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Capcom cuts profit forecast by 50%, due to mobile and monster hunter frontier

R

Raide

Member
wsippel said:
Like Pokémon, Monster Hunter is a handheld franchise first and foremost. It's part of its DNA now. The whole game is built around it. Fixed teams, no drop-in, drop-out stuff, and games that are either too long or too short by console standards. A proper, potentially successful console game would require core changes so substantial that the resulting game wouldn't even be Monster Hunter anymore.
Click to expand...

It has only become this because Capcom let it.

Having a console focused MH game without the trappings of mobile play and they might have a really damn good game. For one thing, it won't be held back by aging tech. They can make more than 1 MH game but they keep re-hashing 1 version, adding a G on the end and firing it to handhelds.

Outside of better online infrastructure, matchmaking and other things, the core of MH could remain the same. Its about hunting monsters with friends and consoles are better at dong that.
 
W

Wynnebeck

Banned
Pie and Beans said:
Playing Monster Hunter 4 as a new release in 2015 is such a bizarre prospect after we'll probably have played Deep Down by then.

I imagine its sort of like what a powerless and confused time traveller might feel towards entertainment.
Click to expand...

I'm kinda hoping DD does extremely well so Capcom has no excuse to not put MH on PS4/Xbone. Then again, I would love to see Nintendo fans' reactions to such a development lol.
 
T

Thoraxes

Member
Raide said:
It has only become this because Capcom let it.

Having a console focused MH game without the trappings of mobile play and they might have a really damn good game. For one thing, it won't be held back by aging tech. They can make more than 1 MH game but they keep re-hashing 1 version, adding a G on the end and firing it to handhelds.

Outside of better online infrastructure, matchmaking and other things, the core of MH could remain the same. Its about hunting monsters with friends and consoles are better at dong that.
Click to expand...

In the west...

Where their primary userbase isn't located.
 
P

patapuf

Member
dark_prinny said:
I really hope there's a lesson learned here so Capcom and many other Japanese companies move their focus from mobile games once and for all.
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Mobile games (as in: phone games) now make up more than 50% of their domestic market and it's growing quickly.

Why would a japanese game company ignore mobile games?
 
P

Peru

Member
Pie and Beans said:
Playing Monster Hunter 4 as a new release in 2015 is such a bizarre prospect after we'll probably have played Deep Down by then.

I imagine its sort of like what a powerless and confused time traveller might feel towards entertainment.
Click to expand...

Well MH4 will be a more modern and dynamic monster fighting experience than Deep Down that's for sure.
 
W

wsippel

Banned
Haunted said:
Well, the times were Japanese devs led in sales and had the biggest successes in gaming is over (that even has started to catch up to the perennial exception to the rule, Nintendo).

They shouldn't look at the best selling games and try to reach those insane CoD/FIFA/GTA numbers, those times are over. Making a good Monster Hunter game and your dev money back should be considered a success. Or I guess they can have 600 people work on RE7 and watch that flop critically and commercially again.
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How much could it sell, and how much effort would it require? Would a ground-up console game sell more than a quick port of their handheld titles, and will it sell so much more that it's actually worth the additional effort? What changes could they make to the formula to make it more appealing without changing so much that the end result wouldn't be MH anymore?

I wonder how many of the "MH should be on consoles" people actually played MH. MH requires a level of commitment and responsibility from its players rarely found in (online) multiplayer games. You can't really jump in and play a quick game online. Because there's no drop-in, drop-out coop, and it wouldn't work to begin with. If you're in a group and decide to go hunt something, you have to stay with the group for up to 50 minutes. If you leave, you get no reward (and the team is one player short). If you fuck up, nobody gets any reward - everybody just wasted an hour of their lives and precious resources on nothing. You win as a team and you lose as a team, and if you lose, you get absolutely nothing. Not even stats or anything. It's just vastly different from typical online console games.
 
W

Wynnebeck

Banned
Green Slime said:
Didn't Dragon's Dogma offer the same? Why are you pretending that it wasn't a console game?
Click to expand...

I'm not pretending anything. Deep Down doing well can only encourage Capcom to make more or branch out in the future. Does the idea of a console MH upset you or something?
 
