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[Draugoth]

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.

 

[Con-Z-epT]

It's all SlimeGooGoo 's fault! Why are you so old!?

 

[Tsaki]

They are still doing remote development due to COVID? Seems like a reason for longer dev time.

 

[Saber]

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?

 

[Danjin44]

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

 

[Umbasaborne]

Cant wait for rated m puff puffs

 

[01011001]

will the slimes have slime boobs?

 

[Deerock71]

Not satisfied with a guanteed 10 million in sales. :/

 

[Roman Empire]

Let's have sex and drugs!

 

[SmokedMeat]

People finally tell the silent protagonist weirdo to go fuck off?

 

[cash_longfellow]

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

Literally everyone once they see it’s an action rpg lol

 

[Hudo]

I bet it's because Toriyama doesn't want to draw Hentai concept art.

 

[Fabieter]

We aint ready for the time when dragon quests stops being turn based.

 

[Shadowstar39]

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.

 

[Hypereides]

Its going to be a real bummer if they change the genre into an action game instead of sticking to a RPG.

 

[DonkeyPunchJr]

They realized that nobody on the team knows how normal adults talk to one another.

 

[Fake]

Probably modern audience issue.

 

[Comandr]

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.

 

[Darkmakaimura]

Are we going to have humans and slimes laying pipe?

 

[Danjin44]

FF7R sticks out to me by making jenova's bloody trail .. purple space goop instead. Lame.

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

example….

Spoiler

This looks very weird and goofy to me.

 

[killatopak]

Didn’t Yoko Taro always wanted to direct a DQ game. Guy has no problems going too far.

 

[ShadyAcshuns]

Literally everyone once they see it’s an action rpg lol

Y'all pipe dreamin' if you think a mainline DQ game isn't going to stay turn based.

 

[Saber]

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.

 

[Beer Baelly]

 

[Comandr]

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

example….

Spoiler

This looks very weird and goofy to me.

This. Absolutely. This scene is awful for this.

 

[Hudo]

I also hope they don't take it too far and make it edge for the sake of "matureness" because for me, Dragon Quest is like a video game form of a hug. It's comfy.

 

[Belthazar]

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.

 

[Fake]

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

example….

Spoiler

This looks very weird and goofy to me.

I really hope DQ not going to that route...

 

[Kurotri]

Finally, they are getting rid of turn-based combat.

 

[cash_longfellow]

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

 

[Danjin44]

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.

 

[Gobjuduck]

If they try to ff16 dragon quest, I call for the death of square enix.

 

[cash_longfellow]

People finally tell the silent protagonist weirdo to go fuck off?

 

[ProtoByte]

They realized that nobody on the team knows how normal adults talk to one another.

It really does feel like most game writers in Japan are perpetually stuck at anime level dialogue and writing.

 

[ShadyAcshuns]

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.

 

[Danjin44]

It really does feel like most game writers in Japan are perpetually stuck at anime level dialogue and writing.

People say that as "negative" thing but I still want my JRPG be anime.

 

[cash_longfellow]

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.

 

[RoboFu]

Umm just make it like 11.. what's not adult about that?

 

[Fake]

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.

 

[NecrosaroIII]

I bet it's because Toriyama doesn't want to draw Hentai concept art.

Toriyama loves lewd shit. Early on that was basically all he drew. Tons of tits and ass back in the day

 

[Skifi28]

I'm cool with it, maybe I'll have enough time to finish the previous game.

 

[Davevil]

Scratch down and start over

 

[Barakov]

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

This game is going to get FFXVI'd isn't it?

 

[Power Pro]

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

example….

Spoiler

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]

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]

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]

Uhh how are the two quotes related? Unless their issues is with people working from home, which makes the first quote misleading.

 

[Varteras]

How hard is it to make HUGE FUCKIN ANIME TIDDIES?!

 

[Puscifer]

Y'all pipe dreamin' if you think a mainline DQ game isn't going to stay turn based.

I'd like for them to build upon the positioning system of the previous game. They started with a great idea....then stopped.

 

[Shadowstar39]

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.