The official Japanese website for Dragon Quest X indicates that the game will carry a subscription fee...

Players of Dragon Quest X in Japan will have to pay an "additional fee" to play online, the game's official website has confirmed. While the page was no more specific, it suggests that a subscription fee will be put in place for the MMO-esque title.

It is especially significant since it was also confirmed that the game can only be played offline for the "first few hours".

To put it bluntly, it seems as though Square-Enix needs a sustainable cash-cow after the failure of Final Fantasy XIV, and a MMO take on Japan's largest franchise would potentially be the most lucrative option to take.

It must be remembered that no additional charge has been confirmed for western players. On the contrary, Nintendo are still on course to publish the game in North American and PAL territories. The precedent for Nintendo to waive subscription fees for the west is there - Capcom's Monster Hunter series requires such a fee in Japan, but Monster Hunter Tri was free to take online everywhere else under the banner of Nintendo.

With Nintendo vociferous about their commitment to push the series in the west, where it still has a markedly lower install base than its homeland, we'd go out on a limb and say it's unlikely any subscription fee will be required to play Dragon Quest X over here. Still, it's always best to wait for confirmation before betting your hopes either way.

Dragon Quest X is due out on Wii in Japan in 2012. A Wii U version has also been confirmed.