Dragon Quest (Dragon Warrior in North America) is a franchise created by Enix (now Square-Enix). It is one of the best-selling video game franchises, with over 88 million units sold worldwide as of June 2023 and more than $5 billion grossed as of March 2018.
Dragon Quest is the biggest RPG franchise in Japan, one of the biggest RPG franchises worldwide, and the second biggest Square Enix franchise (below Final Fantasy). It usually only goes to the system with the largest install base. Additionally, there's an unsubstantiated rumor that Japan passed a law that Dragon Quest games couldn't be released on a weekday due to the number of people that would call in "sick" that day.
Dragon Quest has also been adapted into a successful manga franchise. Its manga adaptations have sold over 88 million units worldwide, making it Square Enix's best-selling manga franchise.
Games[]
Software[]
Year | Title | Platform(s) | Unit sales | Revenue (est.) | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Millions | Breakdown | Million US$ | Ref | |||
1986 | Dragon Quest I–III (Loto trilogy) |
17.024 | 1133.03 | |||
1986 | Dragon Quest I | 6.409 | 345.3 | |||
1986 | Dragon Quest | NES | 3 | 155 | [n 2] | |
1993 | Dragon Quest I・II | 1.92 | 190 | [7] | ||
2010 | Dragon Quest | Mobile | 1 | [8] | ||
2011 | Dragon Quest 25th Anniversary: Dragon Quest I・II・III |
Wii | 0.39 |
|
||
2013 | Dragon Quest (remake) |
Android | 0.1 | 100,000+[10] | 0.3 | [11] |
1986 | Dragon Quest II | 5.869 | 490 | |||
1987 | Dragon Quest II | NES | 2.55 | 300 | [12][13] | |
1993 | Dragon Quest I・II |
|
1.92 | 190 | [7] | |
2010 | Dragon Quest II | Mobile | 1 | [8] | ||
2011 | Dragon Quest 25th Anniversary: Dragon Quest I・II・III |
Wii | 0.39 |
|
||
2014 | Dragon Quest II: Luminaries of the Legendary Line |
Android | 0.01 | 10,000+[14] | 0.03 | [15] |
1988 | Dragon Quest III | 7.444 | 490 | |||
1988 | Dragon Quest III | NES | 3.895 | 310 | [n 3] | |
1996 | Dragon Quest III: The Seeds of Salvation |
|
2.16 | 178 | [n 4] | |
2010 | Dragon Quest II | Mobile | 1 | [8] | ||
2011 | Dragon Quest 25th Anniversary: Dragon Quest I・II・III |
Wii | 0.39 |
|
||
1990 | Dragon Quest IV–VI (Zenithia trilogy) |
16.613 | 1801.24 | |||
1990 | Dragon Quest IV | 5.973 | 557 | |||
1990 | Dragon Quest IV | NES | 3.18 | 359.34 | [n 5] | |
2001 | Dragon Quest IV: Chapters of the Chosen |
2.793 | 197.5 | [n 6] | ||
1992 | Dragon Quest V | 6.416 | 699 | |||
1992 | Dragon Quest V | SNES | 3 |
|
381 | [n 7] |
2004 | Dragon Quest V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride |
|
3.416 | 318 | [n 9] | |
1995 | Dragon Quest VI | 4.7 | 598.2 | |||
1995 | Dragon Quest VI | SNES | 3.2 |
|
483.2 | [25] |
2010 | Dragon Quest VI: Realms of Revelation |
|
1.5 | 115 | [29] | |
2000 | Dragon Quest VII | 5.565 | 435.32 | |||
2000 | Dragon Quest VII | PS1 | 4.29 | 346.02 | [n 11] | |
2013 | Dragon Quest VII: Fragments of the Forgotten Past |
3DS | 1.275 | 89.3 | [n 13] | |
2004 | Dragon Quest VIII | 5.809 |
|
540 | ||
2004 | Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King |
PS2 | 4.9 | 539 | [36] | |
2013 | Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King |
|
0.909 | 0.8 | [39] | |
2009 | Dragon Quest IX | 5.35 | 382.1 | |||
2009 | Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies |
NDS | 5.35 | 382.1 | [41] | |
2012 | Dragon Quest X | 1.2123 | 345 | |||
2012 | Dragon Quest X Online | 1.174 | 345 | [44] | ||
2014 | Dragon Quest X Online | 3DS | 0.166 |
| ||
2017 | Dragon Quest X | 0.210 | ||||
2017 | Dragon Quest XI | 6 | [45] | 252 | ||
2017 | Dragon Quest XI: Sugisarishi Toki o Motomete |
3DS | 2.000 |
|
||
PS4 | 1.600 |
| ||||
2018 | Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age |
