Square Enix President Played Dragon Quest IX For 30 Hours

Videogame company presidents should try the very products they create, shouldnt they? For the love of God, this should be expected. But this is Yoichi Wada we're talking about, you never know what crazy ass decision he'll take next.

Now, having US WEEKLY's Chief excecutive officer telling us how much he liked Fate/Stay Night Unlimited Codes on his PSP.... well now that would be a surprise!

30 hours in 4 days?? LIIEESS!! I tell you...LIIEES!

Maybe it's true but it's hard to believe he has so much free time. If he had said all the time he has played since the time it was released until now then it would've sounded more realistic. Why limit himself to the first 4 days?

"oh yeah I played 30 hours in four days and then it got boring"

@SanjiX: *rimshot*

half-beast

@SanjiX:

"At least he plays the game(s) that he helped create... unlike Paul McCartney's look-alike. ohhhhhh"

fixed

TheHeeyyy

I should hope he plays games, being so closely tied to them and all.

zuagamer

@SanjiX: IT'S FUNNY BECAUSE IT'S TOPICAL.

Well I'm pretty sure Jack Tretton plays games too! Right?!

He's one of the speakers at MIGS in Montreal this November, I for one can't wait.

At least he plays the game(s) that he helped create... unlike Paul McCartney. ohhhhhh

The exec wants to see how gaming and game play has changed, what makes a hit and to think about how titles are made.

You guys are gonna hate me, but if he wants to see what makes a game a hit, he should play a game that was legitimately MADE a hit- not a game that had thousands and thousands of copies sold before it was even available. It was a hit before anyone even played it...and I've heard it was lackluster, and I've also heard lots of people in Japan like DQ games simply because they're DQ games and would rave over one that was intentionally terrible. :\

If SE wants to make greater games, they need to research games that didn't sell amazingly based solely on pre-release hype. Go look at something they did before- compare Musashi to Musashi Samurai Leegnd, and see what they did wrong with the sequel, and fix it with a third game that combines the best parts of each.

If he's wants to see how gaming and game play has changed then he should not be looking at DQ9.

@WhiteMage: So I guess all sequels are right out, then? People buy DQ because they know what they're getting. They don't need some battle system acronym masquerading as innovation.

Dragon_Warrior

"Not every game exec plays video games. Square Enix honcho Yoichi Wada says he does. Or says he does."

I think you mean "Square Enix honcho Yoichi Wada does".

So does he say he does or does he say he does? Or does someone say that he says he did? Or does?

notBowen

If video game company presidents played their own products, we could avoid a lot of mistakes like Haze and Vampire Rain.

Adhominem

@Dragon_Warrior: But that's the thing- they're not buying it because it's good. (Please do not turn on illiteracy mode when reading that- that does not mean it is bad.) There were copies sold before it came out because people expected it to be good- based completely on name.

And I think if you're gonna go "What makes this game popular?" you should do it with a game that wasn't high-selling based a lot on name alone, and yes, probably not with sequels, who likely sell based on nostalgia alone- it's a fact that many DQ fans love to deny, but the game is majorly the same as it was a long, loooong time ago. It hasn't changed much. And if DQ8 came out as a brand new series, I would bet my entire collection it would've sold poorly and gotten poor reviews- it's very generic, bland, and simplistic. But the title screen says "Dragon Quest", so thats ok.

Major grammatical issues aside, I have to say 30 hours in four days is pretty... worrisome. I mean, what the hell kind of CEO spends all his damn time playing games?
But I guess with the title Imperial Hot, you kinda just receive such benefits.

Rinaldus

Yoichi Wada is a sound businessman. All hail the great and glorious Empire!

lostbizzo

@ShekharNasica: I don't that get either

"Yoichi Wada says he does. Or says he does."

huh?

ShekharNasica

@Str8_Jihadin:

Maybe Bash means, "Or so he says."?

crazyace

@ShekharNasica: He meant to say "Yoichi Wada does. Or says he does."

Jokes are all about delivery and timing.

@UltimatePancakeSensation: I would say they're about correct spelling and use of grammar too.

Or at least intentionally incorrect.

Pro-tip, Mr. Wada: if you're looking for change, don't play Dragon Quest.

@Dragon_Warrior: I wouldn't necessarily say that. People EXPECT they know what they're getting, but there's no real certainty. You don't know if the writing will be any good, the characters interesting, the quests engrossing, etc.

They're buying it for the brand recognition and expectations, but they don't really know for certain just what they're getting. And if the feedback I've heard from Japanese players is anything to go by, some weren't expecting DQ9 to be as disappointing as it was in certain regards.

@Rinaldus:
What kind of CEO spends all his time playing games?

The best kind.

@WhiteMage: it's very generic, bland, and simplistic.

It's not generic. I can base that on reasons you yourself have stated. It's the premium brand, and for good reason. What it does, it does better than anything else. It's almost guaranteed. Until that stops being true for DQ fans, then it will keep selling.
It's like chess or tetris, except with a new milieus, ideas, characters, and events.
So if SE wants to make greater games, they shouldn't be focusing on stable franchises, which are already great. They should be making new franchises to go alongside the already successful ones. Don't fuck with the shit I like.

Dragon_Warrior

Don't you mean "Square Enix honcho Yoichi does. Or says he does."?

rich8606

@Dragon_Warrior: What it does, it does better than anything else.

I'm not understanding this part.

What exactly DOES it do? Provide us with nintendo-style gameplay on generations far past it? I mean, I played DQ8 straight through and loved it, but it is absolutely undeniable that it is generic and really, really simple. It felt like a nintendo game with pretty graphics.

I commend him on this - however, I'm more surprised that he didn't get his copy sooner. Even the President of SquareEnix has to wait for the release date of their own games?

It must be the 'end times'.

-Niric

@Rinaldus: Less then 8 hours a day is possible if the company runs smoothly and he can call it a day early. I'm more worried about his social life.

JTF

@JTF: Social lives are for chumps!

@WhiteMage: Other than graphics and a few elements, what Whitemage says is true. When i sat down to try out DQ8 i was brought back all the way to DQ1.

Of course some want that, as do i to an extent, i mean im playing through Disgaea3 right now and sadly i would blindly buy 4 at the drop of a hat if it came out tomorrow.

Eulatos

@Rinaldus: When you are the boss, you call it research and play for 100 hours if you want to.

Eulatos

@rich8606: You're late for your english class.

Eulatos