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Capcom sales, income up in 2012
Capcom continued its recent financial boon with a net income of 6.6 billion yen ($72 million), up 104.9 percent, for the first nine months of its fiscal year, which will end on March 31, 2013. Capcom attributed the success to launches of major games, the growing popularity of its social games in Japan, and its newly introduced Resident Evil 5 slot machine. Sales were up 44 percent during the same period from last year.While both Resident Evil 6 and DmC: Devil May Cry saw significant reductions to their end-of-fiscal-year projections, Capcom is pleased by the performances of Dragon's Dogma, which exceeded expectations to become a million-seller last year, and Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate, which racked up over 600,000 sales during its first month in Japan.
DmC: Devil May Cry shipped 1 million in January, forecasts slashed
Capcom shipped 1 million units of DmC: Devil May Cry on Xbox 360 and PS3 in January. The company adjusted its sales forecasts for the game to 1.2 million by March 31, down from the 2 million projected back in May 2012.The figures don't take into account the PC version, released on January 25. Nonetheless, they strongly indicate Ninja Theory's reboot is flagging way behind the last entry in the series, Devil May Cry 4, which shipped 2 million units in its first two weeks at retail.Capcom also updated sales figures for Resident Evil 6 to 4.8 million; the series' latest outbreak had shipped 4.5 million by the end of September. and was initially projected to reach 7 million sales by March 31. Dragon's Dogma is up to 1.25 million, while Resident Evil: Raccoon City is at a meagre 650,000, including PC sales. Maybe that's why Revelations producer Masachika Kawata feels there've been too many RE games of late.Capcom didn't release figures for Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate, released on Wii U in Japan on December 8, 2012, but said the game "became a smash hit." In case you suspect that's just deflective hot air, the action-RPG sold over 600,000 copies by the end of 2012, with the Western launch still to come in March.
Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate lands Mar. 19 in NA, Mar. 22 EU, USB keyboard support, demo dates
Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate arrives on 3DS and Wii U in North America on March 19, and in Europe on March 22, Capcom tells us. Capcom also revealed today on the Unity forums that a day one patch will bring USB keyboard support to the Wii U version.Free demos are coming to the Wii U and 3DS on February 21.
Plesioth returns in latest Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate screens
Capcom unveiled new Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate screens that feature a familiar face: the Plesioth monster that dates back to the first game in the series, which debuted in 2004 on the PS2.Since that first game didn't feature any underwater combat, Capcom said Plesioth has "prepared an interesting set of moves" for the underwater battles in the upcoming game. Bring it, Plessy. Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate is heading to North American 3DS and Wii U consoles in March. %Gallery-176062%
Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate videos show 3 monsters being hunted
Japanese Wii U owners got Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate at launch last week. For the rest of us, these three videos, depicting battles against Zinogre, Lagombi, and Brachydios, are the best look we're going to get for a while.
Wii U sold 308,570 units across first two days in Japan
Nintendo sold 308,570 Wii U units over the console's opening two days in Japan, according to Enterbrain data. That places the new console 17 percent behind its predecessor, the Wii shifting 371,936 units in its first two days on sale. On the other hand, the Wii U sits comfortably ahead of corresponding launch figures for Xbox 360 (62,135) and PS3 (88,400).Leading the console's software charts was New Super Mario Bros. U, the platformer selling 170,563 units across the launch weekend. Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate and Nintendo Land clocked in at second and third, racking up figures of 110,159 and 78,461 respectively.
Capturing the grandeur of the hunt in Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate
The sheer scale of Monster Hunter can be overwhelming at times, full of moments spent looking off into what seems like a never-ending horizon while chasing monsters three or four times your size. It's meant to make you feel like one tiny participant in a massive ecosystem – which you are also trying to destroy.The only window to this massive world over the past few years has been the PSP. In North America, the lone exception has been the Wii's Monster Hunter Tri, while the PlayStation 3 port of Monster Hunter Portable 3rd has remained exclusive to Japan.But North America will finally be able to explore Monster Hunter's creature-filled worlds in high-definition in Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate for Nintendo's Wii U. Ultimate is an HD update of the aforementioned Monster Hunter Tri that includes a large amount of new content. Playing the upgraded version after spending time with the game on 3DS felt right; it was like suddenly being able to see after being locked in a dark room.%Gallery-171028%
Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate and the hunting party
Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate, an upgraded version of Monster Hunter Tri coming to the Wii U and 3DS, made its American debut at New York Comic-Con.In my first twenty-minute experience with the Wii U version of the action-RPG, I was able to step into the mind of a true hunter, both through my own travails against the giant Zinogre, and through the crowd of Monster Hunter devotees that surrounded the booth.%Gallery-168141%
Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate footage and screens captured
If you're at New York Comic-Con this week, you can try out Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate on Wii U at Capcom's booth. Even if you're nowhere near New York, you can see what it looks like in this new media. It looks ... a lot like a port of a Wii game.%Gallery-168141%
New Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate screens and video are a load of shaka-laka
As if Thursday's screens of Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate weren't enough, Capcom is roaring back with more images of the Wii U version.Additionally, the cute video above explains the differences in the multiplayer offerings between the Wii U and 3DS versions of the game. The trailer also illustrates the game's ability to transfer save data between the two Nintendo consoles, allowing players to hunt enormous beasts on the go.Both versions of Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate are due to arrive in March 2013. %Gallery-167726%
Explore Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate's updated world
Capcom has released a flock of images from the updated, Wii U-powered world of the Monster Hunter series. Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate launches in 2013, exclusively on Nintendo's coming home console.
