Capcom's Monstrous Wii Prospects

February 25th, 2009, 00:24 Posted By: wraggster

Capcom has high hopes that the upcoming Wii-exclusive Monster Hunter 3 finds the same monstrous success in the West as it has in Japan.

During the Osaka, Japan-based publisher's earnings call for the December quarter, Capcom stated "...We plan to release our leading titles overseas to acquire game users, as the overseas market for Wii is extensive.

"One of our leading titles is Monster Hunter 3. ... If we can gain recognition of this product in the European and North American markets, our market strategy will see a noticeable change."

The Monster Hunter action role-playing franchise is a big hit, primarily in Japan, selling over 6.3 million units as of December 2008, with Monster Hunter 3 for Wii slated for release later this year. Previously, the series had only appeared on PS2 and PSP.

Capcom Entertainment communications director Chris Kramer elaborated on Capcom execs' comments in an e-mail to Edge: "Monster Hunter is huge in Japan, but not as big in the U.S. and Europe. There is a desire on the part of the company to export this huge hit to the rest of the world at the same level it is received in Japan.

"If we can sell a few more million units, the company’s market share will definitely change."

Originally, Capcom planned to develop Monster Hunter 3 for PS3. However, in light of the Wii's popularity and exploding installed base, Capcom announced in 2007 that it would be moving development of the title away from Sony's platform in favor of Nintendo's.

http://www.edge-online.com/news/capc...-wii-prospects

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