• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

Capcom wants to grow Monster Hunter in West, feels handhelds are limiting sales there

Status
Not open for further replies.
It'll either be PS4 AND Switch or just Switch. I'd say there's zero chance MonHun 5 does not release on Switch.

They want to grow sales in the West, but Japan is where MonHun 5 will sell best out of the gate. And for that, they require a handheld version.

Switch is the easy win, lowest cost for Capcom.
 
Then they need to release on PS4 and Bone, give the series time to grow and not be quick to get upset over sales.

Switch exclusive would be dumb considering it doesn't have an install base yet.
 

jonno394

Member
Exactly.

Getting MH on their platform was always going to be a win-win situation for Sony, it was only a matter of convincing Capcom to do so. And with the Switch being a unknown quantity, the PS4 veing very successful and the 3DS going into retirement, this is the perfect opportunity for them. I doubt Sony had a hard time convincing Capcom here, especially as they are paying the bills for development.

Is this just your own speculation?

I personally can't see anything beyond a Switch exclusive or a Switch/PS4 multi format release. Makes no sense just to cut off all your Japanese handheld fans who only play Monster Hunter on the go.
 

Oddish1

Member
Why would capcom have any responsibility for a platforms success? They aren't a 1st party, they can release games anywhere they want and they should always release games on the platform with the biggest potential success. Switch is not a platform that can compete with the PS4 any time soon in the coming years.

If nintendo gives them a money hat, then that's a different story.

In Japan? Where Monster Hunter has most of its success being on handhelds? I'm not saying that the Switch is a guaranteed success, but considering the PS4 isn't doing all that well in Japan I don't think it has that great of an advantage there.
 

wipeout364

Member
They can't cheap out anymore with development costs as they they are going to be dealing with a semi HD system in the switch. They are going to have to create HD assets so I would assume that means there isn't downside to leading with xone and ps4 then porting to switch. Why wouldn't they? The 3ds allowed low development costs and had an audience. They had there fingers burned with the wii u monster hunter ehich I think didn't crack a million but I could be wrong.
 
You think a company would completely change a game and ruin it in order to chase a bigger audience that is probably not even interested in the game in the first place?

That has never happened.

You are wise.

And yeah, any PC dealings with this franchise should be playing up the intricacy and player investment to succeed on that platform (with the streaming-friendliness, easy modability and thst jazz of course).
 
I'm not sure I understand why some folks seem very determined not to want Monster Hunter on non-Nintendo systems.

It'll be on Switch, but if there's also a PS4/XB1/PC version? Sounds fucking fantastic to me.
 

sanstesy

Member
Is this just your own speculation?

The 4chan rumor and my speculation, yes. Sony already helped them paying the development of SFV and this would be no different and if they had a good chance to get MH, I see no reason they wouldn't just pay up for it.
 

entremet

Member
They can't cheap out anymore with development costs as they they are going to be dealing with a semi HD system in the switch. They are going to have to create HD assets so I would assume that means there isn't downside to leading with xone and ps4 then porting to switch. Why wouldn't they? The 3ds allowed low development costs and had an audience. They had there fingers burned with the wii u monster hunter ehich I think didn't crack a million but I could be wrong.

Well they did need Sony money to even release SFV I'm 2016.

Deep Down is nowhere to be seen.

They are doubling down on remasters.

I can't see them putting tons of money into a console iteration.
 
It'll either be PS4 AND Switch or just Switch. I'd say there's zero chance MonHun 5 does not release on Switch.

They want to grow sales in the West, but Japan is where MonHun 5 will sell best out of the gate. And for that, they require a handheld version.

Switch is the easy win, lowest cost for Capcom.
The only way this won't happen is if Sony funds MonHun
 

Sillverrr

Member
I'm really torn here.

On the one hand, the spectacle of Monster Hunter would absolutely benefit from the big-screen treatment - we've seen this already with Tri on the Wii. Sharp, HD graphics (sorry, Wii) and a good controller could only enhance the precision gameplay as well.