L

la_briola

Member
SmokyDave said:
I don't mean cross platform. I just mean playing with people that have the same version as you. For some reason with MonHun, if players can't play with everyone, it seems they won't play with anyone. It's fucking weird.
Click to expand...

Probably LTTP, but here is my take on the situation.
They play on the train. A multi platform (no cross play) release reduces the chance that you can play with 3 random people. It just doesn't make any sense (for japan).
 
R

Raide

Member
Thoraxes said:
In the west...

Where their primary userbase isn't located.
Click to expand...

They don't have a primary userbase else where because they keep firing out Japanese focused MH games and then begrudgingly release it in the US/EU. Hell, fans pretty much have to beg Capcom to grace gamers with their mighty presence.

Maybe they could make a userbase outside of Japan if they actually made a MH worth a damn that gives people outside of Japan what they really want.
 
W

wsippel

Banned
Raide said:
It has only become this because Capcom let it.

Having a console focused MH game without the trappings of mobile play and they might have a really damn good game. For one thing, it won't be held back by aging tech. They can make more than 1 MH game but they keep re-hashing 1 version, adding a G on the end and firing it to handhelds.

Outside of better online infrastructure, matchmaking and other things, the core of MH could remain the same. Its about hunting monsters with friends and consoles are better at dong that.
Click to expand...
What are those trappings, how exactly is the game held back by the hardware gameplay-wise, and what would the "better" online infrastructure actually add to the game considering Capcom uses their own infrastructure that's purpose built for MH and doesn't (and couldn't) rely on automatic matchmaking in the first place?
 
P

Principate

Saint Titanfall
Wynnebeck said:
I'm not pretending anything. Deep Down doing well can only encourage Capcom to make more or branch out in the future. Does the idea of a console MH upset you or something?
Click to expand...

Console MH success is limited everyone and their mothers know that the sales numbers speak for themselves. Consoles can be expanded to maybe be an additional revenue source but the chances of it selling multiple of millions is low.

Also MH isn't remotely casual friendly even in comparison to games like Dark Souls I doubt it'd ever be a significant success in the west which is the reason why Capcom hasn't truly bothered since the wii version.
 
Castef

Castef

Banned
Green Slime said:
How exactly would that gain them money? Putting a Monster Hunter game on a Sony platform would cost them money, and divide up the fanbase, which would only lead to bad times. 3DS is cheaper and safer in terms of investment, and the fan base is already settled on that platform.

As for a Microsoft platform, are you serious?

There is no money to be made with going multiplatform for this type of game.
Click to expand...

I'm talking about publishing an online-heavy fantasy game on two very popular platforms in the west.

Yep, I'm serious.
 
T

Tenki

Member
Is Deep Down even similar to Monster Hunter? From what I've seen, it's more like Dark Souls than MH, isn't it?

Even Dragon's Dogma was pretty different from MH.
 
W

Wynnebeck

Banned
wsippel said:
What are those trappings, how exactly is the game held back by the hardware gameplay-wise, and what would the "better" online infrastructure actually add to the game considering Capcom uses their own infrastructure that's purpose built for MH and doesn't (and couldn't) rely on automatic matchmaking in the first place?
Click to expand...

MH is made to be insular as possible to keep the idea of connected mobile play alive. Put MH on PSN or XBL and you could have more connected network with richer options in terms of social connectivity and other features. As for the gameplay, at least we'd be able to get better particle effects. :p
 
Metallix87

Metallix87

Member
Wynnebeck said:
I'm not pretending anything. Deep Down doing well can only encourage Capcom to make more or branch out in the future. Does the idea of a console MH upset you or something?
Click to expand...
No, I'm just curious why you want them to try a sixth time with a console Monster Hunter? They've found what works, why keep punching the brick wall?
 
M

-MB-

Member
Wynnebeck said:
I'm not pretending anything. Deep Down doing well can only encourage Capcom to make more or branch out in the future. Does the idea of a console MH upset you or something?
Click to expand...

Can't be as upsetting to him as u still seem to be at MH4 being a Nintendo exclusive.
 
