Monster Hunter World looks superlative. The game looks like the true next generation evolution of the long running Monster Hunter formula that so many have envisioned and dreamed of for so long now- if ever the series was going to break into the western mainstream, this is its moment.
With that said, I am sure people have reasonable expectations as to what that success might entail. On the other hand, Hirokazu Hamamura-san, the current president of Weekly Famitsu’s publisher Enterbrain, seems to feel like the game will smash those conservative expectations- he has recently stated that the game could go on to sell 10 million copies worldwide.
He cites several reasons for this, including the continued success of the home console market, owing primarily to the PS4 and Nintendo Switch; the resurgence of the popularity of Japanese games worldwide, such as with Final Fantasy 15, Nioh, NieR Automata, and of course, Persona 5; and the presence of Monster Hunter World on multiple platforms, including PC.
While I do think Monster Hunter World will do well, and that it will, in the west at least, become the most successful game in the series yet, I also think that he may be overstating the game’s success- I could have seen it legitimately take a crack at the 10 million units spot if the PC version wasn’t releasing so late. In the end, I think the bulk of this game’s larger success would have come from that platform, whose audience would lap up a game like it. The delayed release of the PC version of the game, then, makes me hesitant and cautious to necessarily agree fully with this prediction- but never say never, right?
[Mantan Web via DualShockers]