Sony has recently shown a knack for reviving some slumbering online games by releasing them for free on PS4. After For Honor in February and Conan Exiles in April, it looks like Monster Hunter World might be next. However, the trial on PlayStation 4 is time-limited.
This effect has Sony’s favor: Online games that become temporarily free via PS Plus are experiencing a renaissance on PS4 lately.
In February, PS Plus woke up the slaughter game For Honor, which then experienced a slight resurgence.
In April, the barbarians of Conan Exiles were next. The surge was particularly noticeable with Conan Exiles: the survival MMO suddenly experienced its third spring.
Google Trends shows: The graph represents the relative search interest for Conan Exiles.
As seen: Conan Exiles was only searched as frequently as at the PS Plus launch during its early access launch in 2017 and the official release in 2018.
This effect on Google Trends is usually only seen with major expansions or huge upheavals in older games.
Normally, very few games achieve even close to the hype level and search interest that results from a release.
The appearance on PS Plus is therefore a powerful tool for publishers.
What about Monster Hunter World? For Monster Hunter World, Sony is taking a different approach this time:
- The game is not available for free for a month if you have PS Plus, like Conan Exiles
- but Monster Hunter World is only free to play for a few days – you still need PS Plus, though. The offer lasts until May 20.
Why so short? Unlike Conan Exiles, Monster Hunter World is much more geared towards single-player. If players were given 30 days, dedicated players could complete the monster hunting for free and would have little reason to buy the game afterward.
What’s behind this: Capcom surely hopes this offer will increase attention among PS4 players and grow the player base, especially with a major expansion, Iceborne, coming in September.
There’s hope that players will fall in love with Monster Hunter World during the 10 days, take advantage of the low price, and then pay full price for Iceborne in September.
Will it work? Now we have to wait and see if Monster Hunter World can benefit from a resurgence in the few days that the free offer is still available, just like Conan Exiles did before.
The game is already quite distinctive. And players had the opportunity to test MHW for free in a beta before its release:
- Those who liked the game back then probably bought it long ago.
- Those who were put off by the controls or the look of the huntress will hesitate again.
But the trial offers a chance to peek in for free once again and play further than during the beta. Many think Monster Hunter World only reveals its charm after several hours, when the complexity becomes clearer.
If players decide to buy Monster Hunter World during the trial, they can do so at a lower price – as there’s also a sale happening at Sony.
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