Rathalos is taking a break
TheMonster Hunterseries is a powerhouse over in Japan. The game routinely sells out of stock and tends to shift console units with each new launch. With the announcement ofMonster Hunter XXfor Switch, many of us just assumed that the series would continue to be a juggernaut on a new platform. Turns out, evenMonster Hunterisn’t impeccable.
While the initial sales numbers for the game aren’t too shabby, shifting around 84,277 units,Monster Hunter XXfor Switch debuted as one of the weakest launches for the series to date. In terms of how many units Capcom sent out to retail, the game managed to sell through about 49% of its stock (48.95% to be exact).
For comparison, the last time aMonster Hunterlaunched on two platforms was withMonster Hunter 3 Ultimateon 3DS and Wii U. While that game sold better thanXXon Switch,3 Ultimatealso came out a year after the originalMonster Hunter Tri. As far asXXis concerned, its only been half a year since the 3DS version launched.XXalso doesn’t include anything new on Switch, so the only real conclusion one can draw is that fans already own the game on one platform and don’t want another.
There is also the upcomingMonster Hunter Worldthat is looking to revamp the series and bring it to more than just handheld platforms. Oddly, Nintendo isn’t getting a version of that game, so it will be interesting to see how wellWorlddoes compared to this somewhat lackluster launch ofXX. Will Japanese gamer’s really care about aMonster Hunterthat isn’t portable? Maybe the wider audience will compensate for the lack of interest from previous fans.
Whatever the case is, evenMonster Huntercan’t remain intensely popular. I guess there is only so long you can churn out a formula before you need a revamp.
Monster Hunter XXOn Switch Sold Through 48.95% Of Its Initial Shipment In Japan[Siliconera]
