The Temple of Monster Hunter

[Godzilla2000]

All ye nonbelievers repent and buy a 3DS (Or any other compatible handheld system.) because the day of reckoning will be at hand...well early 2015 to be exact. Yes my brothers and sisters, that is the year of Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate as prophesied by the Capcom Oracle when the newest addition to the Monster Hunter family will arrive!

If you cannot wait that long then if you have a 3DS and/or a WiiU buy Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate and you too can experience the hunt with me, Roon (And if I'm not busy forging iron daggers in Skyrim to get the exalted Daedric Armor and weapons as well as Dragonbone stuff I'm always on ready to assist you with my G-rank Character.) and I shall show you the true power of Monster Hunting personally.

 

[Soapy]

Monster Hunter seems like something I could get way into, so it's unfortunate that Capcom seems completely unwilling to release the games on a platform that people actually care about.

 

[Godzilla2000]

Well, the thing is that Capcom of Japan hates the West, I truly believe this. If it wasn't for Nintendo's coaxing they were not going to release Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate to Europe or the Americas and Canada at all. I thank Nintendo for stepping up and saying they would handle all western marketing, translation of the game and servers or else the only Monster Hunter games I could play would be imported all in Japanese on Japanese hardware which is much more expensive than buying Western hardware. Trust me when MH3U came out and a Western release looked sketchy I was looking into it. Buying Nintendo hardware is just a small sacrifice to make if you really want to get into this interesting series.

If not there still are the PSP versions of the games, which if I ever get a PS4 you will catch me playing the oldies on their version of Ad Hoc Party. There's another software, an illegal one, that sets up wireless servers for the PSP/Vita so you can play with people globally but the name escapes me. That and it's a very difficult thing to set up.

But seriously, would it really kill you to buy a 3DS or 2DS so you can play MH4U when it comes out early next year? Heck I bought a WiiU just for MH3U or else I'd not have a WiiU.

 

[Godzilla2000]

Got some pretty fresh footage of a new monster called Tetsukabra from Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate from game reviewer Pro Jared:

As a MH Veteran this has me excited, very excited. If ever you want to get onboard the Monster Hunter train this is the game. Make the and buy a 3DS XL if you must.

Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate: E3 Demo Gameplay + Interview (English)

 

[Tron Bonne]

Well, the thing is that Capcom of Japan hates the West, I truly believe this. If it wasn't for Nintendo's coaxing they were not going to release Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate to Europe or the Americas and Canada at all. I thank Nintendo for stepping up and saying they would handle all western marketing, translation of the game and servers or else the only Monster Hunter games I could play would be imported all in Japanese on Japanese hardware which is much more expensive than buying Western hardware. Trust me when MH3U came out and a Western release looked sketchy I was looking into it. Buying Nintendo hardware is just a small sacrifice to make if you really want to get into this interesting series.

They don't hate the West. Monster Hunter has never been a big seller outside of Japan. It's sort of like a Dragon Quest situation. It's a mega franchise in Japan, but it's a pretty quiet release anywhere else. I don't say that as a deter to the game or anything, but it's just fact really. It has a decent base in NA/EU, but it's popularity is overwhelmingly from Japan. I can easily see why Capcom decided not to pursue bringing it over. It's good that Nintendo did that, though, for those fans in question.

As for me personally, I played some of MH3. I liked what I played. I may pick up MH4 at some point, or buy MH3 for myself and try it since it's probably not super expensive to find.

 

[Godzilla2000]

I have to beg to differ that Monster Hunter doesn't sell well outside of Japan. Monster Hunter 3 (Tri) was a pretty hot seller for the Wii and when Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate was released Nintendo ran out of copies of the game. I think the simple truth we're missing here is that unlike Japan which is a small island where MH fans are in a centralized area Europe and the Americas are much wider areas with more widely dispersed populations that are spread out over larger territories. I bet if you were to tabulate the amount of money collectively that Monster Hunter has made in the West it would come out evenly to the copies sold in Japan.

And put it this way, when Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate is released in early 2015 we will be getting the better, more beefed up version of MH4.

 

[Tron Bonne]

Monster Hunter sells like 4-5 million copies in Japan, mostly on handhelds. Outside Japan, I'm pretty sure it's 1-2 mil at most, but generally below that. I don't have any links or anything, but that's what I read whenever I happen about something on the topic. I mean, just think about the logic, if MH was half as popular in NA/EU, would Capcom hesitate to bring it over? Nintendo wouldn't have to do half the work to get the things localized. It's a Dragon Quest situation, like I said. Huge in Japan, but everywhere else it's pretty soft. Nintendo has to put even more effort into getting that franchise out of Japan, unfortunately. The size of the land doesn't matter when talking about sales.

Again, this isn't a deter against the game. Just how it is. Not that matters, since fans are still getting to enjoy the game regardless.

 

[Godzilla2000]

I'm still going to say I disagree with you that Monster Hunter isn't selling here in the West. It's a game for the true gamer that doesn't like things just handed to them and holds your hand throughout the whole game like most FPS games do.

This is a game for those that want the challenge of using their heads to figure out what they'll need to succeed in a hunt. You take damage you don't just get healing items on the ground. You have to make and/or buy your healing items. You get poisoned? Make sure you remember to bring antidotes with you because you don't get very much from the Blue Box in low rank, or anything at all in High or G Rank until the Guild decides in quest to deliver your meager supplies. It's the idiot that believes they can do well in Monster Hunter with a weapon and armor alone. The challenge and thrill of this game is crafting everything you use from the monsters you kill, not wandering around picking up things that are already there.

