Monster Hunter World is a huge success for Capcom, although it was a big risk to bring the franchise to the PS4 and Xbox One consoles. However, the publisher hit the right horse, says producer Ryozo Tsujimoto, stating that the shift from handhelds to consoles contributed to the monster hunting becoming such a big hit.
Who is speaking? The producer of Monster Hunter World, Ryozo Tsujimoto, recently talked in an interview about Monster Hunter World and the future of the franchise.
It was also mentioned that Monster Hunter World became such an incredible success for Capcom. By now, the title is the fastest-selling game of the company, breaking numerous sales records.
In August 2018, Capcom reported that Monster Hunter World sold over 10 million units.
According to the producer, two factors were responsible for the success, which actually posed a risk for Capcom.
What led to the success? According to Tsujimoto, two decisions made the game a hit: the jump to the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 consoles and the simultaneous worldwide release.
The Monster Hunter series is already over 14 years old and was originally designed for consoles. However, the games only became truly successful when they were ported to handhelds, the producer reveals.
The franchise was very successful in Japan, but could never make a name for itself outside of its home country. Capcom even stopped localizing the MH games until Nintendo picked up the franchise for the 3DS and brought it to the West.
The company had already considered strategies to make the game appealing to the West.
Western hunters wanted to play on the big TV
The fact that Capcom decided to bring Monster Hunter World to consoles was a big risk, but it paid off.
According to Tsujimoto, the fanbase of the game in the West has grown with the latest installment of the series because these players wanted to play Monster Hunter on the big screen. The focus on handhelds, according to the producer, had rather held the series back in the West.
Furthermore, Monster Hunter World was also released for PC.
Another point was the simultaneous worldwide release. The other Monster Hunter titles were always released first in Japan and then later localized for other parts of the world. Thus, players in the West already learned a lot about the game and the news and could never be part of the excitement around a new Monster Hunter live.
What’s next? On September 6, the first expansion for Monster Hunter World, Iceborne, will be released. PC players are expected to enjoy the new content in winter.
Iceborne introduces a new, snowy continent and new monsters. Additionally, there are more mechanics, like a dynamic difficulty level or a new grappling hook.
