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Monster Hunter Tri launch trailer is all over the place
Monster Hunter Tri arrives in North America this week, and to mark the occasion, Capcom sent out this strange trailer. It starts off kind of somber and beautiful, with some haunting chants, and then it suddenly transitions into FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT. Then some shots of a hunter hanging out with Cha-Cha, doing some fishing, then FIGHT FIGHT. Presumably, the actual game spreads out the violent bits and the relaxing bits, but put in rapid succession like this it seems a bit psychotic. How's that for a back-of-the-box quote?
Lost Planet 2 getting guest characters from Dead Rising, Monster Hunter
[Famitsu] A handful of Lost Planet 2 screenshots from Famitsu have revealed the game will borrow the stars of two more franchises: Frank West from Dead Rising and the Scaly Knife-Gun Dude from Monster Hunter, the latter being exclusive to the PS3 version of the game. For those of you keeping track, these two join Gears of War's Marcus and Dom (who will only appear in the 360 version), Resident Evil's Wesker, and What's His Face from Lost Planet 2 in the fight against the calamitous, towering Akrid. Though most of these crossovers seem pretty out of place, we're betting the dude from Monster Hunter will be right at home bringing down monsters the size of football stadiums. That kind of thing is right in his wheelhouse.
Meet Monster Hunter Tri's producer and director at UK launch event
If you're in London and eager to get started hunting monsters and, uh, holding a Classic Controller Pro, you'll probably want to be at GAME's Monster Hunter Tri London launch event on April 23. Not only will the game be there -- the first 50 people in line will receive a bag full of Monster Hunter stuff. And then you'll have the opportunity to have some of that stuff signed by producer Ryozo Tsujimoto and director Kaname Fujioka. Nintendo would like to remind you to wear your "best 'hunting' attire" to the event, so you look nice and ridiculous when you meet the developers. %Gallery-86439%
Capcom supporting Monster Hunter Tri with downloadable quests
Capcom wants to ensure you continue hunting after the release of Monster Hunter Tri, by releasing limited-time quests after release, in the form of "Event Quests," "Gigantic Monster Quests," and "Arena Quests." According to a post on Capcom-Unity, Event Quests will be offered "on an ongoing basis," but require players to achieve a certain hunter rank before taking part. "Gigantic Monster Quests," however are only up for one day, allowing parties of hunters to take on the enormous "Jhen Mohran" monster. Arena Quests allow only two players in a party, fighting a single monster. Some of these arena battles will offer better rewards for quicker completion. Capcom will announce each month's quest schedule on the first Friday of each month on Capcom-Unity, so set your bookmarks, monster hunters.
Monster Hunter sneaks into Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker
Kojima Productions recently held a press conference in Japan to celebrate the completion of Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker, which is set to shed its cardboard box cover for a very visible spot on Japanese store shelves come April 29. During the event, it was revealed that there would be Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G content in the Konami-published game. The collaboration should ensure that every Japanese citizen will now buy Peace Walker, regardless of whether they own a PSP (that's just how it works). 1UP confirms the content will also be in the US version of the game. Monster Hunter's Felynes -- little cat-like things that act as support in Capcom's title -- will have a presence in Peace Walker. On top of that, some of the rations in Hideo Kojima's latest sneak-'em-up will appear as "well-cooked rations," a play on Monster Hunter's well-cooked meat. Also: Snake will hunt monsters, so ... yeah. Kojima justified the crazy crossover by playing the Jurassic Park card -- specifically, that Peace Walker takes place in Costa Rica. "I figured it'd be the perfect opportunity," he told Japanese mag Famitsu. Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker will be out in Europe and North America on May 28 and June 8, respectively. To check out some footage from the Monster Hunter unveiling, pay a visit to the Kojima Productions website.
Nintendo collaborated with Capcom on the Classic Controller Pro
In a new Iwata Asks feature with Capcom's Ryozo Tsujimoto and Kaname Fujioka, Nintendo president Satoru Iwata revealed just how closely Nintendo worked with Capcom to ensure the success of Monster Hunter Tri. Not only did the hardware manufacturer create a new controller, the Classic Controller Pro, but it actually consulted Capcom about it. "I'm just gonna go ahead and say it," Iwata said, "but we even discussed where the best place for the analogue sticks would be." Fujioka expressed the team's relative shock at Nintendo's openness. "To be honest, when we were first asked that, I thought, 'Is it all right for us to decide?'," Fujioka said. We said what we thought would be a good spot for the analogue sticks, and when it turned out just like that, I was surprised." Of course, that spot is "exactly where they are on the PS2 controller," but that's due to Capcom's choice!
Monster Hunter Freedom Unite DLC coming to an end
Since its release, Capcom has diligently updated Monster Hunter Freedom Unite with free DLC; unfortunately, the free updates come to an end this week, with the release of five additional missions. Promising to be "some of the most epic quests" in the game so far, these four-player missions can be downloaded for free from the in-game DLC menu. The final missions will be available on April 2nd. If you're still playing the game, and have AdHocParty installed on your PS3, you may want to participate in a Play With Capcom session this Friday. For more details, visit the Capcom-Unity blog.
