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PR: Monster Hunter X breaks 3 million units

Aiustis

Member
After seeing these numbers, I'm unsure of two things:

1. How did Capcom get is such a financially fragile state? Monster Hunter has been raking it in now on both the PSP and 3DS, last gen RE games sold pretty well, and SFIV must made them a quite a bit of money across arcade, home consoles and 3DS (which was the 3DS' first million seller iirc). I know GRIN's Bionic Commando, and Dark Void probably lost money overall, but those alone don't explain how Capcom got in the shit.

2. Why aren't there more Hunting-Action games on 3DS? MH3G was announced in September 2011, released later that year and clearly showed that the market was there. Surely there is a gap in the market for games similar to MH on the 3DS in the period between MH launches?


1. The thing about MH compared to a lot of other Capcom games: it's lower cost to make and brings a lot of money.

2. I kind of agree that when you play MH there is no other. I like God Eater, but it's noticeably lacking in comparison. And people compare Phantasy Star but I don't think it scratches the same itch at all. Most Monster Hunter like games don't sell that well.
 

Powwa

Member
C'mon you know exactly all those games were developed to make up for the lack of MH on vita. They aren't clones but are the same genre.

I don't know how this is related to what I said. God Eater started on PSP, Phantasy star predates MH, Other games have distinctive features that doesn't qualify them as clone. Weirdly it's mostly in hunting genre people uses this term loosely.

Anyways won't derail the thread, amazing sales for MH franchise for sure.
 

Seil

Member
PSP showed how MH-wannabe (i.e.action games focused on local co-op) can sell well on the same platform where MH is; see God Eater, Phantasy Star Portable. Like life-sim sell well on 3DS because Animal Crossing created a fanbase for the genre.

FF Explorers sold 300k on 3DS and it was an average game. IPs like God Eater could have sold well on 3DS.

I honestly wouldn't buy a non MH one on 3DS. I was considering Explorers but probably won't. Meanwhile I buy all this shit on Vita. I skipped MH3 and almost skipped 4U just because I really don't enjoy playing stuff like that on the 3DS between its resolution and controls x.x Meanwhile booting up God Eater Burst on my VIta I go "holy shit how did I play this on PSP without this second stick? It's so much better this way".

I'll be grabbing X, but that's just because I like Monster Hunter enough to deal with using a 3DS for it.

Though honestly I tend to prefer the gameplay of every game that isn't Monster Hunter in the end. Every time I go back to Monster Hunter I'm like "Wow I feel so slow and things just feel clunky..." but I still love the series. Monster Hunter has the content and the community that makes it stronger.
 
I honestly wouldn't buy a non MH one on 3DS. I was considering Explorers but probably won't. Meanwhile I buy all this shit on Vita. I skipped MH3 and almost skipped 4U just because I really don't enjoy playing stuff like that on the 3DS between its resolution and controls x.x Meanwhile booting up God Eater Burst on my VIta I go "holy shit how did I play this on PSP without this second stick? It's so much better this way".

I'll be grabbing X, but that's just because I like Monster Hunter enough to deal with using a 3DS for it.

Though honestly I tend to prefer the gameplay of every game that isn't Monster Hunter in the end. Every time I go back to Monster Hunter I'm like "Wow I feel so slow and things just feel clunky..." but I still love the series. Monster Hunter has the content and the community that makes it stronger.

Uhm, ok? God Eater and Phantasy Star Portable succeeded on PSP while Monster Hunter was dominating, and we have plenty of examples of game X-wannabe that happen to be successful on the same platform where game X is (Yo-kai Watch v. Pokémon, Magician's Quest / Disney Magical Castle v. Animal Crossing).
 

Seil

Member
Uhm, ok? God Eater and Phantasy Star Portable succeeded on PSP while Monster Hunter was dominating, and we have plenty of examples of game X-wannabe that happen to be successful on the same platform where game X is (Yo-kai Watch v. Pokémon, Magician's Quest / Disney Magical Castle v. Animal Crossing).

Uhm, ok? I said that I wouldn't buy it, not that no one would. I, as in myself, personally, would be quite disappointed if Soul Sacrifice, God Eater, Toukiden and so on were developed for the 3DS.
 