On the flip side, I have 100 hours logged on 4 Ultimate for 3DS (single player - felt I got my money's worth, even though I realise this is predominantly a multiplayer franchise). With a third-party grip and the New 3DS, I never once felt this game was anything less than eminently playable. I also do a majority of my gaming on handhelds these days.

TLDR; Whilst excited by the prospect of a proper, HD Monster Hunter, I am also concerned about the "death" of traditional handhelds. Dunno WTF I'll do once the 3DS and Vita stop receiving support. Certainly not mobile gaming on a phone. Yuck. Best scenario for me would be if the Switch turns out to be a success, and a version of Monster Hunter releases for it. However, that's a pretty big "if" given Nintendo's recent track record, and the seeming reluctance of the West to embrace handheld gaming.
 
It'll either be PS4 AND Switch or just Switch. I'd say there's zero chance MonHun 5 does not release on Switch.

They want to grow sales in the West, but Japan is where MonHun 5 will sell best out of the gate. And for that, they require a handheld version.

Switch is the easy win, lowest cost for Capcom.

But someone said it would sell millions on PS4 in the west!
Provided they :
-Remove the timer
-Make it open world
-mmo-ish
-Fix the clunky combat
-More action focused, less micro management
-INCREDIBLE GRAPHICS 4K WITH PS4 PRO OMG
-less rng sheanigans
-On home console (it means PS4)
-A main protagonist who talks
-A mature story
-Voice chat so you hear racist and sexist insults

And boom, gta5 numbers



Joke aside, I can imagine a sort of spin-off, more action-focused, aimed at west. But remember that the view of what west like may vary between you and Capcom.
 

cw_sasuke

If all DLC came tied to $13 figurines, I'd consider all DLC to be free
Sony has no reason to fund MH if they already have every other 3rd Party game on lock - they werent able to get MH secured for Vita - a system that really needed MH. And now they are fitting the bill for some AAA console MH with Capcom ?

Then again they also collaborated for SFV.

Its weird - Switch is more or less the perfect system for MH because you can play on the Go and have the big screen experience.

Then again Vita also seemed like the perfect MH device when it was shown with MHP3 running on it - then it went 3DS exclusive lol.
 

KingSnake

The Birthday Skeleton
Wow, nice semantics spiel there. This thread is about porting a series.

Didn't the series start in another castle? So I'm not sure what you're arguing here.

Also:

Wikipedia said:
Platforms: PlayStation 3, PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable, PlayStation Vita, Windows, Wii, Wii U, Xbox 360, Nintendo 3DS, iOS, N-Gage
 

Rambler

Member
You kid, but that's kinda what I worry about. Not the Batman combat part, but making it open world and dumbing down the combat.
who said i was kidding


Making the levels more open is actually the exact opposite of what I would like. Running around the different areas is the part I dislike most about MH (combined with egg delivery missions), fighting them in a closed, small arena is a much more focused and intense experience for me - even if the environments are often quite atmospheric.

I guess I see MH more as a slower character action game, whereas others seem to want to turn it into Skyrim with Tigrex.
i see monster hunter as a PVE fighting game, the combat is based around spacing and positioning instead of just timing and that's what makes it interesting and that's probably what they're going to throw out the window in order to appeal to the west more
 

sanstesy

Member
Sony has no reason to fund MH if they already have every other 3rd Party game on lock - they werent able to get MH secured for Vita - a system that really needed MH. And now they are fitting the bill for some AAA console MH with Capcom ?

Then again they also collaborated for SFV.

Its weird - Switch is more or less the perfect system for MH because you can play on the Go and have the big screen experience.

Then again Vita also seemed like the perfect MH device when it was shown with MHP3 running on it - then it went 3DS exclusive lol.

