The Monster Hunter franchise is one of the key pillars of Capcom's software lineup. North American consumers might not fully understand the fervor surrounding this unique series, but those in the East see the launch of a new Monster Hunter game as an event. The upcoming fourth game is being targeted for an exclusive 3DS release, and while Capcom’s history with Sony consoles would make this a perfect PlayStation Vita game, there are currently no plans for Monster Hunter 4 to travel to multiple pieces of hardware.
In an interview with Mainichi Shinbun Digital (translated by Siliconera), chief operating officer Haruhiro Tsujimoto explained his company’s current mindset when it comes to Monster Hunter games.
“There’s a limit to how long something can be continuously developed on the same hardware,” Tsujimoto said. “The Monster Hunter series started out on the PlayStation 2, then on the PlayStation Portable. Monster Hunter Portable 3rd [which was a huge hit] had reached the end of the line, and in order to meet new expectations, it was required for us to switch platforms.
“Games have ideal release periods, which also determine when their development begins. This resulted in our judgment of seeing the 3DS as the most desirable [platform for Monster Hunter 4].”
Tsujimoto continued by claiming that multi-development is the most ideal for the gaming community, but when asked about releasing a game on the PlayStation Vita, he was quick to dismiss any current development.
“No [plans] for now,” Tsujimoto stated. “We want to have as many people as possible play it on the 3DS, and we are only thinking about making it succeed.”
