Monster Hunter Breaks Records In Japan

The release of Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G in Japan has become the fastest selling game so far in the series, with the PSP title shipping over one million units in just six days - alongside a new limited edition version of the PSP console. Although the franchise has never enjoyed as much success in the West, it is one of Capcom’s most successful in Japan, with the announcement of development of Monster Hunter 3 being moved from the PlayStation 3 to the Wii sparking significant comment at the time. The franchise is particularly important to the PSP, where the two existing games (known as Monster Hunter Freedom in the West) have been by far the system’s most successful titles. Monster Hunter Freedom 2nd was the second highest selling game of 2007 in Japan, behind only Wii Sports. Overall Capcom claims the franchise has sold 6.3 million units, on the PlayStation 2, PSP and PC. Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G is a standalone expansion of the previous game and has not yet been confirmed for release in the West. It launched alongside a new hardware bundle with a limited edition version of the PSP console. Capcom commented in its press release that it believes "by bringing the Monster Hunter series to multiple platforms, it will help the franchise reach an even greater number of users eager for its unique gameplay,” though it's not clear if it was simply a reference to the Wii version, the first on a non-PlayStation console, or perhaps additional multiformat games to come.