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Dragon Quest X Wii/Wii U to Be Franchise's 1st Online Game (Updated)

The game publisher Square Enix announced during its Monday press conference that the Dragon Quest X: Mezameshi Itsutsu no Shuzoku Online role-playing game will ship for the Nintendo Wii and Wii U consoles as the franchise's first online game. The game will feature five races — ogre, wedi, elf, dwarf, and pukuripo — from which each player can create three characters. The Wii version will ship next year, while the Wii U version will be released at a date to be determined.

Franchise creator Yuji Horii is serving as general director, and character designer Akira Toriyama and composer Kōichi Sugiyama also return. Producer Yōsuke Saitō and director Jin Fujisawa round out the staff.

The Wii version will come on a standard Wii disc plus USB memory. While there will not be a Nintendo 3DS version per se, players can transfer their characters to the portable system to "carry" them on the road. Square Enix will begin accepting beta testers in the near future. The suggested retail price and subscription fee for either the Wii or the Wii U version have not been set yet.

Square Enix also announced that the previously revealed Slime MoriMori 3 Dragon Quest and Itadaki Street games will ship on November 2 and December 1, respectively.

Update: More information added.

Image © 2012 Armor Project/Bird Studio/Square Enix

Update: Square Enix's frequently asked questions for the game indicate that the Wii or Wii U console has to have an Internet connection, even though the first few hours of the game can be played offline. Square Enix does confirm that a player can go through the basic gameplay solo. A player can create up to three characters, but each console can only handle one character and one player at a time.