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Media Create Sales: Week 19, 2012 (May 07 - May 13)

A Vita MonHun title is inevitable imho. Its simply unthinkable that CapCom wouldn't at least try to reconnect with that audience.

I don't know, i used to think this but now i'm not sure capcom will do this. The fact that vita is struggling as much as it is only makes it more likely.
 

Clear

CliffyB's Cock Holster
frankie_baby said:
That implies it was Sony loyalists buying monster hunter and not monster hunter loyalists buying monster hunter

Its less a question of why support MH on Vita, than why not.

Point being MHF3 gave PSP its best week of sales ever (6 years from launch) at the end of November 2010, it was a definitive system seller on a Sony platform so current install-base isn't that big of a factor in terms of risk.

That's a lot of upside to both Sony and CapCom to take the chance; even if its just with a mildly enhanced port of MH4.
 
The only way to see MH on PSVita, imo, is a port of Portable 3rd (or a Portable 3rd-G) this fall. 2013 will be MH4 time, which is 3DS exclusive; it seems unlikely Capcom will release two main MH during the same fiscal year.
 

Clear

CliffyB's Cock Holster
Guys if they put a version of MH on 360 in Japan... Vita's install-base isn't going to worry them!
 
The only way to see MH on PSVita, imo, is a port of Portable 3rd (or a Portable 3rd-G) this fall. 2013 will be MH4 time, which is 3DS exclusive; it seems unlikely Capcom will release two main MH during the same fiscal year.
MH3G was a base building warmup, Capcom pretty clearly wants to consolidate their audience on 3DS leading into MH4.

This really leaves Vita in a tough spot. It's not going to get a MH before MH4 because Capcom won't want to split their base, but after MH4 it's probably too late anyway.
 
Its less a question of why support MH on Vita, than why not.

Point being MHF3 gave PSP its best week of sales ever (6 years from launch) at the end of November 2010, it was a definitive system seller on a Sony platform so current install-base isn't that big of a factor in terms of risk.

That's a lot of upside to both Sony and CapCom to take the chance; even if its just with a mildly enhanced port of MH4.

Easier to sell systems that a third of the Mon hun loyalists have already upgraded to
 

Clear

CliffyB's Cock Holster
frankie_baby said:
A quick and easy port of the PC version, yeah that's comparable

A platform that's been failing for 6 months versus that a platform that's been failing (in Japan) for 6 years... that's "comparable" too. 360 has barely more than double Vita's install base now!
 

Stumpokapow

listen to the mad man
Japanese Sony loyalists who haven't converted to 3DS. Kind of a lot of them.

For a future Vita Monster Hunter to sell the same as Monster Hunter 3G sold on 3DS, every single person that owns a Vita would have to buy the game, and 800,000 people would have to buy a Vita (at $250) and buy the game.

The highest attach rate on the 3DS is 27%. The highest attach rate on the PSP is 24%. On the PS2 is 16.1. On the DS is 19%. On the PS3 is 23%. If we take MHP3 (the highest selling installment of the series)'s lifetime sales, and compare those against the PSP's lifetime sales at the point of release (IE today's software as numerator + two year old hardware as denominator) it'd have been a 28% attach rate.

For a hypothetical MH Vita to sell what Monster Hunter 3G sold on 3DS with a 28% attach rate, the Vita would have to sell 4.45 million more units, 644% more hardware than it has sold life to date. If Sony makes their annual shipment target for Vita (doubtful) and a full 50% of all Vitas shipped are shipped to Japan (incredibly doubtful), the Vita would hit this milestone somewhere around next spring-summer.

And that's assuming there's absolutely no downward pressure on Vita MH sales from 3G and 4 being on 3DS and that 100% of the buyers we're talking about are, as you say, Sony loyalists.

A platform that's been failing for 6 months versus that a platform that's been failing (in Japan) for 6 years... that's "comparable" too. 360 has barely more than double Vita's install base now!

Well then if we're counting that, MHP3 is playable on Vita! Vita already has a Monster Hunter game! But it moots out your original point that there was "a lot" of "Sony loyalists" who Capcom needs to "reach out to" by releasing an MH Vita, not that a quick project with the Monster Hunter name that sells one or two hundred thousand is possible. You can't have your cake and eat it too.
 