Steam | 0.1 |
|
6 | [46] |
2019 | Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age Definitive Edition | Switch | 0.6 |
|
||
1998 | Dragon Quest Monsters series |
11.37 | 490.22 | |||
1998 | Dragon Quest Monsters: Terry's Wonderland |
|
3.25 | 490.22 | [48] | |
2001 | Dragon Quest Monsters 2: Mysterious Key of Martha |
|
2.3952 | |||
2003 | Dragon Quest Monsters: Caravan Heart |
GBA | 0.5935 |
| ||
2006 | Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker |
NDS | 1.5425 |
| ||
2010 | Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker 2 |
NDS | 1.8161 | |||
2016 | Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker 3 |
3DS | 0.7727 | |||
2023 | Dragon Quest Monsters 3: The Dark Prince | Switch | 1 | [53] | ||
2001 | Fushigi no Dungeon series |
1.692 | 122 | |||
1999 | Dragon Quest Characters: Torneko no Daibouken 2 |
|
0.7593 | 122 | [55] | |
2002 | Dragon Quest Characters: Torneko no Daibouken 3 |
|
0.631 | |||
2006 | Shounen Yangus no Fushigina Daibouken |
PS2 | 0.302 |
| ||
2004 | Itadaki Street series | 1.0243 | 51 | |||
2004 | Dragon Quest & Final Fantasy in Itadaki Street Special |
PS2 | 0.46 |
|
51 | [60] |
2006 | Dragon Quest & Final Fantasy in Itadaki Street Portable |
PSP | 0.1543 |
| ||
2007 | Itadaki Street DS | NDS | 0.41 |
|
||
2003 | Slime series | 0.7443 | ||||
2003 | Dragon Quest: Slime Morimori |
GBA | 0.3462 |
|
||
2005 | Dragon Quest Heroes: Rocket Slime |
NDS | 0.3175 |
|
||
2003 | Dragon Quest: Slime Morimori 3 |
3DS | 0.0806 |
|
||
2015 | Dragon Quest Heroes series | 2.509 | 102.43 | |||
2015 | Dragon Quest Heroes: The World Tree's Woe and the Blight Below |
1.297 | 102.43 | [68] | ||
2016 | Dragon Quest Heroes II |
|
1.011 | |||
2017 | Dragon Quest Heroes I+II | Switch | 0.201 | |||
Other spin-offs | ||||||
2003 | Slime Morimori Dragon Quest: Shougeki no Shippo Dan |
GBA | 0.3463 |
|
||
2008 | Dragon Quest Swords | Wii | 0.4961 |
|
||
2010 | Dragon Quest: Monster Battle Road Victory |
Wii | 0.3045 |
|
||
2016 | Dragon Quest Builders |
|
1.1 |
|
||
2018 | Dragon Quest Builders 2 |
|
1.1 | [71] | ||
Series total | 88 | [72] | 5468 |
Arcade[]
Year | Game | Hardware sales | Gross (no inflation) |
Gross (with inflation) |
---|---|---|---|---|
2007 | Dragon Quest: Monster Battle Road | 3,500[73] | $327.2 million[n 20] | $481 million |
Mobile[]
Year | Game | Downloads | Gross |
---|---|---|---|
2014 | Dragon Quest Monsters: Super Light | ||
2015 | Dragon Quest of the Stars | ||
2017 | Dragon Quest Rivals | ||
2019 | Dragon Quest Walk | ||
2020 | Dragon Quest Tact | ||
2021 | Dragon Quest The Adventure of Dai: A Hero's Bonds | ||
2021 | Dragon Quest Keshi Keshi | ||
2023 | Dragon Quest Champions |
Other media[]
Manga[]
Manga comic tankōbon volume sales – 70,000,000
- Dragon Quest: Dai no Daibōken – 50,000,000 (Japan)[77]
- Dragon Quest Retsuden: Roto no Monshō – 20,000,000[78]
Music[]
Soundtrack album sales – 318,646
- Dragon Quest IV – 260,960[79]
- Dragon Quest VII – 22,980[80]
- Dragon Quest VIII – 18,672[80]
- Dragon Quest X – 9,350[81]
- Dragon Quest XI – 6,684[82][83]
Recent titles[]
Dragon Quest IX[]
Dragon Quest IX was announced for the Nintendo DS portable system on December 12, 2006, marking the first time a main series entry releasing exclusively on a handheld. At the time, it was considered a "megaton."[10]
Dragon Quest X[]
Dragon Quest X was announced for the Wii on December 10, 2008, exactly two years after Square-Enix announced Dragon Quest IX would be going to the Nintendo DS. This unexpected announcement, considered a "megaton", will bring a much needed high-caliber RPG on the Wii.[11] Prior to the announcement, there were rumors of a DQIX port to the Wii.
