Monster Hunter Frontier G

Monster Hunter Frontier G is currently gracing the Wii U, and a host of other platforms, in Japan. While not exactly part of the main series and certainly not enjoying the same commercial success, it's intriguing as it applies the Monster Hunter setting to a MMORPG (massively multiplayer online role-playing game) experience; it has a monthly subscription fee.

For dedicated Monster Hunter fans, however, it's not hard to understand why this concept gets the juices flowing, with the online multiplayer in Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate being an integral part of that title. There's never been any hint of a release outside of Japan, however, though an internal Capcom interview gives some hope that Western territories are on the agenda.

Siliconera has translated an interview with Capcom's Yoshinori Ono, who said the following about the online-based title.

The letter ‘G’ in the title implies it’s compatible with a wide range of platforms, including PlayStation 3, Wii U, Xbox 360, and PC. We’re also planning to extend this support to PlayStation Vita.

The reason why we have increased our support for so many hardware platforms is because we have our sights set on distributing services for this game in the future outside Japan. We simply can’t release a game as it is, but need to adapt all the necessary services to the unique characteristics of each region. In preparation for that, we’ve broadened our scope and started launching individual titles across multiple hardware platforms.

Monster Hunter Frontier G is actually an expansion of Monster Hunter Frontier Online, which was originally released on PC in 2007 and then Xbox 360 in 2010. Despite the title being — like many of its monsters — long in the tooth, it has been updated and expanded frequently. MMORPGs aren't renowned for cutting edge visuals, regardless, as the focus is on connectivity and the quality of online gaming.

Would you like a subscription-based Monster Hunter title to come to the West? Let us know in the comments, while below is the epic trailer that accompanied the announcement of Monster Hunter Frontier G on the PS3 and Wii U last year.

[source siliconera.com, via capcom.co.jp]