Chris1964

Sales-Age Genius
Famitsu Sales: Week 19, 2012 (Apr 30 - May 06)

01./02. [WII] Mario Party 9 <ETC> (Nintendo) {2012.04.26} (¥5.800) - 142.662 / 306.293 (-13%)
02./01. [PS3] Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City <ACT> (Capcom) {2012.04.26} (¥6.990) - 51.364 / 297.003 (-79%)
03./03. [3DS] Fire Emblem: Awakening <SLG> (Nintendo) {2012.04.19} (¥4.800) - 40.268 / 367.195 (-38%)
04./10. [3DS] Super Mario 3D Land # <ACT> (Nintendo) {2011.11.03} (¥4.800) - 22.331 / 1.577.618 (+57%)
05./07. [3DS] Monster Hunter 3G # <ACT> (Capcom) {2011.12.10} (¥5.800) - 20.775 / 1.409.539 (+24%)
06./15. [3DS] Mario Kart 7 <RCE> (Nintendo) {2011.12.01} (¥4.800) - 20.750 / 1.692.959 (+83%)
07./13. [3DS] Kid Icarus: Uprising <ACT> (Nintendo) {2012.03.22} (¥5.800) - 18.458 / 277.176 (+49%)
08./18. [3DS] Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games <SPT> (Nintendo) {2012.03.01} (¥4.800) - 12.217 / 161.460 (+74%)
09./21. [WII] Wii Sports Resort # <SPT> (Nintendo) {2009.06.25} (¥4.800) - 9.919 / 2.875.615 (+73%)
10./23. [WII] Wii Party # <ETC> (Nintendo) {2010.07.08} (¥4.800) - 9.332 / 2.270.075 (+83%)
11./05. [PSP] Conception: Please Give Birth to My Child! <RPG> (Spike Chunsoft) {2012.04.26} (¥6.279) - 9.317 / 37.385 (-67%)
12./22. [NDS] Pokemon Conquest <SLG> (Pokemon Co.) {2012.03.17} (¥5.800) - 8.504 / 317.463 (+52%)
13./08. [3DS] Dynasty Warriors Vs. <ACT> (Koei Tecmo) {2012.04.26} (¥6.090) - 8.344 / 23.951 (-47%)
14./20. [PSP] Pro Baseball Spirits 2012 <SPT> (Konami) {2012.03.29} (¥5.980) - 8.206 / 124.063 (+39%)
15./16. [3DS] Kingdom Hearts 3D -Dream Drop Distance- # <RPG> (Square Enix) {2012.03.29} (¥6.090) - 8.124 / 315.630 (-1%)
16./24. [3DS] Harvest Moon: The Land of Origin <SLG> (Marvelous AQL) {2012.02.23} (¥5.040) - 7.227 / 175.704 (+57%)
17./19. [PS3] Pro Baseball Spirits 2012 <SPT> (Konami) {2012.03.29} (¥7.980) - 6.357 / 150.343 (+2%)
18./25. [3DS] Cho-ricchi! Tamagotchi no Puchi Puchi Omisecchi <ETC> (Bandai Namco Games) {2012.04.19} (¥5.040) - 6.230 / 19.403 (+37%)
19./17. [PSP] 2nd Super Robot Wars Z: Saisei-hen <SLG> (Bandai Namco Games) {2012.04.05} (¥7.330) - 6.058 / 306.985 (-23%)
20./00. [WII] Go Vacation <ETC> (Bandai Namco Games) {2011.10.20} (¥5.800) - 5.882 / 291.146 (+92%)
21./00. [WII] Mario Kart Wii <RCE> (Nintendo) {2008.04.10} (¥5.800) - 5.735 / 3.502.789 (+85%)
22./00. [WII] Just Dance Wii <ACT> (Nintendo) {2011.10.13} (¥5.800) - 5.490 / 597.295 (+74%)
23./27. [PSP] Monster Hunter Freedom 3 (PSP the Best) <ACT> (Capcom) {2011.09.22} (¥2.990) - 5.077 / 246.753 (+27%)
24./00. [3DS] Nintendogs + Cats: French Bulldog / Shiba / Toy Poodle & New Friends <ETC> (Nintendo) {2011.02.26} (¥4.800) - 5.034 / 526.554 (+86%)
25./06. [PSP] Steins;Gate: Hiyoku Renri no Darling # <ADV> (5pb.) {2012.04.26} (¥6.090) - 4.957 / 31.538 (-81%)
26./00. [3DS] One Piece: Unlimited Cruise SP <ADV> (Bandai Namco Games) {2011.05.26} (¥6.090) - 4.005 / 265.426
27./00. [NDS] Pokemon Black / White # <RPG> (Pokemon Co.) {2010.09.18} (¥4.800) - 3.956 / 5.439.785 (+43%)
28./29. [NDS] Detective Conan: Prelude from the Past <ADV> (Bandai Namco Games) {2012.04.19} (¥5.040) - 3.918 / 15.800 (+8%)
29./04. [PSV] Ciel Nosurge: Ushinawareta Hoshi e Sasagu Uta # <ETC> (Gust) {2012.04.26} (¥5.040) - 3.609 / 34.944 (-88%)
30./00. [WII] Taiko no Tatsujin Wii: Definitive Edition # <ACT> (Bandai Namco Games) {2011.11.23} (¥5.040) - 3.557 / 222.555