Notes[]
- ↑ 500,000 copies sold separately.[2] More than 1 million copies sold as a bundle with Nintendo Power magazine subscription.[3][4]
- ↑ Dragon Quest (NES) revenue: $155 million
- ↑ Dragon Quest III revenue:
- ↑ Dragon Quest III revenue:
- ↑ Dragon Quest IV sales revenues:
- ↑ Dragon Quest IV sales revenues:
- ↑ Dragon Quest V sales revenue:
- ↑ Dragon Quest V (PS2) Japan sales:
- ↑ Dragon Quest V sales revenue:
- ↑ Dragon Quest VI (3DS)
- ↑ Dragon Quest VII sales revenue:
- ↑ September 2016 retail sales (NPD)[31]
- ↑ Dragon Quest VII sales revenue:
- ↑ Dragon Quest VIII (PS2) Japan sales:
- ↑ Dragon Quest VIII (PS2) worldwide sales: 4.9 million units[35]
- ↑ Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker (Japan)
- ↑ Dragon Quest & Final Fantasy in Itadaki Street Special (Japan)
- ↑ Dragon Quest & Final Fantasy in Itadaki Street Portable (Japan)
- ↑ Dragon Quest Swords (Japan)
- Original release: 490,000[63]
- Ultimate Hits: 6,116
- ↑ Dragon Quest: Monster Battle Road
References[]
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 Japan Platinum Game Chart. The Magic Box. Retrieved on 2017-05-22.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 http://web.archive.org/web/20071021081552/www.planetnintendo.com/alefgard/dqhistory.asp
- ↑ http://www.pressthebuttons.com/2014/08/how-did-nintendo-handle-the-great-dragon-warrior-giveaway.html
- ↑ https://www.usgamer.net/articles/the-new-dark-age-of-dragon-quest
- ↑ Kohler, Chris (2004). "8 – Lost in Translation: This Game are Sick". Power-Up: How Japanese Video Games Gave the World an Extra Life. Indianapolis, IN: BradyGames. pp. 222–223. ISBN 978-0-7440-0424-3. https://archive.org/details/poweruphowjapane0000kohl/page/222/mode/2up.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Titles of game software with worldwide shipments exceeding 1 million copies. Square Enix. Retrieved on 2008-10-16.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Dragon Quest I & II:
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 携帯��プリ「DQIII そして伝説へ・・・」100万DL達成記念にデコメ配信 (Japanese). 4Gamer (November 2, 2010).
- ↑ 9.00 9.01 9.02 9.03 9.04 9.05 9.06 9.07 9.08 9.09 9.10 9.11 http://garaph.info/softwaregroup.php?grid=192
- ↑ https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.square_enix.android_googleplay.dq1_gp
- ↑ Dragon Quest revenue:
- Android: 100,000+ units at $2.99 = $300,000
- ↑ Sheff, David (1994). "Inside the Mother Brain". Game Over: How Nintendo Conquered the World. Vintage Books. p. 81. ISBN 978-0-307-80074-9. Archived from the original on 2021-01-02. https://file1.largepdf.com/file/2020/04/08/Game_Over_-_David_Sheff.pdf#page=81. "The “Dragon Quest” sequels grossed several hundred million dollars apiece."
