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]
Comments 77
I'm guessing all the versions will get localized then if it does
More Monster Hunter in America? YES PLEASE.
it looks AWESOME! hope it comes to europe
I love Monster Hunter, but then I saw the words, "subscription-based."
Pass. Thou shall never subscribe to any MMO. I pay one time for my games, that's it.
@XCWarrior Agreed fully.
I can only hope dis is true.
They are actually planning on updating the visuals though, which is cool. Not sure by how much...but it will have dynamic shadows like 3G/U.
Ill take my Monster Hunter 4 and be happy with that!
WOW... I would... but MMOs are not my thing. a shame really, but I'll stick with Monster Hunter 4 3DS... which, thankfully has online!
Is it Hatsune Miku on that image? O_O
subscription fee ಠ_ಠ
I really hope the future of Monster Hunter in the west has nothing to do with how this game performs, and I'm a little afraid of the negative impact this game might cause on someone who never played any other Monster Hunter game.
The more the merrier for Wii U at this point, but yeah, not my cup of tea. A confirmation of Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate on Wii U would make me far happier.
The more games the better but i think they will need to change their pricing model. We have a few big MMO's on the horizon in the West and even the best estimates have are predicting pricing model changes 6-12 months in.
@XCWarrior Preach bro. This is also the reason I don't have Xbox Live Gold, because I'm not paying for something that should be included with the game (online).
Well point is They better Release some thing SOON outside Japan pref on PC am tired of waiting for Nothing and then 4G early 2015 WTF O.o. At this Point am Waiting on Chinas MHOL better than nothing at least.
@NavySpheal
Do you get upset when you buy a TV or a cellphone, then realize that you need to pay money for cable or to speak on the phone?
'I already paid for the iPhone!!! I should be able to talk as much as I want for free! Forever!'
The only MMO I really play is Maple Story (cus its free) I would love to get into this, but a subscription system is not me thing, especially when its for just individual games.Hopefully it goes the route of DC Universe and becomes F2P in US and EU, but something tells me it won't be that easy.
Yes,my body is ready !!!!
@XCWarrior Amen to that!
lol...people complaining about an MMO that has a subscription.
If this does come out here that would be awesome.
That's awesome. Good news! Big fan of Monster Hunter and and MMORPGs — will definitely be trying this!
YOU CAN HUNT AS MIKU!? BRING IT OVER NOOOOW!! But don't keep the subscription. Or I'll just stick with 4.
@JohnRedcorn
Lol.
I don't mind paying Subscription fees as long as I get what I pay for.
GOOD. MH should have always been a MMO. As much as I enjoyed MH3U, the whole idea of connecting to a lobby then finding a "room" was just immersion breaking, and tedious.
I want to feel like I'm entering a world and get lost in it for hours on end, and every time your party broke up, you had to go back to the lobby and break the immersion..... So I'm eagerly awaiting frontier. Much more so than MH4
@Samurai_Goroh frontier coming to Wii u probably means MH4 is going to 3DS only.... Which is fine, Frontier seems more like a console experience where the whole joining rooms nonsense doesn't feel right on a console.
@Mizore are we sure if it will even have a subscription?? Mh3U in Japan has a subscription, but when it made it to the west the subscription was axed.
As long as it's cheap I'll bite, but anything over $5 a month is too much.
@XCWarrior the NL staff is the only one talking about a subscription. Frontier has a subscription in. Japan, just like MH3U, but as we can see that part didn't make it to the west. Seems like jumping the gun a little. I keep reading the quote from Capcom, I don't see where it says the subscription is coming along from Japan
@element187 Actually MH3G doesn't have a subscription, that was Tri...anyways Frontier is different, chances are it will have a subscription fee, Frontier is completely online-based.
I would not subscribe.
No thanks for the subscription... Kinda wish MMO's would follow the same thing that Guild Wars 2 did... Pay once, then never drop a single penny on it ever again.
@NavySpheal MMO servers are expensive to run. They require constant maintenance and observation. And unlike certain other MMO's, the download is free.
Monster Hunter... on Xbox??? oh that will look funny. I am also surprised to see it not on the PS4
Please give me MH4U on the WiiU instead of this.
I'd buy it for my Vita, but I wouldn't pay for a subscription.
Subscription? Nope, I regrettably pass. I was excited there for a moment. Bah!
"but need to adapt all the necessary services to the unique characteristics of each region."
Imagine a hunting horn, that, makes Justin Bieber's sounds. All such monsters and players alike shall run terrify in fear. 8D
Outside of Japan could mean anything. I wouldn't get my hopes up if I were you especially when MH4U is coming next year.
Even though it seems most people here have little interest in this, Monster Hunter is probably the only game I might pay a subscription to play. I mean, Frontier looks so fun... I really hope this happens, I can't get enough of this series now...
@NavySpheal Agreed. I find it amazing how gamers didn't get mad at Sony at all for forcing PS+ on PS4 owners to be able to play online. I know PS+ is a great value, but 3/4 of the games they give you are mediocre to bad. I don't want to have to play for online, WiiU and PC are free in this regard.