Top 30

3DS - 12
WII - 7
PSP - 5
NDS - 3
PS3 - 2
PSV - 1

SOFTWARE
Code:
------------------------------------------------
|System | This Week  | Last Week  | Last Year  |
------------------------------------------------
|  WII  |      29,0% |      20,8% |      16,5% |
|  3DS  |      28,7% |      19,9% |       7,6% |
|  PS3  |      17,0% |      32,5% |      14,6% |
|  PSP  |      13,8% |      16,1% |      29,6% |
|  NDS  |       7,4% |       4,2% |      29,0% |
|  PSV  |       2,5% |       4,4% |       0,0% |
|  360  |       1,4% |       2,2% |       2,0% |
|  OTH  |       0,1% |       0,1% |       0,1% |
------------------------------------------------

HARDWARE
Code:
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|System | This Week  | Last Week  | Last Year  |     YTD    |  Last YTD  |     LTD     |
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|  3DS  |     88.226 |     71.282 |     26.107 |  1.794.692 |    975.393 |   5.930.431 |
|  PS3  |     26.339 |     23.372 |     19.752 |    588.935 |    517.752 |   8.006.083 |
| PSP # |     19.856 |     20.355 |     60.978 |    423.612 |    872.511 |  18.660.720 |
|  WII  |     15.198 |      9.207 |     10.968 |    223.502 |    362.808 |  12.391.245 |
|  PSV  |      9.141 |     11.167 |            |    273.414 |            |     676.208 |
|  360  |      1.293 |        970 |      2.943 |     23.318 |     55.089 |   1.544.056 |
| NDS # |        843 |        625 |     14.839 |     17.468 |    566.594 |  32.852.970 |
|  PS2  |        738 |        568 |      1.700 |     10.539 |     26.874 |  21.964.830 |
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|  ALL  |    161.634 |    137.546 |    137.287 |  3.355.480 |  3.377.021 | 102.026.543 |
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|  DSi  |        843 |        625 |     14.268 |     17.468 |    543.477 |   8.262.666 |
|  PSP  |     19.856 |     20.355 |     60.640 |    423.612 |    854.814 |  18.500.145 |
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 

SmokedMeat

Gamer™
These are almost all console IPs, though.

The problem with the PSP / Vita is that it keeps trying to convert console experience into the portable realm.

Luigi's Mansion, Animal Crossing, Mario Tennis, Fire Emblem....Oh right, only Nintendo's console games are allowed to work as portable games.
 

Erethian

Member
Its less a question of why support MH on Vita, than why not.

Point being MHF3 gave PSP its best week of sales ever (6 years from launch) at the end of November 2010, it was a definitive system seller on a Sony platform so current install-base isn't that big of a factor in terms of risk.

That's a lot of upside to both Sony and CapCom to take the chance; even if its just with a mildly enhanced port of MH4.