- ↑ Dragon Quest II (NES) revenue:
- ↑ https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.square_enix.android_googleplay.dq2_gp
- ↑ Dragon Quest II revenue:
- Android: 10,000+ units at $2.99 = $30,000
- ↑ Dragon Quest III sales:
- Japan: 5.95 million (NES 3.8 million, SNES 1.4 million, GBC 750,000)
- ↑ https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.square_enix.android_googleplay.dq3_gp
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 Dragon Quest Sales History. Chart Get (2008-07-31). Retrieved on 2009-02-07.
- ↑ Dragon Quest IV, DS sales:
- Japan: 1.3205 million
- Original release: 1.27 million
- Ultimate Hits: 50,492
- Overseas: 260,000 (110,000 in North America, 150,000 in Europe)
- Japan: 1.3205 million
- ↑ https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.square_enix.android_googleplay.dq4
- ↑ "International Outlook". Electronic Gaming Monthly (EGM Media, LLC) (53): p. 100. December 1993. "DQ5 (the only SFC game in the series) sold close to 3 million last year."
- ↑ http://garaph.info/softwareindividual.php//gid/2470
- ↑ Dragon Quest V, DS sales:
- Japan: 1.44 million
- Original release: 1.36 million
- Ultimate Hits: 77,041
- Overseas: 130,000
- Europe: 70,000
- North America: 60,000
- Japan: 1.44 million
- ↑ https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.square_enix.android_googleplay.dq5
- ↑ Dragon Quest VI
- Super Famicom: 3.2 million units (by March 2000) at ¥12,312 ($151) = $483.2 million
- ↑ http://gamerinvestments.com/video-game-stocks/index.php/2011/03/10/february-2011-npd-u-s-hardware-and-software-sales-data/
- ↑ February 2011 Video Game Sales Down 5%
- ↑ https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.square_enix.android_googleplay.dq6
- ↑ Dragon Quest VI
- ↑ US Sales (1995-2003)
- ↑ http://nintendoeverything.com/september-2016-npd-debut-yo-kai-watch-2-and-dragon-quest-vii-sales-wii-u-and-3ds-hardware-performance/
- ↑ https://jp.ign.com/square-enix/17748/opinion/ffdqrpg
- ↑ http://garaph.info/softwareindividual.php//gid/2471
- ↑ Niizumi, Hirohiko (January 30, 2006). Four million Dragon Quest VIIIs shipped. GameSpot. Retrieved on February 9, 2007.
- ↑ Dragon Quest IX: About the Developers. Level-5 (2009-03-31). Retrieved on 2012-02-26.
- ↑ Dragon Quest VIII revenue:
- ↑ https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.square_enix.android_googleplay.dq8
- ↑ https://www.neogaf.com/threads/media-create-sales-cy-2016-2016-jan-04-2017-jan-01.1427978/
- ↑ Dragon Quest VIII revenue:
- Android: 50,000+ at $14.99 = $750,000
- ↑ Ishaan (January 27, 2011). Here's How Much Dragon Quest IX Sold Overseas. Siliconera. Retrieved on 2011-02-01.
- ↑ Dragon Quest IX revenue:
- ↑ http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2014-03-27/dragon-quest-x-online-sells-1-million-copies
- ↑ 43.0 43.1 43.2 43.3 43.4 43.5 43.6 43.7 43.8 https://sites.google.com/site/gamedatalibrary/
- ↑ Dragon Quest X Online revenue:
- Sales: $116 million
- 2012-2013 - 1 million units at ¥8980 ($110) = $110 million
- 3DS (2014) - 141,845 units at ¥4104 ($40) = $6 million
- Subscriptions: $13 per month = $229 million
- August-December 2012 - 400,000 subscribers = $26 million
- 2013 - 400,000 subscribers = $62.4 million
- 2014-2016 - 300,000 subscribers = $140.4 million
- Sales: $116 million
- ↑ https://www.gematsu.com/2020/09/dragon-quest-xi-s-echoes-of-an-elusive-age-definitive-edition-tgs-2020-online-trailer-dragon-quest-xi-shipments-and-digital-sales-top-six-million
- ↑ 46.0 46.1 https://steamspy.com/app/742120
- ↑ https://sites.google.com/site/gamedatalibrary/famitsu-archive
- ↑ 7.7812 million units at ¥6458 ($63)
- ↑ Nutt, Christian (8 July 2015). Pokemon is dethroned: Japan's bestselling games for 2014. Gamasutra. UBM TechWeb. Retrieved on 9 July 2015.
