Monster Hunter Nowisn’t expected to make money, Capcom has said. This unusual bit of insight into the upcoming title arrives mere weeks afterMonster Hunter Nowopened a new limited beta testahead of its full-fledged release.
Originally announced in April,Monster Hunter Nowis an AR mobile game fromPokemon GOdeveloperNiantic. Much like the studio’s greatest hit to date, itsMonster Hunterspin-off promises to combine geolocation-based exploration with action gameplay and resource collection.
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And whilePokemon GOisn’t as popular as it used to be, the game still made billions of dollars over the past seven years, making Capcom’s investors excited about the prospects ofMonster Hunter Now. Yet the Japanese company insists that its primary motivation for licensingMonster Hunterto Niantic has nothing to do with the immediate money-making potential of such a move, having said as much during its latest general shareholder meeting. Asked about Capcom’s expectations forMonster Hunter Now, a company official revealed that the publisher primarily anticipates the game to boost the series' global brand instead of generate “revenue contributions.”
Capcom is not the first Japan-based gaming giant to adopt such a publicity-driven approach to mobile games. Back in December 2022,Nintendo also said its mobile games weren’t meant to make money, with one of its officials claiming that titles likeSuper Mario RunandMario Kart Tourwere primarily developed as marketing tools. Yet that particular sentiment was expressed in defense of Nintendo’s declining mobile profits, whereas Capcom seemingly adopted a similar perspective in order to preemptively downplay the commercial expectations forMonster Hunter Now.
For clarity, Capcom is no stranger to mobile development, but most of its past efforts in this space were focused on ports of classic titles such asMega Man Xand theAce Attorneygames. Its latestMonster Huntermobile game also followed that trend, having materialized in the form of the 2018 port ofMonster Hunter Stories, formerly a 3DS exclusive. In contrast,Monster Hunter Nowis Capcom’s first contemporary attempt at putting out a mobile-only spin-off based on one of its massively popular franchises. So, irrespective of any commercial expectations attached to the project, the circumstances that led toMonster Hunter Nowstill seem more akin to those surroundingPokemon GOor evenFire Emblem HeroesthanMonster Hunter Stories.
As for Capcom’s other near-future plans, its latest shareholder meeting yielded a confirmation that the publisher isn’t ruling out the possibility of remaking non-numberedResident Evilgames. A company representative also revealed that Capcom is currently looking into the possibility of reviving theOnimushaseries.
Monster Hunter Nowlaunches September 2023 for mobile devices.
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