Why not just release any MH game on 3DS and get better sales?

Capcom certainly aren't obligated to make a Vita Monster Hunter. Or do anything at all to help the platform, for that matter. And there hasn't been any indication from them that better support is forthcoming, either.
 
A platform that's been failing for 6 months versus that a platform that's been failing (in Japan) for 6 years... that's "comparable" too. 360 has barely more than double Vita's install base now!

Well its not like vita is going to overtake the 360 Ltd any time soon
 

jakncoke

Banned
Yeah, but the 360 is doing very well in the US and Europe. While it's doing terrible in Japan, it also sold more than 3 times the userbase of the original Xbox over there and they didn't even try. The Vita otoh is doing terrible everywhere.

I dunno about that, The very reason the 360 surpassed Xbox is because how hard they went early on. They may have stopped recently, but early on they went hard as fuck after marketshare in Japan.
 

Erethian

Member
Luigi's Mansion, Animal Crossing, Mario Tennis, Fire Emblem....Oh right, only Nintendo's console games are allowed to work as portable games.

Yeah, it's an obvious double standard at times. But I think it's also a clumsy way of making the point that not all console experiences are desirable on a handheld.

Tales fans are a pretty obvious example of an audience who prefers the game have a big screen experience. The performance of Revelations might be an indication that it's the same for survival horror/action horror games. Basically console games that rely on a strong audio visual experience whether it be atmospheric visuals, lots of full motion video, lots of voice acting, that sort of stuff.

Nintendo benefits from having very few console franchises that play to those elements, so it's a lot easier when taking their games to handhelds. The end user loses very little in the transition.
 

Stumpokapow

listen to the mad man
Point being MHF3 gave PSP its best week of sales ever (6 years from launch) at the end of November 2010, it was a definitive system seller on a Sony platform so current install-base isn't that big of a factor in terms of risk.

Let's look at the MHP3/Holiday bump:
326.6->140.6->144.8->168->69

Let's assume 0% of this bump is Holiday related. 100% of it is MHP3 related. Let's further assume that we don't need to look at the PSP's baseline performance before that (30-40k a week, 75k the week immediately before).

The total number of units of hardware shifted over that period were 850k.

Let's now transplant that bump to the Vita. If 850k people bought a Vita, and every single person bought a Monster Hunter game, and every single person that already owned a Vita also bought a Monster Hunter game, that Monster Hunter game would still have only comparable sales to MH3G 3DS.

Certainly nothing to sneeze at, of course, but when your absolute fantasy scenario is simply doing as good as it is now, and that fantasy scenario is really, truly, utterly fantastic and involves literally a million strong throng of people who would rather pay $250 to buy a console they don't otherwise want to play a game that they can already play on a $160 console... I dunno man. I don't think it's a strong line of argument.
 

Clear

CliffyB's Cock Holster
Stumpokapow said:
Well then if we're counting that, MHP3 is playable on Vita! Vita already has a Monster Hunter game! But it moots out your original point that there was "a lot" of "Sony loyalists" who Capcom needs to "reach out to" by releasing an MH Vita, not that a quick project with the Monster Hunter name that sells one or two hundred thousand is possible. You can't have your cake and eat it too.

Any estimates on MHP3's digital sales in Japan PSN? That I think would be indicative of crossover appeal, and would certainly have a bearing on Capcom's thinking especially as the statements regarding MH4's "exclusivity" were made prior to Vita's launch.

But all this is besides the point; my initial statement was that a MH title would eventually show up on Vita because there is a large proven audience in owners of Sony hardware, as evidenced by the slightly disappointing performance of Mon Hun Tri on Wii compared to MHP3 on PSP the following year.

There's never been a question of MH being a platform exclusive series, so it strikes me as a no-brainer that Capcom would at least try again on Vita.
 

gogogow

Member
I dunno about that, The very reason the 360 surpassed Xbox is because how hard they went early on. They may have stopped recently, but early on they went hard as fuck after marketshare in Japan.

What I actually mean is that MS didn't keep trying and wasn't aggressive enough. And MS stopped like 4 years ago with getting meaningful exclusive games/JRPGs, with Tales of Vesperia being the last one.
 

