Dragon Quest and Nier: Exploring the Connection Through Outsourced Development

Dragon Quest and Nier games might have more similarities than one might initially assume. A Square Enix producer recently revealed that both series rely significantly on outsourced development during production.

Insights from Yosuke Saito

At BitSummit Punch last month (as noted and translated by Genki_JPN on Twitter), Yosuke Saito – a producer known for games like Nier, Nier: Automata, the Replicant remaster, and Dragon Quest 11: Echoes of an Elusive Age, among others – shared that both RPG franchises employ a similar development approach. Specifically, neither series is developed entirely by in-house teams.

Outsourcing in Nier: Automata

For Nier: Automata, while Square Enix served as the publisher, the development itself was managed by PlatinumGames. The project also featured direction from series creator Yoko Taro and music composed by Keiichi Okabe, a Namco veteran and the current CEO of the music production studio Monaca.

Outsourcing in Dragon Quest

Similarly, Saito pointed out that most Dragon Quest titles have also utilized outsourced development. For example, he disclosed that between one-third and half of Dragon Quest 11 was developed internally by Square Enix, while the remainder was outsourced. A closer look at the game's credits (via MobyGames) reveals involvement from several other companies, including Orca and ILCA. Notably, ILCA later worked on Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl.

Enix's Legacy of Outsourcing

Genki noted that Enix, before its merger with Square, was primarily composed of producers and scriptwriters without its own internal development team. Instead, the company collaborated with Dragon Quest creator Yuji Horii to select outsourcing teams for each game.

Looking Ahead to Dragon Quest 12

This outsourcing trend is expected to continue with Dragon Quest 12: Beyond Dreams. During the time the game was still referred to as The Flames of Fate, it was confirmed that Orca and HEXADRIVE would co-develop the title alongside Square Enix (as reported by Gematsu). However, recent updates about a "team reshuffle and development restart" have left the current status unclear. Nonetheless, given the franchise's history, it seems highly probable that Square Enix will once again rely on outsourced developers for this project.

Fan Reactions to the New Protagonist

Meanwhile, Dragon Quest fans have shared mixed opinions about the new protagonist, criticizing his fatigued and unconventional appearance. Some fans jokingly remarked, "So unattractive they had to clarify he was designed by Akira Toriyama."