User:Zenithian/Sandbox

= Dragon Quest in North America =

Dragon Quest fans in North America have endured many changes. After the initial efforts by Nintendo and Enix America Corporation, a large fanbase existed, numbering in the tens of thousands. Many of these fans have remained loyal to the series despite its tumultuous history outside of Japan.

1989: Dragon Warrior
Nintendo of America localized the first Dragon Quest as Dragon Warrior in 1989. The year before, Enix Corporation release Dragon Quest III in Japan, eagerly awaited by huge crowds. Nintendo had hoped for similar success in North America, producing hundreds of thousands of units. When the game did not sell as well as they had hoped, games were paired as a bonus for Nintendo Power subscriptions and renewals. Some, however, had found Dragon Warrior to be what they were looking for - an enduring story, a challenge, and/or replay value.

1995: Enix America Corporation Closes
Despite efforts to release another Dragon Warrior, Enix America Corporation finally closed its doors sometime in 1995 or 1996. Many of Enix's fans longed for another Dragon Warrior, even years later.

1997: Dustin's DQ Shrine, Dragon's Den, and the Bring Dragon Quest Back to the U.S. Campaign
In 1997, the internet was beginning to expand and gain mainstream acceptance. A few Dragon Warrior fans wondered what had become of the series, and their search eventually led them to form fan sites and shrines dedicated to DraQue - a common Japanese portemanteau of Dragon and Quest. Two of these fan sites have endured the ups and downs of a decade, and have grown to become the largest Dragon Quest fan sites in North America - Dragon's Den and the DQ Shrine.

1999: Dragon Warrior Monsters and the Return of Enix
In 1999, Enix Corporation partnered with Eidos to publish Dragon Warrior Monsters in North America. It was the first Dragon Quest title to be localized by someone other than Enix since Dragon Warrior IV in 1992, and was significant in that it allowed players to face every boss monster from the first six titles in the series. Two of these bosses had never officially been available to fans in North America - Mirudraas and Deathmore.

2001: Dragon Warrior VII
In 2001, after selling over 4 million units in Japan, Enix released Dragon Warrior VII to audiences in North America.

2003: Mergers and Acquisitions?
In April, Enix Corporation acquired Square Co. Ltd, and renamed itself Square Enix Co., Ltd.

2004: Still no Dragon Quest V
During 2004, a number of fans petitioned Square Enix to localize and release a remade Dragon Quest V for Playstation 2. Square Enix has not localized the game.

2005: Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King
In November, Square Enix released Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King in North America. It was the first to be released without being renamed Dragon Warrior and the first localized game to carry a subtitle.