Stumpokapow

listen to the mad man
What I actually mean is that MS didn't keep trying and wasn't aggressive enough. And MS stopped like 4 years ago with getting meaningful exclusive games/JRPGs, with Tales of Vesperia being the last one.

Some of it is MS stopping, but some of it is also Sony catching up. After the Slim PS3 when Sony started really racking up the userbase numbers, it just became obvious that no amount of subsidy from MS would actually be a better economic deal than releasing on PS3. There's also a lot of evidence to suggest multi-console ownership (namely, that the 360 version of multiplatforms has declined precipitously), so it's not clear you even "give anyone up" by going PS3 exclusive.
 
But all this is besides the point; my initial statement was that a MH title would eventually show up on Vita because there is a large proven audience in owners of portable hardware, as evidenced by the slightly disappointing performance of Mon Hun Tri on Wii compared to MHP3 on PSP the following year.

There's never been a question of MH being a platform exclusive series, so it strikes me as a no-brainer that Capcom would at least try again on Vita.

Fixed?
 
26./00. [3DS] One Piece: Unlimited Cruise SP <ADV> (Bandai Namco Games) {2011.05.26} (¥6.090) - 4.005 / 265.426

LOL this game. Almost one year old.
 

matmanx1

Member
How visible is the Vita platform in Japan? By that I mean how well is it advertised? Because I really feel like one of the early problems for the Vita in the US is the complete lack of visibility.

Outside of the Taco Bell promotion at launch I really can't recall seeing any real attempt at Vita advertising by Sony in the US. So not only is the Vita saddled with a high price and a lack of must have software there's likely a huge amount of potential buyers who aren't even aware of the thing.

I could be completely wrong in this but I think that if Sony can, in the next few months, 1) drop the price to no more than $250 for the 3G/ $200 for the wifi out the door (meaning with a decent sized memory card), 2) get PS1 support locked in and 3) actually get their product some visibility in the form of advertising then the sales needle will move in a positive direction.

Ultimately the Vita library is going to need more quality software in every market to have longterm viability but doing the 3 things I mentioned in the above paragraph would certainly be the right step towards increasing the install base so that 3rd parties aren't running for the hills. Thoughts?
 

ThatObviousUser

ὁ αἴσχιστος παῖς εἶ
A Vita MonHun title is inevitable imho. Its simply unthinkable that CapCom wouldn't at least try to reconnect with that audience.

Half of that audience belongs to the 3DS now, and the rest will move over when MH4 releases. Sony has to bet that Soul Sacrifice ends up being a MH-size hit, because they'll likely not get MH proper for a while.
 
How visible is the Vita platform in Japan? By that I mean how well is it advertised? Because I really feel like one of the early problems for the Vita in the US is the complete lack of visibility.

Outside of the Taco Bell promotion at launch I really can't recall seeing any real attempt at Vita advertising by Sony in the US. So not only is the Vita saddled with a high price and a lack of must have software there's likely a huge amount of potential buyers who aren't even aware of the thing.

I could be completely wrong in this but I think that if Sony can, in the next few months, 1) drop the price to no more than $250 for the 3G/ $200 for the wifi out the door (meaning with a decent sized memory card), 2) get PS1 support locked in and 3) actually get their product some visibility in the form of advertising then the sales needle will move in a positive direction.

Ultimately the Vita library is going to need more quality software in every market to have longterm viability but doing the 3 things I mentioned in the above paragraph would certainly be the right step towards increasing the install base so that 3rd parties aren't running for the hills. Thoughts?

I seem to remember reading that Sony were gonna hire people to harass customers in shops into buying vita, don't look like that worked though
 

Mpl90

Two copies sold? That's not a bomb guys, stop trolling!!!
Not a bad number, what was the last total we had for it?

240.584
IIRC, updated to the beginning of this year.

And seeing this result...Namco, can you hear me? One Piece Unlimited Cruise 3. On 3DS. You know I'm right. DO IT.
 

Erethian

Member
How visible is the Vita platform in Japan? By that I mean how well is it advertised? Because I really feel like one of the early problems for the Vita in the US is the complete lack of visibility.

