Nintendo published Dragon Quest IX North America and Europe a few months ago in July. Since then, aside from initial sales numbers, we haven’t really heard much as to how it’s doing or what their goals for the title are. At a recent investor Q&A, Nintendo president, Satoru Iwata, shed some light on the subject.
Iwata says that to people who are accustomed to the idea of Dragon Quest being a phenomenon in Japan, overseas sales might not appear very impressive. However, feedback from Nintendos of America and Europe indicate that DQIX is doing relatively well in terms of overseas growth.
NOE reported that a Tag Mode event recently held in Paris was greatly enjoyed by participants and the general overseas consensus is that each time such an event is held, the number of players in attendance increases. These gatherings usually tend to involve game or anime fans.
“The fact is, when two people who happen to have common interests are in the same place by chance and if they communicate with a total stranger in an unexpected way, they appear to feel very surprised and enjoy such an encounter,” Iwata stated with regard to Tag Mode.
As such, Nintendo view Dragon Quest IX as one of their “evergreen” titles — one that keeps selling consistently after launch over a long period of time.