There are a million more reasons for Sony to collaborate with MH than there is with SFV. And like you said, they helped funding SFV anyway.
 
Sony has no reason to fund MH if they already have every other 3rd Party game on lock - they werent able to get MH secured for Vita - a system that really needed MH. And now they are fitting the bill for some AAA console MH with Capcom ?

Then again they also collaborated for SFV.

Its weird - Switch is more or less the perfect system for MH because you can play on the Go and have the big screen experience.

Then again Vita also seemed like the perfect MH device when it was shown with MHP3 running on it - then it went 3DS exclusive lol.
Vita bombed though, that's why it never got a real MH game (only the online crap).
 
The 4chan rumor makes absolutely no business sense and would probably be one of the stupidest decisions Capcom has ever made.

I could see the series going PS4/Switch/PC moving forward, though. Switch exclusivity is still quite possible, but would be hard to square with this quote unless Capcom is really, really bullish on its prospects in the West.
 
And it still wouldn't even begin to offset the salt from all the "console warriors" in basically every Monster Hunter related thread since the announcement of Tri.

There's going to be a lot of salt when this game is revealed, and it certainly isn't going to be from the 'console warriors'.
 
Is this just your own speculation?

I personally can't see anything beyond a Switch exclusive or a Switch/PS4 multi format release. Makes no sense just to cut off all your Japanese handheld fans who only play Monster Hunter on the go.

How about MH5 for PS4/Vita/Mobile? That should cover the largest installed bases Capcom ever needs.
 

VariantX

Member
Monster Hunter XX/Generations Ultimate is most definitely coming to switch given that it's confirmed to come out on 3DS the same day as the Switch's release date.

As much as I would love a full fledged HD console Monster Hunter, I doubt Capcom would ever fund the higher res assets a new game would need to look passable on a Xbone and PS4. These games were always small time operations and are as only as successful as portable gaming can be in Japan.

Capcom has to make new assets no matter what. They ran away from the PS3 to the Wii just to keep costs down, but theres simply nowhere to run this time. The only road left to them with MH are platforms with more graphical grunt than the PS3/360, Switch included. There's simply no place left where they can put out PS2 level assets and have it look like it's fully taking advantage of the platforms true capabilities. Seems like this is destined to be a multiplatform title across all 3 consoles.
 
and LOL at SFV having legs. Those legs fell off and rotted to dust

That implies that it had legs to begin with. Have they even sold through their initial shipment yet?

As to Monster Hunter, I am all for getting the series on to consoles with decent controls. The main reason I never got into the series is because playing it on handheld is physically painful after a while.
 
I would love to see them try. To make MH a success on PS4/XBO not only would Capcom have to change the gameplay up and make it more friendly and modern for new players, they'd also have to finally implement 21st century graphics and tech, which I'm sure they would hate to no end.

,,I would love to see this series keep stagnating and keep archaic tech, because Nintendo <3"
 

MoonFrog

Member
The 4chan rumor makes absolutely no business sense and would probably be one of the stupidest decisions Capcom has ever made.

I could see the series going PS4/Switch/PC moving forward, though. Switch exclusivity is still quite possible, but would be hard to square with this quote unless Capcom is really, really bullish on its prospects in the West.
Yeah. I do have low faith in intelligence of Capcom though.

I think PS4/Switch makes most sense for Capcom, maybe some other platforms too: Switch as main platform, up-port to PS4. Feasible and not too ugly/too handheld for PS4 with supposed specs.

That said, I can see Sony buying Monster Hunter to do damage to Switch (mostly to lower its appeal in Japan, and thus to Japanese developers) and I can see Capcom going stupid for that money.
 

Neoxon

Junior Member
That implies that it had legs to begin with. Have they even sold through their initial shipment yet?
I'm not sure, though I'd assume that Capcom has some sort of relaunch planned for the game. But either way, it'll likely continue to get DLC in the coming years as a result of its competitive success.
 

redcrayon

Member
That implies that it had legs to begin with. Have they even sold through their initial shipment yet?