New 3DS colors & bundles in Japan, eShop gets digital re-releases
Nintendo announced three new 3DS XL bundles for Japan, with two special case designs for New Super Mario Bros. 2 and Animal Crossing 3DS. The company also announced the upcoming arrival of eight previously released 3DS games on the Japanese eShop.In an initial Nintendo Direct broadcast, Nintendo showcased 3DS XL bundles for Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate, NSMB 2, and Animal Crossing 3DS. The Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate bundle comes with an all-black 3DS XL, and launches in Japan on November 1. The NSMB 2 bundle, pictured above, comes with a very flash red design, dotted with light red images from the Mario universe. The Animal Crossing 3DS design is similar, but with polka dot images against a white background, a bit 'Tutti Frutti' if you ask us. The Animal Crossing 3DS bundle arrives in Japan on November 8, with the NSMB 2 one a week after. All three bundles come with digital copies of the game.That brings us nicely onto the second Nintendo Direct broadcast, which announced eight digital versions of previously released 3DS games for the eShop. Those games don't include the three in the 3DS XL bundles above (cunning, Mr Nintendo), but they do include Ocarina of Time 3D, Pilotwings Resort, Star Fox 64 3D, Super Mario 3D Land, Mario Kart 7, Mario Tennis Open, Hana to Ikimorio Rittai Zukan (click if you're curious), and Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games. The octet hit the Japanese eShop on November 1.%Gallery-167394%
Can Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate break through in the U.S. and boost the Wii U at the same time?
This is a column by Kat Bailey dedicated to the analysis of the once beloved Japanese RPG sub-genre. Tune in every Wednesday for thoughts on white-haired villains, giant robots, Infinity+1 swords, and everything else the wonderful world of JRPGs has to offer. I just finished a viewing of the fabulous Shin Megami Tensei 4 trailer. In a month I'll be playing Pokemon Black 2 & White 2, and Dragon Quest X and Monter Hunter 3 Ultimate are set for the Wii U. Once again I'm reminded that Nintendo's platforms might not have all of the Japanese RPGs, but they have most of the good ones.On the subject of Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate: What does the announcement that it will be released on the Wii U mean for Japan? Is the series finally ready to make the leap in the U.S. now that it's about to released on a (presumably) mainstream console? The answers may not end up deciding the Wii U's ultimate fate, but they should offer some insight into how the system's library will shape up.Most of you have probably heard about the Monster Hunter frenzy in Japan by now, since it's a good five years old at this points. Thanks to a unique combination of urban density, falling PSP prices and peer pressure, Monster Hunter has become a cultural force in Japan. In the face of this cultural climate, any new Monster Hunter game brings with it a certain amount of pressure to join in with the group.Monster Hunter has enjoyed niche success in the U.S., but the factors that propelled its meteoric rise in Japan have been largely absent on this side of the Pacific. Put simply, it's tough to find another Monster Hunter fan in the west, which is a problem for a game that puts so much stock in its multiplayer experience. If you're really dedicated, you can attend meetups organized over the internet, but not many gamers seem persistent in that effort. I know I'm not.
Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate to use Nintendo servers, no bundle planned
Christian Svensson, Capcom's Senior VP of planning and business development took to the Capcom Unity forums this week to clear up questions about Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate, which was unveiled during a Nintendo Direct presentation this week.Among the noteworthy clarifications Svensson provided was a confirmation that the 3DS version would not support online play, that there are no current plans to package the 3DS and Wii U versions of the game together in a "hard bundle," and that the Monster Hunter Tri servers will eventually be shut down.Svensson also mentioned that Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate will use Nintendo's servers for the Wii U version, though the team is "still waiting for Wii U builds in our office to play with and there's still many moving parts that no one except for the team members has first hand experience with at this point."
Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate announced for Wii U and 3DS, available March 2013 [Update]
Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime announced the return of Capcom's Monster Hunter series in the form of Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate during a Nintendo Direct press briefing today.The game will be available in Europe and North America in March 2013, and features online multiplayer. Fils-Aime highlighted cross-platform multiplayer as a feature for the game, allowing players to progress their characters across Wii U and 3DS versions.Nintendo's Wii U system was dated and priced at the press briefing today as well.Update: Capcom sent us a press release with more features for Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate, including over 200 quests, touch-screen inventory and map functionality, and a "guild card" that can be swapped with other players using the 3DS' Street Pass feature.Players will also be able to transfer their save data between both systems. The 3DS version supports local four-player multiplayer, with no mention of online play for the portable version.Update #2: We've added an announcement video above from Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate producer Ryozo Tsujimoto.
