Capcom has released a commemorative video detailing the history of Monster Hunter in celebration of the game's 15 year anniversary. The video shows the story of the franchise, beginning with the PlayStation 2 version released in 2004, going all the way to the Monster Hunter World Iceborne Expansion slated for release later this year.
There is no question that Monster Hunter has come a long way since it was first launched. The series has changed a lot in terms of gameplay and graphics. By 2017, it was revealed that at least 40 million units of Monster Hunter games have been sold. It is said to be the third highest-selling franchise behind Street Fighter and Resident Evil.
Aside from games, the 15-year run of this iconic series has churned out manga, an anime series, and a card game. There is even a full-length film to be released in 2020 and is helmed by Paul W. S. Anderson, starring Milla Jovovich (Resident Evil), Ron Perlman (Hellboy), and Tony Jaa (Ong-Bak).
Just last month, Capcom surprised a lot of gamers when the company revealed that it was working with CD Projekt Red for a Monster Hunter: World crossover with The Witcher. In particular, The Witcher’s Geralt of Rivia is seen arriving in the Monster Hunter universe. The crossover was launched as a free update and saw Geralt going after a Leshen.
In an interview with Nikkei, Capcom COO Haruhiro Tsujimoto explained how the game became a success and, more importantly, how it changed Capcom's view on the PC as a platform.
Tsujimoto said that the sales for Monster Hunter: World were higher than what Capcom expected them to be, but "[w]hile ‘surpassing 10 million’ is a big topic, it isn’t all about the numbers." In addition, the company found out that the game had a high digital sales ratio, especially in the pre-order stage. Figures for the PC version were also higher than expected, added Tsujimoto. The data showed that in Asia, sales of the game for the PC was higher compared to the console versions. He said that the "popularity of esports is there, and the PC gaming market is also active" in Asia. Tsujimoto added further that "PCs are versatile devices that can be used for work as well as studies."
Monster Hunter: World is out now for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC. The expansion Monster Hunter World: Iceborne is slated to be released in the fall of 2019.
