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Monster Hunter Portable 3rd coming to Japan in late 2010
When Capcom woke up this morning, it decided it would like to have roughly a bajillion more dollars by this time next year. It walked over to a secret panel in its foyer, slid it open and pressed a button inside, labeled "New Monster Hunter." A press release was instantaneously launched announcing Monster Hunter Portable 3rd, the next PSP-based entry in the franchise, due out in Japan in late 2010. The announcement heralds new monsters and areas to explore, an expanded "Felyne Comrade" system (we're pretty sure that's Russian for "cat friend") and improved co-op play. There's no word on plans for localization, but Capcom's been pretty diligent in unleashing the Monster Hunter series worldwide. You can get your first look at the outrageously large-sworded title in a trailer posted after the jump. [Thanks Krystian!]
Ad: Yes, girls play Monster Hunter too
Want to be a "chick magnet" in Tokyo? Why not pick up Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G? This ad from PlayStation shows fashionable Japanese females getting together for an Ad-Hoc game of the popular PSP exclusive. Don't you wish you could join them? (Also, why does a game as successful as Monster Hunter need to advertise?)
This week's Monster Hunter DLC ...
Besides Rock Band, we don't really know of any other game that updates its downloadable offerings as frequently and regularly as Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G. Every week, Capcom releases a new quest for the insanely popular action RPG. And every week, PSP is the top-selling system in Japan. We're not suggesting that those two trends are related in any way, but we have to say that Capcom is really treating its PSP fans quite well in Japan. We wonder what the Western equivalent of Monster Hunter will be ...[Via PSPHyper]
Yes, even more DLC for Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G
The ever-popular Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G continues to expand its downloadable quest collection. The game has been expanded upon quite a bit already, and next up is a trip to the desert featuring a fight against two Dodobrango. This kind of over-enthusiastic support from Capcom is one of the reasons why the game has earned so much popularity in Japan. Perhaps other developers (PSP and others) should take heed of this practice -- building a strong community will reward you with incredible sales.[Via PSPHyper]
One more Monster Hunter accessory to customize PSP
Monster Hunter mania is really turning into pimp-my-PSP. There's just way too many Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G items for sale: from cases to potions, and limited edition PSPs to art books and CDs. Now there's even this attachable grip that you can latch onto your handheld system. Only super hardcore fans would need something like this. The grip is only compatible with slim PSP-2000 models though, and goes for about 1,890 yen (US$20). In light of all these collectibles and products, however, anyone else thinking that yet another one will slip out right before Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G's release? At this rate, it wouldn't be surprising. Keychains perhaps? No no, how about special edition edible gummy-monsters. That would surely fly off the shelves.
Japanese humor: Two Monster Hunter 2nd G TV spots
Monster Hunter Portable 2nd is probably Japan's most popular PSP title. It doesn't come as a surprise that the Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G expansion is going to cause a tsunami wave when it hits retailers over there. While the Japanese wait for their March 27 release, they're being bombarded with these funny TV spots showing dudes play the game on their PSPs. You know a game's popular when very little is shown about the game itself, and it's all about the gamers who play it. Interestingly enough, the first video has a guy playing the game while at the gym. Hmm, do people really play their PSPs while they exercise? You can bet that this blogger does. How many of you do? How many of you actually exercise?! While you ponder about that, check out the second video after the break. We're sure this gamer's frustration in the second video is something we can all relate to.
Land of the rising sun? More like land of the rising Sony hardware sales
If you'll pardon the rather heavy handed pun in the title, we can let you in on some choice information regarding Sony console sales in Japan. The week ending the 1st of July saw increased sales for the PS3, PS2 and PSP. We've collated all the interesting statistics into handy bullet points for you, so check them out below. All increases are compared to the week ending the 24th of June. PS2: 16,316 sold. An increase of 26% PSP: 38,305 sold. An increase of 15% PS3: 11,914 sold. An increase of 20% The rise in PSP sales can no doubt be put down to the recent release of Monster Hunter Portable 2, the latest in a series which has been a huge hit in Japan. The latest in the series hit the top spot on the Japanese charts, beating Wii Sports and Pokemon Diamond/Pearl. We look forward to seeing how the game does in the coming weeks and whether it influences even more PSP sales. We'll let you know.
Monster Hunter Portable 2nd sells a million in Japan
It's not unusual to see million-selling games on the DS (as Tom Jones would have crooned), but Monster Hunter Portable 2nd is the first PSP game to manage that feat inside Japan. The game got off to a great start last week and, according to a press release from Capcom, as of today one million units have been shipped to retail. Whether this is the start of something big in terms of a comeback for the PSP, or just a one-off success story, it still leaves Sony with an awful lot of work to do if it intends the PSP to ever catch up with the DS' phenomenal performance in Japan. Either way, it's great news for Capcom!
Sony goes bling with new Champagne Gold [Update 1]
While us Americans have been stuck with black PSPs since its launch nearly two years ago, Japan has been collecting more and more unique colors. The newly revealed "Champagne Gold" PSP will hit Japan on February 22nd for the standard PSP price of 20,790 yen (~$175US).This is, coincidentally, when Monster Hunter Portable 2nd comes out, the most wanted PSP game in Japan. As with Tales of the World and Metal Gear Solid, Sony will bundle the new system color with the highly anticipated game into a special package, which will undoubtedly include some other collectibles. The premium package will go for 26,000 yen (~$218).[Via Playstation][Update 1: More details on the Monster Hunter bundle after the cut. Additional details via IGN.]
Metal Gear wins the future
The people of CESA sure love Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops. They gave it a "Best of Show" award at Tokyo Game Show a few weeks ago, and now they're willing to give it the prestigious "Future Award," which is given to games which are sure to be hits in the future. It joins other games such as Blue Dragon for the Xbox 360, Elebits for the Wii, and Heavenly Sword for the PS3.Monster Hunter Portable also won a "Special Award." The game gets to wear a special hat and sit in the corner because of it. Check out the rest of the winners at Siliconera.
Monster Hunter 2 trailer [Update 1]
Monster Hunter 2 featured some of the longest lines at Tokyo Game Show. And for good reason: the first release was a tremendous success in Japan. With better graphics, and some awards to boot, the sequel looks to surpass the high standard set by the first. GameTrailers.com has off-screen footage of the trailer released at TGS and it looks good. Check it out.[Update 1: Now features some awesome gameplay footage, captured from the show. Check it out after the cut!]
TGS 06: Every PSP game previewed
There are way too many PSP games at this year's Tokyo Game Show. Because not all of us have time to read all the impressions and previews of all the games coming out, PSP Fanboy has created this nifty guide for all the games that were previewed. You'll get a thumbs up or a thumbs down from the major video game news sites. If a game looks like it might be a real winner, we'll award it "The Official PSP Fanboy Entranced Korean Award." These are the games that'll end up in Korea on giant PSPs, luring people to their eventual doom. And, that's pretty cool. Read on to see all the previews!
TGS 06: Monster Hunter 2 features long lines
Unlike the now-defunct E3, Tokyo Game Show has always been an event for the masses. The public could wait on enormous lines to get their hands on upcoming video games (something I'd love to have here in the States!). The general success of an upcoming product can usually be seen by the approximate wait for the product.Enter Monster Hunter Portable 2nd, the sequel to Japan's top-selling PSP game so far. The Japanese absolutely love this game, and according to Gamespot, were willing to wait for two hours to get their hands on it. Wow. (And they say the PSP is dead in Japan. Wrong!) Although the sequel will not feature any online gameplay, it does appear that the beautiful graphics will be enough to make the game an instant bestseller in Japan.
