Square Enix has announced that Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King will ship on November 22 in North America. When the game releases, it will also ship with a bonus disc featuring an exclusive playable demo of the North American version of Final Fantasy XII.

The company also plans to open the official site next week, which is currently only a splash page with a trailer for the game. Square Enix also has plans to put a registration on its site this week where gamers will be able to sign up for the Dragon Quest VIII demo to be sent to their house.

The changes to the game that have been made on its trek to North America include voice-overs, a full orchestral soundtrack, a completely renovated interface, new battle abilities, and improved animations. The company hopes that these changes will not only make the game more accessible for new gamers but also keep the title true to its Japanese counterpart.

For those who live in PAL territories, the game is scheduled for a first quarter release, though it is unknown whether Square Enix will be handling the title's release or if another company, such as SCEE, will take care of publishing. In North America Dragon Quest VIII has an MSRP of $49.99 and has been rated "T" for Teen.