Phil Spencer has been working hard to improve Xbox's relationship with Japanese creators, and it looks like we're starting to see the fruits of his labor. At Microsoft's showcase earlier this week, the team revealed multiple Japanese titles are on the way to Xbox and Xbox Game Pass.
In the same interview with the YouTube channel iJustine, Phil mentioned it was these moments during the show that stood out to him. In particular, the part when Square Enix announced it would be bringing Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age to Xbox (including Xbox Game Pass) on 4th December.
"I've been in the industry for a long time, I visit studios, and I thought it was really cool to see the way Dragon Quest showed up as a game coming to Xbox, the support from Japanese publisher Square bringing a new IP into our show, obviously, Tetris Effect was there, PSO is coming to Xbox again with their new version.
"It's just an area of focus for us to make sure all creators globally feel like Xbox is a great platform for them and that they can deliver their games to a large global audience. It's an area that our team in Japan has really been working hard on. And to be able to open the pre-show with Dragon Quest and then see continued support from Japanese publishers was something that really popped for me in the show, and it was nice to a lot of fans of Japanese publishers react to that. So that was something I just wanted to call out, cause it means something to me."
Being able to feature a massive series like Dragon Quest during a major presentation is certainly a step in the right direction for Xbox. It's also great to see Square Enix will be bringing its new IP Balan Wonderworld to the Xbox next year.
This follows on from an interview with GameStar last week when Phil acknowledged Team Xbox had to rebuild trust with Japanese creators.
"We know we're not a Japanese platform company [and] we know we will have to work to rebuild trust with Japanese creators, and we think that happens over time, continuing to listen to what they're looking for and what they need in order to reach that global audience."
What did you think of the latest Japanese game reveals for Xbox? Are you impressed Microsoft has been able to get a series like Dragon Quest on its platform? Share your thoughts down below.
[source youtu.be]
Comments 22
It's good progress, especially with the Game Pass inclusion.
However, the version itself is very lazy. Just a port of the graphically inferior Switch version. Doesn't seem like any improvements apart from resolution and frame rate.
Hopefully they can get stuff like Sakura Wars, Persona, FF7 Remake etc, further down the line.
@Medic_Alert a big win apart from the fact PS4 players have been able to play the game for 3 years now. Yeah there are some extras now but I doubt many will want to double dip
I'm glad some of these games are coming to Xbox and Series X but there was an odd focus on older games coming to Xbox whilst the newer ones had little to show
Thank God I didn't get the Switch version. Game Pass is awesome indeed.
I thought it was fantastic reveal ! This switch-version is so pitch-perfect for fans, with its orchestral music and its 2D-mode ! Inclusion in the gamepass is a massive win for Xbox players.
@blinx01 I'm pretty sure that this story of "inferior version" is, as always, Internet going crazy without investigating further. As I understand it, it's a simple translation (and communication) problem. "A port of the Switch version" does not mean at all that it will be the same graphic engine, with the same limitations. It probably means that all bonuses, all new quests and all are coming from this version. As for the graphics themselves, I'm pretty sure it will be identical to the actual Dragon Quest XI PS4 iteration.
@Medic_Alert given that this same version is coming to the PS4, I'd find it really weird if they kept the visual downgrade. I assume this will only be for switch per usual
I think the pre show event was way better than the main one the dragon quest announcement surprised me alot I was hopeing they will also show FF7 in the main one but it didn't and maybe because that game is timed exclusive so they couldn't do it
The pre show event was a joke & a waste of time. Geoff Keighley is so fake that it’s ridiculous.
I’m glad people are excited that an old JRPG is coming to Xbox. I know this is important to some people, so I’m glad it’s there for them. 👍🏻
@Medic_Alert i've played the Switch version. it's one of the best jrpgs i've ever played, but it struggles to even run at 900p. no way it doesn't look at least on par with the PS4 version, which would be fine.
