The "Dragon Quest" franchise has always been very successful in Japan, but it has seen little attention in the West, which is partly why many of the games are never released in Europe or North America. However, the recent success of "Dragon Quest Builders" has opened the door for more future games to be given a Western release.
"Dragon Quest Builders" is designed to be an open-world game with a block-building mechanic very similar to the likes of "Minecraft." However, "Dragon Quest Builders" does have a more refined narrative, which is divided into chapters and bosses. It is also set in an alternate version of Alefgard, the setting of the very first "Dragon Quest" game on the NES.
Speaking to MCV, producer Noriyoshi Fujimoto stated that "Dragon Quest Builders" has managed to sell well over half a million sales in Japan in just a few days past launch. The game also began to see massive success in the West, with positive reviews and high sales, notably more than any previous game in the franchise.
"2016 marks the thirtieth anniversary of 'Dragon Quest' series. It's not as well known in the West as we would like but it really plays an epoch making role in the console gaming history," Fujimoto acknowledged. "We're committed to bringing more "Dragon Quest" titles in the West as we believe it truly has potential to succeed even better. So watch this space."
Other games are starting to launch in the West, such as the English version of the 3DS remake of "Dragon Quest VII" and "Dragon Quest VIII." "Dragon Quest XI" is in development now for the Nintendo Switch, 3DS, and the PlayStation 4, and it is expected to launch in May 2017. With these new statements, it is possible that the game is going to be released in the West in 2017 or 2018.
"Dragon Quest Builders" is available for the PS3, PS4, and PS Vita.