- ↑ 50.0 50.1 50.2 50.3 Nintendo GBA Japanese Ranking. Japan Game Charts (2008-07-08). Archived from the original on December 30, 2008. Retrieved on 2008-07-11.
- ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20090303232642/www.japan-gamecharts.com/ds.php
- ↑ http://nintendoeverything.com/media-create-sales-22717-3517/
- ↑ https://press.na.square-enix.com/DRAGON-QUEST-MONSTERS-THE-DARK-PRINCE-SHIPS-OVER-1-MILLION-UNITS-WORLD
- ↑ 1999 Top 100 Best Selling Japanese Console Games
- ↑ 1.692 million units at ¥7344 [7][8][9] ($72)
- ↑ 56.0 56.1 Sony PS2 Japanese Ranking. Japan-GameCharts. Retrieved on 2009-07-23.
- ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20050206213906/www.the-magicbox.com/Chart-BestSell2004.shtml
- ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20060407094357/www.the-magicbox.com/Chart-BestSell2005.shtml
- ↑ http://garaph.info/softwareindividual.php//gid/3390
- ↑ 614,293 units at ¥7344 ($83)
- ↑ Dragon Quest VII Already Sold 1 Million in Japan. Arkade.me (2013-02-13). Archived from the original on October 5, 2013. Retrieved on 2013-10-05.
- ↑ GEIMIN.NET/2008年テレビゲームソフト売り上げTOP500(メディアクリエイト版)
- ↑ 63.0 63.1 FY2007 First-Half Period Results Briefing Session. Square Enix (2007-11-19). Archived from the original on 2012-02-13. Retrieved on 2009-01-13.
- ↑ Romano, Sal (July 28, 2015). Dragon Quest Heroes II Slated Spring 2016 in Japan. Gematsu. Retrieved on July 28, 2015.
- ↑ 65.0 65.1 65.2 Media Create Sales: CY 2020 (2019 Dec 30 – 2021 Jan 03). ResetEra (4 June 2021).
- ↑ 66.0 66.1 66.2 Digital Sales. Game Data Library. Famitsu.
- ↑ https://playtracker.net/insight/game/5143
- ↑ 1.067 million units at ¥8424 ($96)
- ↑ 69.0 69.1 Game Search and Digital Sales. Game Data Library. Famitsu.
- ↑ https://playtracker.net/insight/game/6458
- ↑ https://press.na.square-enix.com/DRAGON-QUEST-BUILDERS-2-PUSHES-PAST-11-MILLION-IN-WORLDWIDE-SHIPMENTS-
- ↑ https://www.hd.square-enix.com/eng/news/pdf/20230623_SQEXHD_NewsRelease_HRannouncement.pdf
- ↑ FY2007 First-Half Period Results Briefing Session. Square Enix (2007-11-19). Archived from the original on 2012-02-13. Retrieved on 2009-01-13.
- ↑ Outline of Results Briefing. Square Enix (23 May 2008). Retrieved on 18 May 2012.
- ↑ 75.0 75.1 Currency Conversion. XE.com. Retrieved on 13 April 2012.
- ↑ Outline of Results Briefing by SQUARE ENIX HOLDINGS held on November 7, 2008. Square-Enix.com. Retrieved on 20 December 2008.
- ↑ Top Manga Properties in 2008 - Rankings and Circulation Data. Comipress (2008-12-31). Retrieved on 2013-08-18.
- ↑ Businesses. Square Enix (May 16, 2017).
- ↑ http://www.generasia.com/wiki/1990_Oricon_Top_100_Albums
- ↑ 80.0 80.1 Greening, Chris. Square Enix Album Sales. Square Enix Music Online. Retrieved on 5 August 2011.
- ↑ http://aramajapan.com/news/chart/girls-generation-and-exile-top-the-weekly-oricon-charts-721-727/4373/
- ↑ http://www.generasia.com/wiki/Oricon_Weekly_for_2018_week_5
- ↑ https://jmanmoonwalkdotcom.wordpress.com/2018/02/25/oricon-top-10-singles-and-top-10-albums-week-9-2018/
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