There was concern about Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age, as the anticipated JRPG didn’t exactly release at an ideal time. Launching just three days prior to PlayStation 4 juggernaut Marvel’s Spider-Man with next to no marketing at all, fans expected the worst for the latest entry in Square Enix’s iconic franchise.
As it turns out, the title did absolutely fine in the United States, debuting in 11th position on the latest NPD software charts. Even better, analyst Mat Piscatella revealed on Twitter that it set a franchise record, with “dollar sales more than double the previous best, Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels”.
It’s perhaps worth remembering that the aforementioned Nintendo DS title cost $35 at launch, while the new game currently retails for $60, skewing the numbers slightly. Dragon Quest XI is also available on the PlayStation 4 and PC, as opposed to a single platform. Nevertheless, it’s good news for the series, which appears to have triumphed despite having the odds stacked against it.
[source twitter.com]
Comments (28)
It's good to see it doing well, despite the release date. Just hope it does well enough so we can get more quality DQ like this in the west.
I think a good number of people are also waiting for the Switch version as well.
A lot of conten-creators on YouTube like Playeressence say, that the game sold poorly on the PS4. So, they are telling lies? That's good to know. I was worried too though. Those YouTubers often advise to support the game on the Switch when it is released, because it is supposed to sell better on it and make a Dragon Quest XII more likely to happen on Nintendo's console. I want DQ XII on PlayStation 4 or 5. I always prefer graphics over portability.
@Lando_ I wouldn't take everything YouTubers say seriously.
@get2sammyb Says the man who makes YouTube videos
Still good to see. Its not amazing by any means and only released on two of 4/, 5 if we include Xbox, platforms. Id expect any future rereleases to dent things but we know that as far as releases go, this is it for DQXI.
A little Xmas push would be good but yeah, good run XI. Now get working on 12.
@get2sammyb I thought the dude from Playeressence was a very reliable source regarding video game news. Was probably a mistake to trust him, yes.
@Lando_ To be honest, I don't know anything about him. Maybe he's great. I find that comment a bit suspect, though.
@get2sammyb
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l3OeEtsDl5Y
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUgaHiQ1x7c&t=577s (starting at 35:26)
He draws the comparison with Octopath Traveler (which I did not like at all btw). The game has outperformed DQ XI and should send a clear signal to Japanese developers like Square Enix, that the Switch is more profitable for Japanese developments, he says.
For me personally, that would be a shame - I'm a big fan of Japanese games, but I do not like my Switch very much. :/
@Lando_ we don’t have hard numbers sooooooooooo for all we know it could sell a mere 100K... on PS4 and maybe another 70K on PC (I’m spitballing #s these aren’t true) well we may have hard #s w PC but that’s on someone else to look up.
@Lando_ then why did you buy the Switch if you do not like it whatsoever?
@Lando_ He's making a lot of assumptions based on very few reference points in my opinion. Obviously this was recorded before the NPD results came out, though, so maybe he has a different opinion now.
EDIT: Actually this was recorded AFTER the NPD. He should have waited for the full picture. You can't make assumptions based on chart placement without any context to back it up. A game can chart number one in July but sell quarter of what a game does at number 15 in November.
Good to hear. Especially since we still have another version on the way. Hopefully Squeenix will stop dragging on localization now.
I've been playing it recently, and I'm having a lot of fun with it.
I do find myself comparing it to Ni No Kuni 2 a lot, probably because they both released this year in the west.
@get2sammyb Thank you for your opinion on the topic. I found it interesting, because PE made me very unsure. As you wrote at the beginning: YouTube comments should be treated with caution.
@Derpie1 I followed the hype without asking myself, if I really needed the console - besides my PS Vita, which I still enjoy and prefer to use as a handheld device. Zelda: BotW, Octopath Traveller, Mario Odyssey and Xenoblade Odyssey 2 have disappointed me, despite the hype and many positive ratings. Also, the amount of ports isn't for me, I've played all the games on Wii U. That's just my own opinion though. I do not condemn anyone who likes the console - as already mentioned elsewhere. Everyone should play, what they like to play. The Switch just isn't for me.
@Lando_ LOL XENOBLADE ODYSSEY 2! I guess you don’t like a single game on the thing cus if the case is you can’t enjoy a console no matter what I’d suggest selling it maybe someone in your neighborhood or your Game Store can take it w the games and you can use the money towards other greater things
@Lando_ He's a Nintendo fanboy. He didn't seem like he was, but he did a complete 180 when the switch was revealed. For months he and supermetaldave rejected the switch rumors and tried to debunk them. One thing he said was that it would be stupid of Nintendo if they only matched the power of the PS4. The very next week, after it was revealed, he retracted every single negative comment he made about the rumors and started shilling for the switch. Supermetaldave remained disappointed as he said he would if the rumors were true. It was bizarre to see someone completely 180 their opinions the next week over a reveal.
It's a fine game, and the story keeps surprising in its own way, but AGAIN the music man. It's just ruining the game for me honestly, I have played and enjoyed 55 hours but soundtrack is a big deal to me in a game and I think once I get RDR2 I'll be putting this down and won't come back to it.
They got so much of the game right, imagine what it could have been with a stonking score.
@Derpie1 Oops, Smartphone error. ^^ It's Chronicles, not Odyssey, obviously. I absolutely loved the prequel on Wii (the original XC; I see Chronicles X more as a spin-off) a lot though. One of my favourite JRPG of all time. Had high expectations for the sequel. Perhaps the expectations were too high. :/
@Grim-Tuesday That explains a lot, thanks, I didn't know his background. So, like any other fanboy, he is clearly not a trustworthy source.
Good to hear this is doing well. Especially considering it's a super-traditional turn-based JRPG on home console hardware, and from a series that is known to not sell particularly well in the West, to boot.
Now give me a proper Final Fantasy game, SE, instead of an open-world boy band simulator.
@Lando_ I wouldn't say untrustworthy, but he is biased towards Nintendo. He had streaks of Nintendo criticism before the switch happened. Somehow he became a total shill when that thing was revealed. I hadn't watched him since.
I love this game, best DQ game without a doubt I already platinum the game after gathering all dragon balls and defeating Cell, I was too overpowered at the end that he felt too easy but I don't mind 😝
That is great news. It's nice to see it do well among so many modern-styled games, with their focus on über-photorealism. It's going to be my Winter Holiday game, really looking forwards to playing it.
@NinjaWaddleDee i'm in that bracket so I can see a relative portion doing so, the portability and a very overcrowded period forced my hand as I'm sure it did others. With that in mind was pleased to hear of the PS4/PC numbers in the US. Hopefully there will be no questioning from SQEnix as to if further games will be localised now.
@toffeecrit exactly how I felt. With the way I play games nowadays and my limited schedule, I tend to wait for jrpgs to come to switch first, and then I buy games on PS4 that are exclusive to it. Not because I don't love the prettier graphics that the ps4 has, but just that it's harder to find time to sit down in front of a TV and game.
Still planning on picking this up soon. After Red Dead I guess...
Im looking forward to picking this up soon. Just. Too. Many. Games!
This game seriously does look like the best Dragon Quest...sadly my backlog is ridiculously large and I have higher priority games releasing I'd rather support.
Definitely picking it up at some point in 2019 though.
I've been really distracted from gaming recently but I was in the postgame of DQXI towards the end of September. There was that huge plot development that floored me, making me pause to really soak in what it meant for the story, so I really need to get back to that and finish it off.
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