@Medic_Alert its a great deal for Xbox players and I'm glad that JRPG's and Sega stuff like Yakuza is coming to Xbox as its been badly missing those types of games
Dragon Quest has never been on the Xbox. I really think this announcement was one of those “Nothing is off the table now”, and an important way of showing that MS’s commitment to these kinds of titles.
Regardless of version, there was always going to be a downgrade. The PS4 version has the midi soundtrack, which to me is honestly worse than visuals. The visuals whilst a downgrade, doesn’t make it look terrible. Yes, it looks like a Switch game, but it also looks like one of the better Switch games. Also there is 2d mode if the visuals bug you that much, there is no way to fix the soundtrack.
Either way being on Gamepass is a great way to reach more people
Q) What did you think of the latest Japanese game reveals for Xbox?
A) I've been quite pleased with the Japanese reveals from Xbox lately and I hope it continues to improve. Dragon Quest XI was a fantastic opening reveal despite it being a port and Balan Wonderworld is currently the game I'm most excited for next year (Fable could be, but we've yet to see gameplay or a release date).
Q) Are you impressed Microsoft has been able to get a series like Dragon Quest on its platform?
A) Hmmm, I'm not sure if it's an impressive feat when you consider it was the only one of the major systems to not have it yet and there was no tech issues preventing it from getting a port... but it is impressive when you consider how it is the first Dragon Quest game to feature on an Xbox system. It's a good sign for the future relationship of Xbox Series X with Japanese companies.
@Grot Agree the portability for long games like that is a massive factor.
I think Phil has been misquoted slightly. Wouldnt have said his favourite game from the showcase was from the preshow.
It is good to see Japanese Devs still investing in the Xbox brand but it is very likely Japanese consumers will play this through Xcloud rather than Series X. In the grand scheme of things either benefits Microsoft anyway so happy days.
For JRPG fans like me this announcement was huge, not only because of the game itself but because it represents evidence that MS is indeed working hard on filling those content gaps we have been complaining about.
As for the game itself, I own it on PS4, but never played that version. I also own it on switch, and played the hell out of it. Never played a DQ before but this specific game has become one of my favorite games of all time.
I’m glad I’ll be able to play it again via game pass, but I’m likely still buying this game again, for XBox, physically, as soon as I see it on sale.
Yes, I'm impressed too. I love that Xbox is getting these great Japanese games so thanks, Phil, you are creating the definitive gaming platform!
@carlos82 It's a big win, you can't compare a Japanese console that has Dragon Quest since the 90s with an American console that is getting Dragon Quest for the first time. I'll get the game for the first time on Xbox and I have the DS and 3DS games.
@Justifier Same! I wanted the 3DS version but it wasn't released outside Japan and I almost bought the Switch version. Now I'll get it on Xbox at higher resolution.
I just couldn’t bring myself to do this on my switch. I played the demo and couldn’t ignore the muddy visuals. I am super excited this is coming to Xbox, I will be picking this up day one.
I get the feeling Phil is a big JRPG fan and kinda laments Xbox not being bigger in Japan and therefore missing out on some key releases. Case in point: where the heck is the Xbox release of FFXIV?
Id imagine some big bucks have changed hands to make sure PSO2 remains an Xbox console exclusive (Or Sega still doesn't like Sony) but there is still a big gap there.
This game is brilliant! I thought I was done with JRPG’s (they don’t respect my time) but this game rekindled that flame a little. Played on the Switch and the graphics are fine, sound, story and gameplay were great. Loved it. Enjoy!
It's pretty cool that this is coming to Xbox. Since it's the first time it's coming to the system, people who primarily game om X1 can experience this version (with the better presentation of the soundtrack) at no extra cost. It's a win for the Xbox community, even if I plan on getting it for Switch. I prefer portability for RPG's and tend to buy most games there, my Xbox is for when I really want better visuals or a game isn't on Switch. Great news, all around.
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