I love seeing newbies saying games like MH3U is hard. Pfft! I'm playing through the village quests in Monster Hunter Freedom, the PSP port of the very first Monster Hunter game and they start you out with nothing but a weapon, no armor or a weapon you do want, just a Sword and Shield which does hardly anything. That game forces you to be a better hunter because the small monsters are just as aggressive as the big, target monster. Why, when I was hunting Rathalos for my urgent I carted once because I was ganged up and pummeled not just by Rathalos but the Velociprey too.

People just have to learn how to play the game.

 

[Tron Bonne]

Well, yeah, I enjoy challenging games myself, but that doesn't really have anything to do with sales :/

I mean, really, it doesn't matter. The games get localized either way so it's just a talking point and nothing more.

 

[ProjectPat2280]

I'm still going to say I disagree with you that Monster Hunter isn't selling here in the West. It's a game for the true gamer that doesn't like things just handed to them and holds your hand throughout the whole game like most FPS games do.

That doesnt have anything to do with sales, as Tron said. MH sells rather poorly in the west with with no recent editions of any MH game selling more than half a million units on any single platform in NA(well save for Tri, that did just over half a mill). Its not much different in Europe either. The challenging aspect has nothing to do with it as we see games like Dark Souls and Demons Souls sell 3 million units apiece.

Its not about disagreeing that it doesnt sell well, it just doesnt sell well. Period. The single best selling MH game for the west was MH Freedom Unite for the PSP. That did just over a million units in all of the west and did over 4 million in Japan.

Tron is pretty much right on the money with his assessment that MH isn't brought here due to low sales, not some hatred for the West(altho im not saying that may or may not exist)

 

[Godzilla2000]

Hmm...not so sure about that anymore. The buzz on MH4U is pretty good within the video game industry. Been tracking rumors that Capcom any release it to the West a lot earlier than expected because of how well sales for MH3U were. You're just criticizing the series based on personal feelings because you just don't like the fact it's on Nintendo Hardware. I bet if it was on the Xbox systems it would get more love from you.

Here's the deal with this thread, I'm not looking for people who don't want to play this game for whatever reasons and be all hyoer critical because it's on a system they don't like instead of one they do prefer more. I'm looking for people in this forum that do want to play this game and whom I can hunt with online, okay? Got it?

 

[Benstamania]

I played the last one.. It was my first and last. Hated that the hunts were timed. If people are into that.. Or if that's how is always been Cool, I personally just always feel that's a cop out when it comes to difficulty.

 

[Tron Bonne]

Hmm...not so sure about that anymore. The buzz on MH4U is pretty good within the video game industry. Been tracking rumors that Capcom any release it to the West a lot earlier than expected because of how well sales for MH3U were. You're just criticizing the series based on personal feelings because you just don't like the fact it's on Nintendo Hardware. I bet if it was on the Xbox systems it would get more love from you.

Here's the deal with this thread, I'm not looking for people who don't want to play this game for whatever reasons and be all hyoer critical because it's on a system they don't like instead of one they do prefer more. I'm looking for people in this forum that do want to play this game and whom I can hunt with online, okay? Got it?

I'm not sure if you're just addressing Pat there or both of us, but you are sorely mistaken if you think the choice of system has any effect on my opinion of the series. I have both a Wii U and 3DS.

But secondly, neither of us (nor anyone outside of Beats until this point) has really said anything criticizing the game. You're meshing sales of the games together with how good it is. They are not one in the same. I'm really not sure exactly what to make of your replies. You really seem to be unable to distinguish that we're not talking about the game's quality and just talking about sales. They aren't the same. Some of my favorite games that I put hours and hours didn't sell well. Two completely separate things. Acknowledging that reality doesn't mean you dislike the games. Like I said, I liked what I played of MH3U, and could see myself trying MH4 at some point. It doesn't make any difference how games you play sell in what region, it's about how much you enjoy them and that they make it to your region.

 

[ProjectPat2280]

Hmm...not so sure about that anymore. The buzz on MH4U is pretty good within the video game industry. Been tracking rumors that Capcom any release it to the West a lot earlier than expected because of how well sales for MH3U were. You're just criticizing the series based on personal feelings because you just don't like the fact it's on Nintendo Hardware. I bet if it was on the Xbox systems it would get more love from you.

Here's the deal with this thread, I'm not looking for people who don't want to play this game for whatever reasons and be all hyoer critical because it's on a system they don't like instead of one they do prefer more. I'm looking for people in this forum that do want to play this game and whom I can hunt with online, okay? Got it?

Tron already addressed this, but not once in my post did I rag on the game, at all. I just stated a few facts about the games sales which was a follow up to what was said in a previous post. Tron and myself were just pointing out that it's not some hatred for the west but sales that affect this series release outside of Japan. That's it. Iv got nothing against the series whatsoever.

 

[Sithborg]

Monster Hunter seems like something I could get way into, so it's unfortunate that Capcom seems completely unwilling to release the games on a platform that people actually care about.

From what I've read, it seems like Capcom had a bit of a falling out with Sony over Monster Hunter, which is why 4 was on the 3DS.

I am sad that 4G is only going to be on the 3DS. I really enjoy 3U on my Wii U. Though, I still need to go back to it. Almost done with the single player stuff.

 

[Tron Bonne]

There's still the Frontier games that are on Sony platforms, so I doubt there's any tension about it. Most likely it's a situation similar to Dragon Quest. Nintendo's handhelds are the most popular traditional gaming devices in Japan, where the big audience is, and Nintendo helps to localize and market it outside the region.