Unison

Member
I am guessing this is because of a few factors:

1) Playable felynes targeted at casual gamers and women.
2) The new playstyles, which shake up the formula and give the appearance of something new.
3) The X theme of being a Greatest Hits / last hurrah for the series, with plenty of fan service (returning towns, monsters, etc).

If you're going to spinoff of a franchise like this, this is how you do it. They've managed to simultaneously cater to the most hardcore fans and those casually interested in the franchise, which is no small achievement.
 
God Eater showed up on the PSP, when MH was already moving (Wii) and didn't sell nearly as good as Monster Hunter.

Also there is a long story involved why MH (probably) shifted to Nintendo platforms. If I remember correctly it was about promoting the franchise in the west and other things.

Why is this important? Because without Monster Hunter Sony had no killer application ready for Japan for their shiny new handheld. So they tried everything to get similar games on the system.

They funded Soul Sacrifice. At least paid to get God Eater 2, Toukiden and maybe even Phantasy Star (heavy speculation here of course).

I highly doubt people would have bought these, when they knew there would be a new MH coming.

Initial release for Toukiden vs Kiwami shows how much these games suffer, when the quality isn't even near mh territory. And don't give me the "it#s a super version, of course it doesn't sell as good" excuse, because mh does it all the time and still outsells all those franchises combined.
 
God Eater showed up on the PSP, when MH was already moving (Wii) and didn't sell nearly as good as Monster Hunter.

Also there is a long story involved why MH (probably) shifted to Nintendo platforms. If I remember correctly it was about promoting the franchise in the west and other things.

Why is this important? Because without Monster Hunter Sony had no killer application ready for Japan for their shiny new handheld. So they tried everything to get similar games on the system.

They funded Soul Sacrifice. At least paid to get God Eater 2, Toukiden and maybe even Phantasy Star (heavy speculation here of course).

I highly doubt people would have bought these, when they knew there would be a new MH coming.

Initial release for Toukiden vs Kiwami shows how much these games suffer, when the quality isn't even near mh territory. And don't give me the "it#s a super version, of course it doesn't sell as good" excuse, because mh does it all the time and still outsells all those franchises combined.

Luckily, Japanese publishers don't need to sell 3m+ units to keep an IP alive.
 

sörine

Banned
Uhm, ok? I said that I wouldn't buy it, not that no one would. I, as in myself, personally, would be quite disappointed if Soul Sacrifice, God Eater, Toukiden and so on were developed for the 3DS.
God Eater and Toukiden were PSP games though, they'd lose almost no visual fidelity on 3DS. Also 3DS has multiple second stick options (Circle Pad Pro, New 3DS).
 
After seeing these numbers, I'm unsure of two things:

1. How did Capcom get is such a financially fragile state? Monster Hunter has been raking it in now on both the PSP and 3DS, last gen RE games sold pretty well, and SFIV must made them a quite a bit of money across arcade, home consoles and 3DS (which was the 3DS' first million seller iirc). I know GRIN's Bionic Commando, and Dark Void probably lost money overall, but those alone don't explain how Capcom got in the shit.

2. Why aren't there more Hunting-Action games on 3DS? MH3G was announced in September 2011, released later that year and clearly showed that the market was there. Surely there is a gap in the market for games similar to MH on the 3DS in the period between MH launches?

1. A lot of bad calls combined with fiscally conservative ideology makes for a bad situation. Things went bad without enough to bolster it. The stuff that did do well got reinvested into bad calls.

2. When MH hit it big on the PSP, other games in the genre floated there for a few reasons. One is, yeah, the system had already proven it could support that genre from a market perspective. The other is that the DS just couldn't support it from a technological perspective, a lot of those games would look totally compromised. Then they stayed on Vita because that's where the audience was, or at least they thought so. We'll see what happens next gen, too, but I imagine Nintendo Handheld/PS4 might be the new home of hunting games in a few years.
 

Seil

Member
sörine;190334456 said:
God Eater and Toukiden were PSP games though, they'd lose almost no visual fidelity on 3DS. Also 3DS has multiple second stick options (Circle Pad Pro, New 3DS).

The C-stick on the n3DS is nowhere near the same, and frankly I don't like the circle pad in comparison to proper sticks. Outside of the placement of the d-pad, I'd certainly take 3DS controls over a PSP, but it has nothing on Vita.

