As you may or may not be aware, Capcom keeps a tally of all its million-sellers called the 'Platinum' list. It covers all platforms and, right now, it's up to 87 titles (although, confusingly, Capcom's own description states that it has over 100 million-selling games) stretching from NES classics like Mega Man 2 and Ghosts 'n Goblins right up to its most recent releases.
While it's worth bearing in mind that this data dates back to the end of last year - and therefore doesn't include the massively successful Resident Evil 2 remake just yet - it makes for some interesting reading. Monster Hunter: World jumps all the Resident Evils and Street Fighters to the top of the list with a colossal 11.9 million sales across all platforms. From a Nintendo perspective, Monster Hunter Generations creeps up to number 17 having sold an impressive 3 million copies across 3DS and Switch. There's no individual breakdown between the platforms, although Capcom commented in its February 4th financial report that the Switch version enjoyed "robust sales" outside Japan.
With Switch's growing player base, Capcom is sure to have plans for the franchise on Nintendo's system going forward - the list features plenty of Nintendo hardware elsewhere. While a port of the ultra-successful Monster Hunter: World is unlikely, it's not beyond the realm of possibility.
Would you snap up a Switch port of Monster Hunter: Worlds or would a bespoke title be a better idea? Give us your thoughts down below.
[source capcom.co.jp]
Comments 53
Maybe if Nintendo owners actually got a new game instead of all these enhanced versions it would've sold better.
I like the game, but there are so many other games out or coming out that I can't devote the time needed for a game like this.
For what profits the Switch if it gains the whole 3rd parties like Capcom but still loses its own value. You already make your money so start giving us the exclusives Capcom.
It's a bit of a shame how well World has done compared to previous games in the series. Guess there's little chance of more traditional Monster Hunter games in the future as they'll make more money by sticking with the more mainstream appeal approach. Oh well I guess, the series had a good run while it lasted. Generations Ultimate isn't the worst way to end things at least.
@Spoony_Tech Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate is an enhanced port...
The breakdown is roughly 1.2 Million on Switch and roughly 1.8 Million on 3DS,as 1.8 Million is where the 3DS version sales stopped at(looking at previous updates of the platinum sellers list) and obviously given the Switch version, the typical legs of a traditional MH game in japan, and the lack of data from any source such as media create/famitsu indicating any notable sales of the 3DS version it’s likely little sales have been made since on the 3Ds Version.
Also it’s Generations Ultimate/XX not generations.
The original generations did 4.3 Million worldwide on 3DS.
This is a very sloppy article..
I did not buy because I tired of getting used goods from Capcom.
So, in other words 2.9 million on Switch, and 200,000 on 3DS?
You mean "Generations Ultimate", which is called Monster Hunter XX (Double Cross) in Japan.
Monster Hunter "Generations" was only released for the 3DS and sold 4.3 million units.
@nintendosage
If you live under a rock and don’t understand how to do addition I could see thinking this.
Your numbers make 3.1 Million not 3 million.
Also the 3DS version released first and was known to have sold more than half that 3 million total before the Switch version released at all.
@retro_player_22
Third party exclusives aren’t really a thing on any platform anymore unless funded/aided by Sony/MS/Nintendo. There’s no reason to think Switch will get many.
I played the demo but just couldn’t get into it
@Spoony_Tech Generations Ultimate is XX in Japan, XX was first released in Japan on the 3ds and later the Switch version released.
We only got the Switch one.
I really don't get the people complaining about Generations Ultimate, the game has around 450 hours of gameplay compared to 150 to 200 hours in World, and people still complain.
Another thing is this, World got a bunch of sales few months after the release + is released on 3 different platforms, GU is Switch only in the west.
In Japan XX came out before World, west got GU (which is XX) after World because a lot of people got angry we only got World (Capcom thought fans would only care about World), for many people World is fun but for most MH fans World screws up a lot of stuff that made old MH games fun + less monsters and content, that's the reason why the fans demanded GU in the west on the Switch.
World is perfect for people that could never get into the original games, World has it's own pro's but content wise it lacks so much even compared to other MH games than Generations Ultimate
@Rodan2000 MH games demo always suck, they are mostly made in mind for people that know how the games work.
Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate has sold ~850,000 copies in the West thus far, which compares favorably to the western sales of 4 Ultimate (1.2 million) and the original Generations (1 million). It should outsell both of those titles LTD in the west when all said and done, given how successful the Switch is in the west.
@Rayquaza2510 I don't think MH demos suck at all. That's how I got into the series with the 4U demo. The MHW demo was also very well done.
Gotta love Capcom's numbers and apparent internal algorithms. It's the same reason why we can never know just what kind of support that company will do for a system at any given time...
No doubt it's probably around 90-95% on 3DS, but still, I know they said they were pleased with the Switch numbers at one point.
Mega Man 11 sold 870,000 units and Mega Man X Legacy Collection sold 920,000 units
https://nintendoeverything.com/mega-man-11-sold-870000-copies-mega-man-x-legacy-collection-920000/
That's disappointing. Probably means we'll never see another mainline mh again.