Monster Hunter Freedom Unites with PSP Go in Japan
After almost six months, we're going to see sales for the PSP Go pick up in Japan starting tomorrow. How can we be so sure? Today, Sony announced that not only is the PSP hit Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G (called Monster Hunter Freedom Unite here) being released as a download on March 18 -- a voucher for the title will also be given away with new PSP Gos. The downloadable game by itself will cost ¥1,600 ($17.69) from the PlayStation Store. Even though over three million people already have this on UMD -- and even though Monster Hunter Portable 3 was just announced for PSP -- we still anticipate a lot of sales for this. People in Japan are just that thrilled about Monster Hunter. [Via Andriasang]
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!]
Monster Hunter Tri ads mock non-monster hunters
It's rare for someone to berate you for not being tough enough for a Wii game, but that's exactly what Capcom's Monster Hunter Tri spokes-character Ironbeard does in this surprisingly funny series of ads. The Scottish huntsman mocks people for thinking that hunting real, regular-sized animals is hard when there are monsters to be hunted in Capcom's upcoming Wii game. Not only are these ads, which you can view after the break, funny, they're also kind of effective. We don't want to look at this fictional character with shame! We want him to be proud of us for being man enough to hunt giant fake monsters. [Thanks, Kieran!]
Amazon offering $10 credit with Monster Hunter 3
If you're absolutely certain that you want to do the following two things: Buy Monster Hunter Tri Buy $10 worth of other things from Amazon in the near future Good news! The retailer is now offering a free $10 credit with purchases of both the standard edition and Classic Controller Pro bundle of Monster Hunter Tri. For some reason, it's not listed on Amazon's $10 Bonus Offers page, but the game's page mentions the deal. In addition to that bonus, the standard edition is currently priced at $44.99, so you'd effectively be getting Monster Hunter for $34.99. [Via GoNintendo]
Inafune hints at overseas release for Monster Hunter Frontier
Not all Monster Hunter games make it outside of Japan. The Wii port of Monster Hunter G, for example, was passed over, as was Monster Hunter Frontier, the PC MMO upon which the upcoming Xbox 360 game is based. That's why it's noteworthy that Capcom's Keiji Inafune told Famitsu (according to Andriasang's translation) that "I feel Monster Hunter can definitely succeed overseas. There's a high possibility that MHF will kickstart that." For such a kickstart to take place, the game would have to be released overseas. Unless, of course, it's already kickstarted by Monster Hunter Tri, coming out in North America and Europe this April, right?
Monster Hunter Tri supports Wii Speak, bundled with accessory in Europe
Back in November, Capcom told Joystiq it was "hoping" to add voice chat support to Monster Hunter Tri using the neglected Wii Speak accessory. Today's announcement of the European release of the game confirms that players will be able to coordinate with their hunting parties by yelling at their TVs. Not only will the Western releases of Monster Hunter Tri support the Wii Speak accessory, but it will be offered as part of a bundle in the European version. In addition to the standalone game and a Classic Controller Pro bundle, you'll be able to buy a pack containing Monster Hunter Tri, a black Classic Controller Pro, and a Wii Speak mic. [Via Siliconera]
New Xbox 360 Japan ads are ... interesting
Microsoft is rolling out some new ads for the Xbox 360 in Japan. Spotted on the Japanese Xbox.com and featuring a trio of businessmen, the ads certainly represent a big departure from the "Do!Do!Do!" ads of yesteryear. The three suits include "Sanrokumaru" (translated 3-6-0) a man with an Xbox 360 sphere for a head. Together, the group forms the Xbox Special Division, which goes forth in order to obtain big name titles for the Xbox 360. One such title is Monster Hunter, which has already been announced by Capcom for the console. In fact, at end of the Monster Hunter ad -- embedded after the break -- the text translates as "XXXX is next!" and then fills in "XXXX" with "Monster Hunter." As noted by Andriasang.com, the promotional site has several spaces filled with Xs, implying that Microsoft has some other game announcements up its sleeve. [Via Andriasang.com]
Monster Hunter Frontier soon stalking beasts on Xbox 360
The identity of the teased "Capcom x Microsoft" title was revealed earlier this morning, bringing about one of those forehead-slapping of course moments -- because of course it's a Monster Hunter game for the 360. To be more specific it's Monster Hunter Frontier, a port of the PC MMO of the same name. On top of a promotional trailer (which we've posted after the jump), Capcom's released a few details about the game, the most interesting of which is the title's subscription plan. According to Famitsu, Japanese players will be required to purchase Hunter Life Course Coupons for 1,400 yen ($15), which will give them access to the game for 30 days and a one-month Xbox Live Gold subscription. Not a bad deal at all. The game's official site also went live earlier this morning, and will be updated again on February 1. Keep an eye out for more details in the coming weeks, even though chances of this coming to the West seem slim at best.