And yes, they were PSP games, but the upcoming Rage Burst and Resurrection are not, granted Rage Burst is an enhanced version of a game that was on PSP. Toukiden looks way better on Vita than on PSP as well. So no, they wouldn't lose almost no visual fidelity.
 

Oregano

Member
GE sold 600k+ on PSP, and the expansion sold 450k+ on the same platform. PSP sold 600k on PSP, and expansions and sequels sold well.

I think the point is they'd probably only target the 3DS if they thought they could get the MH audience. On the surface it sounds like BS but then there was recent survey where 3DS games inexplicably had the highest expectations(and it ignored million sellers) so yeah I definitely could believe that logic.

1. A lot of bad calls combined with fiscally conservative ideology makes for a bad situation. Things went bad without enough to bolster it. The stuff that did do well got reinvested into bad calls.

2. When MH hit it big on the PSP, other games in the genre floated there for a few reasons. One is, yeah, the system had already proven it could support that genre from a market perspective. The other is that the DS just couldn't support it from a technological perspective, a lot of those games would look totally compromised. Then they stayed on Vita because that's where the audience was, or at least they thought so. We'll see what happens next gen, too, but I imagine Nintendo Handheld/PS4 might be the new home of hunting games in a few years.

I still don't think they'll bother with this part. With Toukiden 2 being open world it looks like they're trying to consolize it. I think PS4(+ PC in west) is where they want to be post-Vita.

202,856

That's more than Phantasy Star Nova.

3DS is a lot more powerful than the DS and it has the MH audience too.

It's also a lot less than Phantasy Star Portable though and PSO2 was successful on Vita. They saw no reason to target the 3DS.
 

sörine

Banned
The C-stick on the n3DS is nowhere near the same, and frankly I don't like the circle pad in comparison to proper sticks. Outside of the placement of the d-pad, I'd certainly take 3DS controls over a PSP, but it has nothing on Vita.

And yes, they were PSP games, but the upcoming Rage Burst and Resurrection are not, granted Rage Burst is an enhanced version of a game that was on PSP. Toukiden looks way better on Vita than on PSP as well. So no, they wouldn't lose almost no visual fidelity.
I didn't say the same, but single analog isn't a viable complaint on 3DS anymore. It also has four shoulder buttons too, something neither PSP nor Vita can claim.

And they wouldn't lose much visual fidelity versus PSP, not Vita. GE1-2 and Toukiden easily could've been ported to 3DS losing only a little resolution while still gaining in other graphics areas (shading/lighting, texture resolution, auto stereoscopic 3D display, hud elements moved to touchscreen, etc).
 
Phantasy Star 3DS is the hit game that got away.

The series has history with Nintendo platforms, and the Monster Hunter fans would surely support it.

By the way, Hero of Legend do you play Monster Hunter?

I loved MH3 on Wii! :D I have MH3U on Wii U but it's hard to play with that tiny text. :(

I also have MHFU on my Vita.
 

Boogiepop

Member
So, did this indeed end up with all of the monsters from 4G/U plus some more? Because in my mind I've kind of been considering this like a sort of 4GG, so I'd be a little surprised if they dropped any 4G content. Actually, does it have G rank, for that matter?
 

tuffy

Member
So, did this indeed end up with all of the monsters from 4G/U plus some more? Because in my mind I've kind of been considering this like a sort of 4GG, so I'd be a little surprised if they dropped any 4G content. Actually, does it have G rank, for that matter?
No, it does not. A lot of the traditional subspecies are missing, like Azure Rathalos, Pink Rathian, Ivory Lagiacrus, and so on. It's not just a straight superset of 4G content. Nor does it have a G rank.
 

ohlawd

Member
No, it does not. A lot of the traditional subspecies are missing, like Azure Rathalos, Pink Rathian, Ivory Lagiacrus, and so on. It's not just a straight superset of 4G content. Nor does it have a G rank.

the eff

I was gonna whine but I took a look at the monster list and it's expansive. I see Agnaktor, Chameleos, Nargacuga, Uragaan, Zamtrios. I'm happy :D
 

Principate

Saint Titanfall
I think the point is they'd probably only target the 3DS if they thought they could get the MH audience. On the surface it sounds like BS but then there was recent survey where 3DS games inexplicably had the highest expectations(and it ignored million sellers) so yeah I definitely could believe that logic.



