Square Enix just announced that Dragon Quest IX will be released for the DS.  It'll be out in the middle of 2007.  It's in 3D, developed by Level 5, and will have music by Sugiyama.  It is not a spinoff game.

http://www.famitsu.com/blog/express/2006/12/ixds.html

This is not a joke.

I was JUST gonna post that here.

The DS pretty much just solidified itself as the winner of... well, like, everything, as far as Japan is concerned.  Considering that it still takes preordering and waiting 3-4 weeks for anyone to get a DS over here (I'm well aware of this as I recently helped 3 people get them), how many new factories in China are they gonna have to open to cope with THIS news?

I'll bet it'll make the rush for Final Fantasy III pale in comparison.

But yeah...GREAT news. The fact that the DS is being entrusted with a MAJOR installment of a popular series, and not a remake or a spinoff, clearly shows S-E's confidence in the system.

When I saw this news this morning, I had to go all over to re-confirm 'cause it just seemed like a joke.

But damn, this is huge for Nintendo.  And so much for the PSP.  We all knew it was over by now in the handheld market, but this just solidifies it. 

Hopefully this will lead to some Wii games too.

I saw the pics at gamesarefun.com, and they look surprisingly polished.  I didn't think the DS could handle it.

My DS has always been where the real gaming action's been.  My PSP is a replacement iPod (since mine died) that can conveniently play Valkyrie Profile and the new Metal Gear game (which I haven't opened yet)

They also say the game's been in development for over a year, and it really does show. IGN has some additional info: http://ds.ign.com/articles/750/750590p1.html

I especially love this part:

"Kouichi Sugiyama will be lending his talents to the game's soundtrack. And all future Dragon Quest soundtracks, it seems, as he took the stage today to say "I will continue making Dragon Quest music until I die.""

This really is a huge get for Nintendo. I wonder if it lends more credence to the rumor that a FF VII remake is on the way for DS?

I really would prefer FFVII remake to come to the Wii.  I kinda think Square might be regretting putting FFXIII on the PS3; I think, unlike FFVII, the FF's aren't much of system sellers any longer.  If I recall correctly, recent numbers reveal that FFXII has vastly been outsold by 360's Gears of War in spite of FFXII's two or so weeks headstart.

Perhaps they should consider challenging Mistwalker and port FFXIII to the 360 so it could reach a more sizable market.

Yeah, I loved hearing (reading, rather) him say that too.  Very powerful!  How old is he now?  80-something maybe?  Long live, Sugiyama-san!

He's seventy-five.

Interesting... I don't have a DS. Then again, I didn't care for DQVIII so I'm not too heartbroken.

Glad to see Sugiyama is his usual exuberent self (although it would have been nice to have the game on a system where the music could be orchestrated again).

Nope, 75...just 10 months older than John Williams.

-Joshua

This news, while strange, is still good to me.

Or it was, until I saw that it's an "action/RPG" ... in the mainline Dragon Quest series.
20 years with the same battle system and you change it now? Horii, what are you thinking?
Ugh.

It will likely be orchestrated for a 16 pieces orchestra, it just won't be played by live musicians. =P

So DQ9 is for DS.  Hmmm.  I'm a little disappointed in Squenix for this.  I mean, sure, they'll make far more money this way since every man, woman, and child in Japan has at least one DS and the development costs will be a tiny fraction of what they would have been on PS3, but it kind of removes the tension of picking either PS3 or Wii.  Putting it on DS is the boring, safe choice. :-)

Cheeky...
But I like it!
*high-fives Datschge*

I'll say that I'm more interested in DQ9 now that it's on the DS instead of the consoles. It'll give me something to do during my commute to and from work (assuming I've mastered all the skills in Castlevania PR by then...).

Official trailer with in game footage available here:
http://www.square-enix.co.jp/dragonquest/20th/DQ9.html

The game looks far better in motion than I'd imagined it would.

With the long flight home coming up am preparing by catching up on DS games (Castlevania, Oendan, etc).  Along with the DQ9 news I'm actually getting a bit excited over a portable system for the first time since... ever.