W

wsippel

Banned
Wynnebeck said:
MH is made to be insular as possible to keep the idea of connected mobile play alive. Put MH on PSN or XBL and you could have more connected network with richer options in terms of social connectivity and other features. As for the gameplay, at least we'd be able to get better particle effects. :p
Click to expand...
Are we playing buzzword bingo now? What is "more connected", "richer options" and "social connectivity" even supposed to mean in the context of MH? Automatic tweets when you gather honey?
 
ArtHands

ArtHands

Thinks buying more servers can fix a bad patch
Capcom should really invest in another MH5 3DS after the 2 major MH successes on that platform.

Mainly also thats the only way everyone can play it without learning japanese
 
Castef

Castef

Banned
Green Slime said:
Yet that same strategy didn't work on PS2, Wii, and Wii U, so I'm still confused by this logic.
Click to expand...

There is no hidden logic here.

They NEVER published a Monster Hunter game on PS3 and Xbox 360.

I think the game could have sold well on those platforms.

That's all.
 
R

Raide

Member
wsippel said:
What are those trappings, how exactly is the game held back by the hardware gameplay-wise, and what would the "better" online infrastructure actually add to the game considering Capcom uses their own infrastructure that's purpose built for MH and doesn't (and couldn't) rely on automatic matchmaking in the first place?
Click to expand...

Capcom have basically been using the same framework for MH since the beginning. New people to the series just get put off instantly because Capcom still focuses around their core gamers. Nothing wrong with that but they cannot expect their profits to grow unless they widen out a bit.

Since MH focuses around handheld consoles, they also have to reduce down the controls. Plenty of people take ages to work out how item swapping works, how to navigate those menu's and plenty of other things.

I guess its kinda like Dark Souls now. Fans love it and they don't see any reason to change some of the basic issues it has since "It would not be Dark Souls!"

Hardware is holding back MH. Reskin a few monsters, give then 2 or 3 attack patterns and off you go. Rehash that with a G on and bingo! Sticking to handhelds is stopping them from doing some way more advanced things with monster A.I and actually fleshing out the world instead of enclosed areas pretending to be open world.

Actually, I am going way off topic here. I love the MH series but I hate the fact it is relegated to remix editions.
 
entremet

entremet

Member
I really can't see the Souls and MH comparison. Souls is an action JRPG disguised as a WRPG. I don't get that vibe at all from MH.
 
C

Chris1964

Sales-Age Genius
I read only the OP and this page but I'm sure this thread turned into another Monster Hunter begging for Sony platforms.
 
W

Wynnebeck

Banned
Green Slime said:
No, I'm just curious why you want them to try a sixth time with a console Monster Hunter? They've found what works, why keep punching the brick wall?
Click to expand...

We've already seen from Tri, that a console MH is not a bad thing. It's just going to take money for Capcom to really give it a fair thought outside of trying to push it on mobile and 3DS. Deep Down's success will show Capcom if that style of gameplay is viable for putting out more like it or trying MH again. Of course, this is all speculation and depends on what Capcom wants to do.

ElFly said:
That plays like dragon dogma AND monster hunter??

Schizophrenic game design.
Click to expand...

I meant either/or not combined. That would be insane. :p

-MB- said:
Can't be as upsetting to him as u seem to be at MH4 being a Nintendo exclusive.
Click to expand...

Yes, I'm absolutely livid MH4 is a Nintendo exclusive. So livid in fact, that I'm going to play MH3U on my 3DS to relieve my butthurt.
 
T

thehypocrite

Member
Please double down on mobile Capcom!!! Is the right strategy for everyone!!!! Look at all that growth and smartphone/tablet sales!! You can exploit it!! Go!!
 
MightyKAC

MightyKAC

Member
Green Slime said:
Yet that same strategy didn't work on PS2, Wii, and Wii U, so I'm still confused by this logic.
Click to expand...

The PS2 version came out completely out of the blue. It had no marketing no advertisement folks really didn't even know it existed until he came up for the PSP.

As for the Wii and the Wii U, it became quite evident that the majority of the audience that purchased both of those systems weren't really the Monster Hunter demographic to begin with.

The real test would be to put it on an HD console with a solid hard-core following and then see what happens.
 
