

Horii: The ability to play sounds like a pretty good way to describe it. People who aren't really good at games seem to stay away from them. This seems to currently be the problem with adults in Japan. In terms of Japanese core gamers how many do you think are in Japan?

Yuji: All together regardless of genre, I think there's about 500,000 core games in Japan. Whether or not this increases is what we will be working hard towards in the future.

These hints.....

 

[SparkTR]

It'll be a hard sell telling companies getting such a good ROI with mobiles to get back into the AAA model, it seems that almost every Japanese developer is getting away from that now. Unless the mobile market slows down, but evidence suggests that we not even near the apex for that looking at smartphone adoption in Japan, which is still low compared to other areas of the developed world.

 

[Femmeworth]

Also, with handhelds because the controller and the screen is on the same device it makes it painful to play for long periods of time.

He has a good head on his shoulders.

 

[SgtCobra]

Damn, as a console guy and a Dragon Quest fan I'm a little excited.

Doesn't this mean that DQ will not be on console for the time being?

He's talking about the market in general, not about Dragon Quest games.

 

[cyberheater]

He's wrong. Things have moved on. There is no going back.

 

[D3RANG3D]

 

[Acosta]

DQ XI is going to be glorious.

I'll remain cautious until official announcement but it seems Horii is betting hard to go back to the roots and I couldn't be happier about it.

Final Fantasy + Dragon Quest + Persona. The holy trinity that will rescue consoles in Japan, I see it.

 

[BocoDragon]

He's wrong. Things have moved on. There is no going back.

PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 XBOX PS4 PS4

 

[1st Course]

Would be nice too see non-online mainline DQ making a return on consoles.

 

[Psycho_Mantis]

Man, DQXI is going to look beautiful on consoles.

That it will. I'm kind of surprised how good DQH looks:

I wonder what they are going to do for overworld design/traversal.

 

[RyoonZ]

More. I'll add it to the OP


These hints.....

B-b-but SE loves money so it'll be on most popular console. No PS4 Hmmph!

 

[Nightengale]

 

[Sayad]

Also, with handhelds because the controller and the screen is on the same device it makes it painful to play for long periods of time.

Does this mean no portable DQXI?

 

[Lernaean]

I believe the same. I love dedicated handhelds, but i hate the mobile fad. Hopefully it's over soon, otherwise the dedicated gaming console market will die, and with it all the innovation in our hobby.

 

[clay_ghost]

B-b-but SE loves money so it'll be on most popular console. No PS4 Hmmph!

If it's coming to console,
It will be also on Ps3 and 3DS and possibly WiiU. No way it will be a ps4 exclusives

 

[Mory Dunz]

That it will. I'm kind of surprised how good DQH looks:

I wonder what they are going to do for overworld design/traversal.

Wait...I can't tell if this is sarcasm or not? It's kind of a low quality picture, but it looks like a early last gen screenshot. It's probably the picture though.

 

[cyberheater]

PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 PS4 XBOX PS4 PS4

Smartphone Smartphone Smartphone Smartphone Smartphone Smartphone Smartphone Smartphone Smartphone Smartphone Smartphone Smartphone Smartphone Smartphone Smartphone

 

[Nightengale]

Rather than it a mobile fad, I think it's more likely that there'll be a convergence point.

Like native PSnow, or the ability for smartphones to feel as legit as a dedicated device.

 

[Mory Dunz]

If it's coming to console,
It will be also on Ps3 and 3DS and possibly WiiU. No way it will be a ps4 exclusives

If a PS3 version exists, I wonder if a Wii U one would.
It wouldn't add much in the west, but in Japan, it could at least do 100K or more...right? As someone without handhelds, who games on mostly PC and Wii U currently, I might actually get into it.

 

[Kouriozan]

"DQ XI will be on smartphone, but once the boom settle, we will port it on home console"
"Please understand"

 

[Hiko]

If a PS3 version exists, I wonder if a Wii U one would.
It wouldn't add much in the west, but in Japan, it could at least do 100K or more...right? As someone without handhelds, who games on mostly PC and Wii U currently, I might actually get into it.

Dqh not being on Wii u isn't a good sign

 

[Faustek]

As much as I would love a PS4 release I don't think SE would gamble on that..at least not until FFXV/MGS:TPP pushes the console to a satisfying user base.

But then again this does not exclude a handheld version or that "Dive in' streaming.

 

[Mory Dunz]

Dqh not being on Wii u isn't a good sign

I guess I didn't really see them as that connected. From the reveal, and the DQH PS4, and the bundle, it kind of seemed like a Playstation thing to begin with to me.

 

[Rymuth]

Here's hoping, Hori, here's hoping

 

[Hiko]

I guess I didn't really see them as that connected. From the reveal, and the DQH PS4, and the bundle, it kind of seemed like a Playstation thing to begin with to me.

Why is Dqh a playstation thing then? Why wouldn't dq11 also be another playstation thing?

 

[Loofy]

I think he's wrong.

Home consoles will never return on Japan. The use of portable consoles (and now smartphones) fit better with the modern lifestyle. Specially now that portable and smartphones are powerful enought to fit all videogame genres and experiences (even sandbox games) without problems.

You never know. What if the Japanese really like VR. Gonna be a while before mobile can support these 90hz 1440p graphics...

 

[Tratorn]

I really doubt it at this point, but that would be a dream come true.

 

[clay_ghost]

Why is Dqh a playstation thing then? Why wouldn't dq11 also be another playstation thing?

It's not a sure bet since wiiu had DQX and3DS have all the DQ spin-off and DQ7 remake. I believe it will end up everywhere.

3DS also have those DQ theme Le consoles too.

 

[Anth0ny]

I want to believe.

I can't see it happening, though ; _ ;

 

[zoukka]

I want to believe but good does not win over evil in real life...

 

[Kyoufu]

Well, one thing we know for certain (according to Horii at least) is that DQXI won't be on smartphones.

In fact, he followed it up with talk of playing it on the big screen. At first I didn't want to believe but now I truly believe.

 

[thuway]

Dragon Quest on PS4? Color me Slime !

 

[GhostTrick]

I'd be surprised if it didn't released on 3DS or next Nintendo handheld. Now... surprises aren't surprising anymore
If it's set to be released on home console, then I hope that we'll see a PC version too, as DQX did get one.