If you ever needed proof that Japanese and North American
cultures differ greatly, Dragon Quest is the perfect example. Now in its eighth iteration, the Dragon
Quest series is nothing short of a cultural phenomenon in the Land of the Rising Sun - 1 in 12 households in Japan
own the latest release, Dragon Quest VIII.
US gamers, on the other hand, have never quite fallen in love with the series (up until recently known as Dragon Warrior in North America), opting instead for Final Fantasy (more specifically, Final Fantasy VII and all sequels after that).
With Dragon Quest VIII, Square Enix hopes to garner success in the United States by hook (a quality game) or by crook (bundling the game with the Final Fantasy XII demo, as incentive to buy the title). Will it work? 1up has a background piece on Dragon Quest?s uphill battle to win over North America, as well as an interview with the series? creator, Yuji Horii.