As to Monster Hunter, I am all for getting the series on to consoles with decent controls. The main reason I never got into the series is because playing it on handheld is physically painful after a while.
Tri/3U on Wii (classic controller) and WiiU was really good.
 

TunaLover

Member
The 4chan rumor makes absolutely no business sense and would probably be one of the stupidest decisions Capcom has ever made.

I could see the series going PS4/Switch/PC moving forward, though. Switch exclusivity is still quite possible, but would be hard to square with this quote unless Capcom is really, really bullish on its prospects in the West.
Even if Sony pay for exclusivity?
 
i expect a Dragon Quest 11 Situation

Monster Hunter 5 (2 Version developed by 2 Studios)

one version for Ps4/Switch and maybe PC
second version for 3DS
 

MacTag

Banned
Core audience thrived on PS360 and this was clear from the beginning. Third parties simply invested into the platforms that had their audience and were going to last and looking back, they made the right decision.

Once again show me the sales figures that contradict what many major third parties have been saying and doing by placing their future games on PS4. SE has talked about their success on PS4, TK has talked about it, NB and Konami's case is evident enough and Capcom has also found moderate success.
In the beginning games like RR5, VF5 and Gundam Musou were all underperforming on PS360. The only company who really hit the ground running was Capcom on 360 with Dead Rising and Lost Planet. Of course they also hit it big on Wii with core games immediately with RE4 and REUC tripling and doubling their targets respectively. Too bad they never followed that up with a real ground up Wii RE bit then that was sort of emblematic of how 3rd parties approached Wii. If you don't put in the work you won't get the rewards.

And where are all these companies talking about their PS4 success? At best we get IR multiplat results but that's virtually never platform specific and often even folds in last gen. Koei Tecmo in particular has been doing awful on basically every platform in the west recently (bar Wii U, lol). And we both know you don't really need me to comb through the NPD or PAL charts for you to cite DQ Heroes, Toukiden or SFV, I've seen you pulling defense in those threads too.
 

Neoxon

Junior Member
Even if Sony pay for exclusivity?
I think it's less about Sony paying for MH5 being farfetched & more of Sony going out of their way to screw over the Switch being farfetched.

Going by this quote, they're gonna have to make HD assets for the Switch anyway for MH5 (with MHXX hopefully serving as the 3DS's swan song for MH games). Might as well port it to the PS4 as well to recoup the development costs.
 
The 4chan rumor makes absolutely no business sense and would probably be one of the stupidest decisions Capcom has ever made.

I could see the series going PS4/Switch/PC moving forward, though. Switch exclusivity is still quite possible, but would be hard to square with this quote unless Capcom is really, really bullish on its prospects in the West.
It makes sense if you look at it as Sony trying to kill the Switch's momentum in Japan for one, and Sony trying to develop a mutual beneficial relationship with Capcom that will help the PS4 out in Japan and help MH grow as a franchise in the West.
 

jonno394

Member
Even if Sony pay for exclusivity?

Depends how much money Sony push their way I'd wager. If you're moving your series away from hand helds, the devices which people have been playing your games for over the past decade, then you'd need a lot of "convincing" especially as if it goes tits up you could destroy your franchise.
 

Vena

Member
Do we have a sum of this whole 4chan rumor?

- Capcom is a rare Japanese video game developer with a heavy focus on overseas consumers, must make games to appeal to the foreign consumers

Looking at two quarters of shipments being, effectively, zero... I call bullshit.
 

rpmurphy

Member
I still don't see them splitting the userbase on two platforms for the handheld-focused main games unless they find some way to do it like 3DS/WiiU but for a Nintendo platform and a Sony platform (i.e. good fucking luck). I assume it'll be Switch for mainline, MHO/MHF for PC/PS4/Switch, and mobile somewhere.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top Bottom