I still don't think they'll bother with this part. With Toukiden 2 being open world it looks like they're trying to consolize it. I think PS4(+ PC in west) is where they want to be post-Vita.



It's also a lot less than Phantasy Star Portable though and PSO2 was successful on Vita. They saw no reason to target the 3DS.
TBF though the 3DS is far more the the successor of the PSP than the Vita ever was. So citing PSP doesn't really help that comparsion.
 

Seil

Member
sörine;190339523 said:
I didn't say the same, but single analog isn't a viable complaint on 3DS anymore. It also has four shoulder buttons too, something neither PSP nor Vita can claim.

And they wouldn't lose much visual fidelity versus PSP, not Vita. GE1-2 and Toukiden easily could've been ported to 3DS losing only a little resolution while still gaining in other graphics areas (shading/lighting, texture resolution, auto stereoscopic 3D display, hud elements moved to touchscreen, etc).


But we live in a world where the vita exists. I wasn't talking about 3DS vs PSP. That's not relevant at all. The vita is where the games mentioned are at and why I would be disappointed if they were on 3DS instead.

Single analog is absolutely still a viable complaint because the c-stick is not good for accurate camera control and its positioning is awkward. A peripheral to "fix" the problem doesn't help matters either imo. My launch vita was and is great out of the box, meanwhile I've had to buy multiple 3DS revisions to make it decent.
 

Boogiepop

Member
No, it does not. A lot of the traditional subspecies are missing, like Azure Rathalos, Pink Rathian, Ivory Lagiacrus, and so on. It's not just a straight superset of 4G content. Nor does it have a G rank.
Huh, that's not what I was expecting. Seems kind of odd to not bother just dumping those in as I can't imagine them requiring much/any effort to add, but I guess all of that makes a G version more likely than I was expecting. Thanks for the response!
 

Seil

Member
Huh, that's not what I was expecting. Seems kind of odd to not bother just dumping those in as I can't imagine them requiring much/any effort to add, but I guess all of that makes a G version more likely than I was expecting. Thanks for the response!

They didn't want to add the subspecies. They wanted to focus on variety without the traditional recolors, and in place of subspecies added twelve new variants with ten quests of increasing difficulty each.
 

Boogiepop

Member
They didn't want to add the subspecies. They wanted to focus on variety without the traditional recolors, and in place of subspecies added twelve new variants with ten quests of increasing difficulty each.
Huh, interesting. Hopefully it'll still come over, as I'd love to give it a try.
 

Seil

Member
Huh, interesting. Hopefully it'll still come over, as I'd love to give it a try.

What baffles me most about excluded monsters is that G Jaggi is left out and we have Giaprey but no Giadrome, etc... Would've been nice to kick Giadrome's ass again in the map from Freedom Unite.

The -prey and jaggi etc get a lot of attention, they're all over the place in X with most areas having two varieties spread about. Feels weird not having all of the big versions to accompany them.
 

Oregano

Member
TBF though the 3DS is far more the the successor of the PSP than the Vita ever was. So citing PSP doesn't really help that comparsion.

I don't think publishers agree and at least in Japan neither do hardcore gamers. The type of software that prospered hasn't really done that well on 3DS, even Monster Hunter declined.
 

Eolz

Member
I don't think publishers agree and at least in Japan neither do hardcore gamers. The type of software that prospered hasn't really done that well on 3DS, even Monster Hunter declined.

Everything declined, and not just on 3DS.
 

sörine

Banned
But we live in a world where the vita exists. I wasn't talking about 3DS vs PSP. That's not relevant at all. The vita is where the games mentioned are at and why I would be disappointed if they were on 3DS instead.

Single analog is absolutely still a viable complaint because the c-stick is not good for accurate camera control and its positioning is awkward. A peripheral to "fix" the problem doesn't help matters either imo. My launch vita was and is great out of the box, meanwhile I've had to buy multiple 3DS revisions to make it decent.
The c-stick on n3DS? It's fine in MH4U, and ideally placed since you can more quickly switch between it and the face buttons. You can actually even adjust with the tip of your thumb while keeping it ready on the face buttons.