8-4 crew said in a recent podcast it barely had a profile at all in Japan, no real store presence. Don't know how extensive that is, maybe someone like Vinnk can provide more anecdotal evidence.
 

Clear

CliffyB's Cock Holster
Cosmonaut X said:

Considering dedicated portable hardware in the Japanese market is basically a two-horse race between Sony and Nintendo, I think you're splitting hairs.

But, whatever.

I'd also say that a price-cut for Vita in Japan is similarly inevitable, but that's another story.
 
How visible is the Vita platform in Japan? By that I mean how well is it advertised? Because I really feel like one of the early problems for the Vita in the US is the complete lack of visibility.

Outside of the Taco Bell promotion at launch I really can't recall seeing any real attempt at Vita advertising by Sony in the US. So not only is the Vita saddled with a high price and a lack of must have software there's likely a huge amount of potential buyers who aren't even aware of the thing.

I could be completely wrong in this but I think that if Sony can, in the next few months, 1) drop the price to no more than $250 for the 3G/ $200 for the wifi out the door (meaning with a decent sized memory card), 2) get PS1 support locked in and 3) actually get their product some visibility in the form of advertising then the sales needle will move in a positive direction.

Ultimately the Vita library is going to need more quality software in every market to have longterm viability but doing the 3 things I mentioned in the above paragraph would certainly be the right step towards increasing the install base so that 3rd parties aren't running for the hills. Thoughts?

I can't speak for anywhere else but here in Australia i don't think i would have even know the vita existed if i didn't read GAF.
 

impact

Banned
It's the poster child for the Circle Pad Pro dude.

Also, free online added for western release BELIEVE!!
That thing is so hideous though. I was all for it despite the ugliness because I thought it would make the system more comfortable, then GAF told me it doesn't
 

ThatObviousUser

ὁ αἴσχιστος παῖς εἶ
That thing is so hideous though. I was all for it despite the ugliness because I thought it would make the system more comfortable, then GAF told me it doesn't

I was told it does, especially if you have big hands.

I've also been told it's actually unnecessary for Tri G due to the lock on and touchscreen controls.
 
Considering dedicated portable hardware in the Japanese market is basically a two-horse race between Sony and Nintendo, I think you're splitting hairs.

But, whatever.

I'd also say that a price-cut for Vita in Japan is similarly inevitable, but that's another story.

I think claiming that there's a big proven audience for MH on Sony hardware and using Tri as an example of an MH title "underperforming" on Nintendo hardware to demonstrate that, but *not* taking into account that the series only became a phenomenon when it hit a portable that offered local multi... well, it seems a slightly wobbly analysis. I don't think it's unfair to point that out.
 
And MS stopped like 4 years ago with getting meaningful exclusive games/JRPGs, with Tales of Vesperia being the last one.
Star Ocean 4 was really the last one.

After the RPG push though, Microsoft still made overtures to the otaku audience by incentivising STG and ADV developers. They also undoubtedly worked hard to get MHFO and FFXIII, and Kinect saw a decent "core" JP developer drive.

Actually Microsoft's Japan initiative for 360 is pretty amazing over all and easily shames what Sony's done for Vita. Can you imagine if Sony had secured a similar RPG front for Vita?
 

Alexios

Cores, shaders and BIOS oh my!
I've also been told it's actually unnecessary for Tri G due to the lock on and touchscreen controls.
It's not lock-on, it's a toggle where the camera recenter button, instead of sitting behind your character, swings around to face the target boss monster. It's a momentary switch, not a constant tracking function. But yes, that alone would have been enough, on PSP I never used the claw, only the normal recenter (which meant that when I wanted to quickly look at a monster or somewhere, I first briefly moved my character toward it, then tapped recenter, then continued moving away or wherever, which sounds cumbersome but really wasn't bad and could be timed safely, now you don't even have to do all that process, just tap the recenter and the camera will look at the monster). But of course you also have the adjustable virtual d-pad for camera controls, which shouldn't be bad either as even with analog sticks the camera functions in MonHun have remained digital, it's not some kind of shooter mouselook equivalent, you just need to vaguely keep the monster in view to see what action it's attempting... Beaten.
 
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