Monster Hunter: World

Why Capcom’s cult favourite isn’t dumbing down, but opening up

Capcom may have rung the changes for Monster Hunter: World, but the biggest of all was the announcement itself. An E3 reveal, after all, says much about where the publisher’s priorities lie, as it looks for ways to match the series’ phenomenal Japanese success on foreign shores. What better way to prove your commitment to overseas players than by showing off your new game to the huge audience watching the west’s biggest videogame show? When series producer Ryozo Tsujimoto talks about “keeping an eye” on the reaction back in Japan, an acknowledgement that Capcom hasn’t yet had a chance to talk directly to its largest fanbase, it’s clear the company means business.

Tsujimoto attributes its success at home to a “perfect storm” of conditions. The series only really took off with the first PSP entry, since Japan’s population density and the prevalence of portable hardware made it easier for people to play together. Joining a hunt was simple when you already had allies nearby without having to specifically seek them out. He acknowledges that the situation is rather different over here. “In most western countries outside of the largest cities, finding another person who even has a portable game console, let alone owns and wants to play Monster Hunter, is a lot more challenging for a lot of people,” he says. “I think that’s always been something that’s held back the explosive success of Japan transferring to the west.”