Plus the touchscreen is great for item use and monster cam. 3DS really isn't holding back hunting games at all control wise. There's nothing as awkward as backtouch button substitution or anything.
 

Hansel?

Neo Member
dang really crossed the sales threshold for a spinoff. monster numbers
I am really late to this I guess, but what about this title makes it a spinoff? Admittedly, I've only seen like 2-3 gameplay vids and read nothing up on it, but it's always looked like a new legit entry in the franchise...
 
I am really late to this I guess, but what about this title makes it a spinoff? Admittedly, I've only seen like 2-3 gameplay vids and it's always looked like a new legit entry in the franchise...

It's a spinoff, because it isn't numbered. They are experimenting with new combat mechanics, and it is more of a greatest hits package bringing together monsters and environments from MonHun 1-4.
 

Kyoufu

Member
I am really late to this I guess, but what about this title makes it a spinoff? Admittedly, I've only seen like 2-3 gameplay vids and read nothing up on it, but it's always looked like a new legit entry in the franchise...

There's no such thing as mainline/spin-off in the MH series unless we're talking about Monster Hunter Diary and Monster Hunter Stories which are different genres entirely.

Numbers in Monster Hunter titles don't really mean anything. Every game is near identical, with each iteration possibly featuring a new gimmick.

Nobody actually gives a shit about "mainline" in MH.
 

Seil

Member
sörine;190347014 said:
The c-stick on n3DS? It's fine in MH4U, and ideally placed since you can more quickly switch between it and the face buttons. You can actually even adjust with the tip of your thumb while keeping it ready on the face buttons.

Plus the touchscreen is great for item use and monster cam. 3DS really isn't holding back hunting games at all control wise. There's nothing as awkward as backtouch button substitution or anything.

The c-stick is passable for general camera, but passable at best. I still find myself using the d-pad instead when aiming a bow and so on. In a game like god eater though? No. Yes, it'd be an improvement over PSP but it wouldn't compete with vita's sticks at all. Just because something can be used doesn't make it good.

Though the c-stick is also held back by capcom in monster hunter. Why the hell did they make the game treat it as a four directional pad -.-
 

Kyoufu

Member
The c-stick is passable for general camera, but passable at best. I still find myself using the d-pad instead when aiming a bow and so on. In a game like god eater though? No. Yes, it'd be an improvement over PSP

The 3DS C-Stick is not an improvement over PSP/Vita's Claw method. Not even close.

The dpad positioning on PSP/Vita allows players to control the camera while attacking monsters or gathering.
 

Seil

Member
The 3DS C-Stick is not an improvement over PSP/Vita's Claw method. Not even close.

The dpad positioning on PSP/Vita allows players to control the camera while attacking monsters or gathering.

I can't claw anymore. And even back then I hated doing it haha. So I'll take the c-stick over having to claw.
 

Oregano

Member
Everything declined, and not just on 3DS.

Not everything declined but you do have a point. Saying that I believe God Eater 2 did only a little bit less than God Eater.

Hardcore gamers were not the primary audience of PSP.

Okay teenagers or whoever then. Point is the people buying all the PSP software aren't necessarily on 3DS. Retailers are saying MHX is even getting some former PSP players.
 

NewGame

Banned
Having as many monsters as possible is the key to success. Tired of missing flagships and favorites from every title.

Assuming this follows the lead of MH4, we'll get a G rank localization with cramped, annoying online infrastructure.

#8hunterrooms
 

test_account

XP-39C²
Great numbers! :)


From what I've seen this could have easily been called Monster Hunter 5, contrary to what the initial reveal made it seem like.

Being able to play as a cat probably pulled a few new people in as well!
I think so too. Seems to be spinoff in the sense like Black Ops was a spin off to Modern Warfare. I wonder if Capcom will makes two series like that or just keep going with numbered sequels instead.
 

Kyoufu

Member
I think so too. Seems to be spinoff in the sense like Black Ops was a spin off to Modern Warfare. I wonder if Capcom will makes two series like that or just keep going with numbered sequels instead.

Two running series like that isn't a new thing for MH. They did this with the Portable/Freedom and "mainline" numbered games as well. They've also had Frontier running for like a decade now.
 
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