M

-MB-

Member
Wynnebeck said:
We've already seen from Tri, that a console MH is not a bad thing. It's just going to take money for Capcom to really give it a fair thought outside of trying to push it on mobile and 3DS. Deep Down's success will show Capcom if that style of gameplay is viable for putting out more like it or trying MH again. Of course, this is all speculation and depends on what Capcom wants to do.



I meant either/or not combined. That would be insane. :p



Yes, I'm absolutely livid MH4 is a Nintendo exclusive. So livid in fact, that I'm going to play MH3U on my 3DS to relieve my butthurt.
Click to expand...

Yep so livid, that you literally want to see MH go to consoles again purely to see the salty tears on Nintendo fanboys, as you so eloquently stated in an earlier post.
 
P

Principate

Saint Titanfall
Raide said:
Capcom have basically been using the same framework for MH since the beginning. New people to the series just get put off instantly because Capcom still focuses around their core gamers. Nothing wrong with that but they cannot expect their profits to grow unless they widen out a bit.

Since MH focuses around handheld consoles, they also have to reduce down the controls. Plenty of people take ages to work out how item swapping works, how to navigate those menu's and plenty of other things.

I guess its kinda like Dark Souls now. Fans love it and they don't see any reason to change some of the basic issues it has since "It would not be Dark Souls!"

Hardware is holding back MH. Reskin a few monsters, give then 2 or 3 attack patterns and off you go. Rehash that with a G on and bingo! Sticking to handhelds is stopping them from doing some way more advanced things with monster A.I and actually fleshing out the world instead of enclosed areas pretending to be open world.

Actually, I am going way off topic here. I love the MH series but I hate the fact it is relegated to remix editions.
Click to expand...
None of what you stared are sure things improving the budget doesn't automatically equal better sales, Capcom has casualised/westernised plenty of their games to the detriment.

This is Capcom's primary earner. Cheap costs high rate of return and be produced quickly. It simply doesn't make logical sense to risk their revenue like that..
MightyKAC said:
The PS2 version came out completely out of the blue. It had no marketing no advertisement folks really didn't even know it existed until he came up for the PSP.

As for the Wii and the Wii U, it became quite evident that the majority of the audience that purchased both of those systems weren't really the Monster Hunter demographic to begin with.

The real test would be to put it on an HD console with a solid hard-core following and then see what happens.
Click to expand...

There was a HD PS3 version, granted that didn't have online, then again neither did.
 
T

ThoughtsOfSpeaking

Banned
Once again Capcom is shown that Chasing Markets it doesnt understand instead of concentrating on the things it once did really well and being a industry leader in those departments is foolish and leads to ruin.

Capcom over the past 8 or so years has been chasing a bigger slice of the Pie at the expense of the pie they already once had. Every move to increase profits has blown up and will continue to blow up until they return to the core values that made the company one of the most respected with gamers around the world.
 
W

Wynnebeck

Banned
-MB- said:
Yep so livid, that you literally want to see MH go to consoles again purely to see the salty tears on Nintendo fanboys, as you so eloquently stated in an earlier post.
Click to expand...

lol That was more of a jab at Nintendo fans' getting riled up anytime someone suggests MH on any platform outside of 3DS as a joke. Judging by your reaction, I'd say I hit the mark.

SmokyDave said:
Impossible. If you'd read the thread you'd know that we've assessed there is no audience for MonHun outside of the 3DS.
Click to expand...

:lol
 
Metallix87

Metallix87

Member
Wynnebeck said:
lol That was more of a jab at Nintendo fans' getting riled up anytime someone suggests MH on any platform outside of 3DS as a joke. Judging by your reaction, I'd say I hit the mark.
Click to expand...
So you're trying to antagonize people? Besides, I don't think these posters are necessarily Nintendo fans as much as people capable of thinking logically about the past.
 
M

-MB-

Member
Wynnebeck said:
lol That was more of a jab at Nintendo fans' getting riled up anytime someone suggests MH on any platform outside of 3DS as a joke. Judging by your reaction, I'd say I hit the mark.



:lol
Click to expand...

Nice for a change to see you admit to trolling for once.
 
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