Dragon Quest X: Rise of the Five Tribes Online was formally announced in Tokyo this morning. Initially confirmed in 2008, the game is now unveiled to be a online role-playing game for Nintendo Wii.

Take a second. “An online game… for Wii?” You’re confused, I know. We were, too.

Developed internally by Square Enix for the first time (not by Level-5, who regularly develops the series), Dragon Quest X is set in Astortia, a world of five continents and five races. It will have a “huge” story, according to producer Yosuke Saito.

The game will have a job change system. Additional jobs and quests will be added post-release. As most MMOs go, Dragon Quest X will have special events depending on the current season (Halloween, New Year’s, etc.)

According to Saito, you’ll be able to clear the game fully on your own. You will not have to play with others if that’s not your thing – you can party with NPC characters instead.

Players will create their own character and, like past Dragon Quest games, assemble a party at the pub. On stage, director Jin Fujisawa demonstrated the game as he adventured with an NPC. Other players can be seen fighting in the same world. If one of them falls, you can help revive them. When you’re not signed in, you can allow your friends to use your character in their parties.

You can create weapons that can be used by other people, create your own home, and invite over friends.

Closing the conference, Nintendo CEO Satoru Iwata took the stage to announce a Wii U version is also in development. Players on Wii U can continue playing from where they left off on Wii, Iwata noted. They’re looking into integrating 3DS compatibility, where players could transfer their characters to their handheld and share them with friends via StreetPass.

Dragon Quest X: Rise of the Five Tribes will launch in 2012. Details on a beta will be announced shortly.

The official website can be visited here. It provides few additional details. The game supports all Wii controllers: Wiimote + Nunchuck, Classic Controller, Classic Controller Pro, and even USB keyboard. The Wii version is listed for a 2012 release. The Wii U version is listed TBA.