Thanks to the recent success of Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake and Dragon Quest VII Reimagined, it seems that the popularity of the Dragon Quest franchise is as strong as ever. However, Japanese gamers and X users alike suggest that Japanese youth recently seem way less enthusiastic about classic JRPG franchises such as Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy, with some having never played a single entry in the series.
Post translation:
Me: “Dragon Quest has been getting a lot of attention lately with all the remakes. It may be overtaking Final Fantasy in terms of popularity. Come to think of it, which franchise does the younger crowd prefer, Dragon Quest or Final Fantasy? I’ll ask them.”
Youngster A: “Pokémon.”
Youngster B: “Pokémon.”
Youngster C: “Pokémon.”
Youngster D: “Pokémon. I’ve never played Dragon Quest or Final Fantasy.”
Me: “…”
Game artist turned manga author Noriba initiated the discussion on their personal X account. The post garnered numerous comments, with many speculating as to why older RPG franchises aren’t as popular anymore.
One popular theory focuses on how the relevance of the aforementioned franchises is affected by the development times of their mainline titles. Whereas mainline Pokémon games and their DLC have been releasing roughly every year since 1996, the last mainline Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy titles came out in 2017 and 2023, respectively. To be precise, Dragon Quest XI released around five years after its predecessor, and Final Fantasy XVI came roughly seven years after Final Fantasy XV. This does not count remasters or remakes such as Dragon Quest VII Reimagined and Final Fantasy VII Rebirth.
While the changes to some mainline Pokémon games aren’t as striking as those in Dragon Quest or Final Fantasy titles, yearly/semi-yearly releases combined with ventures to other genres and platforms have allowed it to stay popular (and profitable) to Japanese youths and their parents.
Considering the average wait between mainline Dragon Quest games ranges from five to ten years, children would have either graduated elementary/middle school before another title is released or never experienced one at all. No matter the case, the lull in releases wouldn’t allow either of the two series to leave a lasting impact on the childhood of today’s youths.
That’s nothing to say of the legacy that these classic RPGs carry. In addition to Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy titles carrying numbers in their titles (making it seem that people need to play earlier entries in the series), some veteran players notice that recent entries are more geared toward longtime players.
There are other theories, such as one that cites a recent survey by Gem Standard, saying that younger gamers tend to prefer more popular, twitch-based multiplayer titles such as Apex Legends, Fortnite, and Valorant. On the other hand, the research suggests that Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy series have more popularity among older users. Another theory talks about the availability of consoles, with systems like the Nintendo Switch and Switch 2 being cheaper and more accessible than a PlayStation 5.
While it isn’t fair to say that all Japanese youths are more inclined to play popular games than classic RPGs, there’s no denying that the number of overall video games available has dramatically changed in recent years, providing kids with more options than ever before. Despite this new environment, it stands that whatever media a person is exposed to during their childhood will likely stick with them for life.
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