There have been many gaming surprises in 2024, and not all of those surprises have been good. However, there are times when the surprises aren’t just good, but they’re eye-opening. Let’s take the launch of Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake. Depending on the gamer you are, you likely were either really pumped for this release or you weren’t that interested in it, as you never really played the franchise before. Given the series’ age, both options were valid, and it was going to be interesting to see how the game sold across the three main regions. Well, in Japan, it sold like hotcakes, setting a record as it did so.
As noted by Genki on Twitter, the Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake sold over 821,000 physical copies in Japan. Keep that “physical” word in mind for now, okay? That sales number was from the game’s first week of launch, and it’s sold incredibly across the Nintendo Switch and the PS5, as you’ll see below. It apparently did so well that not only was it the top two spots on the sales chart, but the game sold ten times more than anything on the list…combined!!!! So, yeah, it did really well.
Genki fairly points out at the end that with this just being the physical console numbers, when you add in the digital sales and potential PC sales, the RPG is definitely over a million sold in Japan and likely double that when you add in the US, the UK, and other areas. In other words, this HD-2D remake is a bonafide hit, which Square Enix absolutely needs right now.
Plus, that line from Genki about it being the “best-selling game in Japan of 2024” is accurate, further highlighting just how special this launch is. While Japan may have been the reason the gaming industry survived some serious scares, including the crash of 1983, in modern times, it’s more focused on mobile titles, especially gacha games. Thus, for them to go full-tilt for this game and buy it in spades shows just how important the title was for them.
What will be interesting going forward is how the other two remakes that Square Enix is making will do. Remember, Square Enix is remaking the entire Erdrick trilogy, with the third title being the first to get the remake treatment because it is the beginning of the story.
No matter what, this is a huge win for both series and RPG fans.