Wii Classic Controller Pro coming to confused, oversized US living rooms in April
After doing the whole "Nintendo" thing in Japan, Nintendo has brought its Wii Classic Controller Pro Stateside to ensure us Americans were being properly Nintend'd to. That's right, yet another control mechanism, with its own set of slightly different buttons (this time dual shoulder buttons) and ergonomics (some DualShock-style grips) to thoroughly confuse and delight hapless Wii owners. Interestingly, the controller is making its debut in April as a bundle with Monster Hunter Tri; the game is compatible with the tried and true Wii Remote + Nunchuck combo and the hardly relevant Classic Controller, but we have a feeling those extra, Professional shoulder buttons will come in handy when plying the game mechanics of monster hunting. Separately the controller comes in black or white for $20, while bundled the game and controller will retail for $60. Our dignity as a once-proud Wii owner? Hardly worth a Craigslist listing.
Nintendo distributing Monster Hunter 3 in Europe this April
Nintendo appears to be confident in the sales potential of Capcom's Monster Hunter Tri. The company will take on sales, marketing, and distribution of the Wii action RPG in Europe and Australia, as it did for Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles and Zack and Wiki. Despite Capcom's announcement that the title would be delayed, Monster Hunter Tri will be released in April in the West -- just out of its original Q1 window. "Nintendo has identified Monster Hunter Tri as a key title for the Wii platform in 2010," Capcom Europe senior director of marketing Michael Pattison said. " We are really excited about partnering with Nintendo to further develop this franchise." Perhaps it could be developed further by releasing the Classic Controller Pro along with it. Just an option. %Gallery-34117%
Wait outside the Monster Hunter Tri site
The new Monster Hunter Tri site isn't quite open yet, with the full contents of the digital lodge kept locked down by an outrageous voice actor. But even without access to whatever's in there, there's some interesting stuff to be found outside the virtual barrier (navigate over to the door knocker twice to find it). The site features screenshots, the North American announcement trailer, weapon descriptions, and, perhaps most useful for us, a short listing of monsters -- maybe now we won't catch so much flak for referring to one of the game's trademark creatures as "like a dragon or something." It's like a Monster Hunter University for everyone! In the announcement, Capcom still referred to the game's release date as "Spring 2010," so we expect it to be one of the less delayed titles in Capcom's lineup.
Marvel vs. Capcom 2 defeated HD Remix in sales battle
Capcom and Udon Entertainment spent years redrawing and re-balancing Super Street Fighter II Turbo for its HD Remix version. Later, Capcom announced and released a port of Marvel vs. Capcom 2 over the course of a few months, with filters on the original sprites. Guess which one sold better? "We have three titles that have drastically over-performed our expectations," Capcom's VP of strategic planning and business development Christian Svensson told GamesIndustry.biz. "The most recent of which was Marvel vs Capcom 2, which we didn't expect to exceed Super Street Fighter 2 Turbo HD Remix's numbers, but it has." One IP that hasn't quite exceeded Capcom's expectations in the west is Monster Hunter. The company is working to turn that around with events like Monster Hunter Tri University designed to familiarize press with the workings of the series. "We are strategically investing in the brand in the West," Svensson explained, "because we know that as a company we're going to continue to be creating Monster Hunter content, so it behooves us to do what it takes to make it stick here." In other words, Japanese sales ensure that Capcom is going to continue making the things, so Capcom might as well try to sell them outside of Japan as well. %Gallery-51288%
Capcom schools Monster Hunter Tri rookies, unsure about Wii Speak for US
[Capcom-Unity] Capcom held a university-themed event Tuesday evening in San Francisco to introduce newcomers to the Monster Hunter universe in the runup to next spring's North American release of Monster Hunter Tri for the Wii. We'd already played the game at previous events, so we knew what to expect: Monster Hunter, looking nice (especially the large monsters) but not as nice as it could have on the PS3. After spending some time with the three-level, English-localized trade show demo on-hand -- including a go using the very nice Classic Controller Pro, which is included in Japan's black system/game bundle -- we asked Capcom staff about two unsettled questions concerning the game's US release. The first was the matter of paying to play Monster Hunter Tri online, as the game eschews Nintendo's servers for Capcom-operated ones and is fee-based in Japan. We didn't receive a decisive answer, being told only that the publisher is "hoping" the game will be free to play in the US. We got a similar response when we wondered if Wii Speak support was 100% set for the domestic release -- Capcom's "hoping" to get it in, but couldn't promise anything. The event did provide taste of what trying to coordinate a successful online monster hunt would be like without Wii Speak -- we found it nearly impossible to hear our fellow players (or the game) over the music being piped through the venue's formidable sound system. %Gallery-34117%
