In a drastic change for the series, Dragon Quest X will be a subscription-based MMORPG. A 30-day subscription in Japan will cost 1,000 yen ($12), 60 days will cost 1,950 yen ($24), and 90 days will amount to 2,900 yen ($35.50).
Turning a series that literally attracts players ranging from children to 60-year-olds into an MMORPG is a risky prospect. For starters, kids may not have the finances to pay the monthly subscription fee, which would greatly limit the game’s appeal. However, Square Enix have a solution for this—Kids’ Time.
Kids’ Time is effectively two hours free playtime every single day. On weekdays, users will be able to play Dragon Quest X online for free from 4 PM to 6 PM. On weekends, Kids’ Time will be in effect from 1 PM to 3 PM. While the two free hours of play each day are meant for children, Square Enix aren’t imposing any actual restrictions to prevent older players from making use of them, too, aside from perhaps the timings, which are suited to schoolkids.
Dragon Quest X will be released for the Wii on August 2nd. A Wii U version will follow at a later date, but specific features for this version have not yet been announced. You can read our extensive coverage of the game so far by using its tag.