@JohnRedcorn
A TV isn't just for, well, TV. Many people don't have or are dropping cable actually. You'd also have to be pretty clueless to buy a phone and expect to use it without any service, and subsidizing via. contract is how most people get their phones in the first place.
Some people just prefer paying in-full upfront. Some people also don't like paying to use something they're already paying for (internet).
@XCWarrior
I think most of them are already PS+ subscribers, they're fine with it cause they're already paying for it. Sony isn't as blatantly avaricious either, turning the UI into a billboard or locking out other paid services, which also helps.
Monster Hunter is probably the one series I wouldn't mind paying a subscription for, but MHF isn't all that great and I'd rather just stick to the main series. Still good news though.
Yes! Yes! YES! I would love to see this come to the West!!!!!
YAAAAAEEEEEEHHHHH
Hey Sega....bring over PSO2 to the Wii U! The game is already done.
Not a fan of subscription fees. I'll gladly pay it though for Monster Hunter as long as the price is reasonable. Say £10 a month or £40 for a year would be perfect for me really... I mean the amount of content in MH3U easily outweighs a single fee of £40, plus all the bonus DLC content for free.
Definitely looking forward to this, hopefully it'll be on 3DS as well.
lol, I didn't even know about this title being a MMO.
@element187 I said "it has a subscription fee" when giving context about the existing game in Japan. That's accurate. Then I ask at the end whether y'all would like a subscription-based Monster Hunter MMORPG, because it's an interesting topic. At no point did I say the localised version will have a subscription.
You can dress up as Chrom/Lucina from Fire Emblem: Awakening in the Wii U version.
Interesting, but I highly doubt it will get localized since it's not really popular in the west.
I think that if we got this as well as Monster Hunter 4, I'd probably die from excessive hunting. Having sunk the amount of hours that I have into MH3U, I just don't see how I would have time to do other things like eat or sleep.
Depending how much the monthly fee is ill get it if its localized
The concept sound like fun but boy, this thing is ugly.
Hopefully they will not charge much for the monthly fee. In that case this is going to be amazing. MHFG has way too much content.
I'll be glad if it comes, but I'm not touching it. I don't do MMOs, and especially not subscription-based ones.
I think the effort would be better spent on bringing 4 G to the Wii U. I love Monster Hunter but swore off MMOs a while ago.
@Baum897 ah, that's a relief. Here's hoping they launch it in our regions soon Although, wouldn't that conflict with the 4g launch in a year or so...?
It'd be cool if it was cross platform too...
Subscription? Fine with me. Wish the MHO MMORPG from China would see the light of day for English audiences as well.
@XCWarrior You are totally missing out on a bunch of fantastic games, then.
@Baum897 That was just an assumption. Better read the actual interview. Ono did not say "west"
@erv yeah its an old game, but its getting a graphics update
Does it have charm tables?
I don't know how I'd feel about a subscription base Monster Hunter. I already pay for XBL and PS+... I'd rather just fork over $60. Just like Elder Scrolls Online, I would play it if it was a free to play or a $60 game. But a $60 plus a $15 monthly fee?!?!?? I don't think so.
@Baum897 I meant "versions" as in consoles
Of course I'd pay a subscription fee for an MMO Monster Hunter. It's an MMO. MMO's have subscriptions- that's how they work. Just like Final Fantasy 14, you pay per month.
I personally don't usually play MMO's, but this is Monster Hunter, and I sunk more than 500 ONLINE hours into MH3U on Wii U. The idea of a persistent online world, where everyone intermingles and hunts is beyond my wildest dreams. Yes please! I don't like subscriptions and I'm not even a PS Plus subscriber, despite owning both a PS4 and Vita, but you better believe I'll pay for this until the end of time!
Yes! Yes! So much yes! When I first learned about Monster Hunter Frontier back in 2009, I wanted it to come out here so badly, but gave up that dream after 6 months or so. However, this news rekindled that desire I had for it back in 2009!
"MMORPGs aren't renowned for cutting edge visuals"
Maybe not back in the day and maybe not the VERY cutting edge, but MMOs these days can be REALLY pretty. Tera Online, Blade and Soul, FF14, Black Desert, Project Black Sheep, Bless Online, and other recent MMORPGs have beautiful, modern visuals.
@XCWarrior My thoughts exactly! Even though I'd gladly pay full retail price for a physical version of this game, I'll never keep paying to keep playing.
If it comes ill buy it , its a done deal ~
Capcom, You have, ever since Monster Hunter Frontier came out, had the entire fanbase go 'RELEASE IT IN THE WEST'.
If this is true, and it's all formats, I don't care if it's subscription-based, I'll buy that for a dollar.
If the subscription fee is really low, like $20 for a year, I might be very very tempted to do it...
This would be so sweet and I really hope its Subscription based.
yes please we need monster hunter in ps3 or ps4 PLEASE <333
@Spoony_Tech So True!
YES Capcom please do it before I DIE OF OLD AGE!!!!!
Do Monster Hunter Frontier G Genuine already has a Subscription System?
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