It's all World from here on.
@Spoony_Tech Plus advertising. A game that just gets released in a system isn't going match something that has a full advertising campaign
I wish XX got localised for the 3DS, but I understand why it wasn't in Capcom's best interest
It's funny I picked up Generations Ultimate/XX after enjoying world, but I still haven't gotten around to playing it due partially to my back log and partially because i'm afraid i won't enjoy it as much as the stream lined world lol.
Great, it sold well...now I need a new MH for Switch that strikes a nice balance between GU and World--a little more up to date than GU (stop making me buy whetstones and pickaxes, and keep the singular map) but not streamlined to the point of ridiculousness (being able to change your whole loadout mid-quest, along with the scoutflies, killed so much of the challenge). I'd rather they didn't port World to Switch...had enough of that already, though I do think the upcoming expansion will draw me back in.
My grandma got this for me for my birthday last month, and I still haven't gotten around to starting it yet.
@Dualmask You don't have to change your loadout mid quest if you don't want to. The challenge is still there in World. Just look at anyone doing "Time Attack" runs. With the deeper and more refined combat in MHW, this makes for a much more enjoyable experience.
@MisterMan you're certainly entitled to that opinion. I enjoyed MHGU more, for the most part.
Gens was so meh compared to 4.
Of course the numbers are dwarfed. As per usual, you need context otherwise numbers are meaningless.
MH World released across 3 different systems spanning 200 million + people, as a brand new game with AAA budget and marketing campaign.
MHGenUlt released on a single new system of less than 20 million as a port of a 6 month old expansion of a 2 year old game being sold for the 3rd time to the same fanbase, with a very low budget and zero marketing campaign.
MH Generations and its expansion sold a total of nearly 9 million copies on 2 systems with no budget or mega marketing campaign, to a single fanbase of 60 mil on 3DS and 20 mil on Switch at the time (which MH World sold to that many on PS4 alone, and even with the AAA production and marketing sold half that many copies per system on average).
Basically, MHGenUlt performed at a fantastic rate. If it was World releasing on Switch it would have outsold all other versions, easily. And Capcom knows this. Which is why I can guarantee you a new MH is being made for Switch, or at the very least a port of World. But for the record, MHGenUlt is the pinnacle of the classic formula. I loved that game and am so happy to have such a content rich MH on an HD hybrid system.
Good. Capcom, bring an exclusive MH game to Switch and watch it sell.
MH on Switch cracking over a million in under a year is pretty great. I remember several people here claiming it would bomb/no one wants it/blah blah.
And yeah, comparison to World isnt actually fair given the marketing budget and user bases of the platforms that World is on.
@JaxonH I wonder if they actually made more money off the 3ds games as like you said the budget was far smaller.
So they had to include 3DS, Switch, DL to make the number less embarrassing.
We know it sold under 200K in japan. If anything the should have done what they did with RE2. And make an actual MHGU remake for Switch. It was $60 anyway.
Monster Hunter world was a "Fad" but now is Cpcom's best selling game ever.
World is a WAY better game.
The new Witcher update is so good.
Street Fighter IV on the Switch would be fun.
@Spoony_Tech
Perhaps not just because of the lower price, but I imagine it's up there. Could be more profit per unit sold though.
@Agramonte
Again, trying to marginalize something that has exceeded expectations by Capcoms own admission.
Context is key. Generations sold 5 million copies on 1 single system, a low budget game with no major marketing. Gen Ultimate was just an expansion of a game that already sold 5 million, and the expansion sold another 3 million and change on top of it, on a declining handheld whose fanbase already bought the game and a tiny 15 mil install base of a new system.
That's really freaking good. The fact GenUlt on Switch sold over 1.2 million copies as a low budget no marketing expansion of a game being sold for the third time to the same fanbase in the same year World released, versus 3.8 mil per system of a brand new AAA entry... I guarantee you those are better numbers than you'd see on any other system for that game. World averaged less than 4 million copies per system with Gen and Gen Ult averaging 4.5, and without a AAA budget and marketing.
Theres nothing to criticize here. Even Capcom has said twice now, "wow, this game has done better than we expected". So, enough with the "embarrassment" stuff. The only embarrassment is that World sold less per system than Generations.
THATS a real embarrassment- if you were gonna highlight a "embarrassment", that would be the one to note. These numbers mean one thing: a MH of the same caliber on Switch will outsell all other versions. And Capcom knows it. Good things on the horizon.
That’s a lot more than I expected. Another one where the predictions that a Switch game would flop are wrong.
...Still waiting on a 5th gen game on Switch, Capcom...any time now.
@JaxonH And for all that production and marketing cost it was what drove record revenue and profits. It didn't matter it was over hardware A,B and C. That is the economics of multiplatform release. And the business model works.
They make that investment back ten folds. How they can afford their 3,000 employee head count. Not by making some low budget (small return) niche port. With dirt low "expectation"
"a MH of the same caliber on Switch will outsell all other versions"
YES - so make it!... 12 million made it clear that is what we want! - and will jump to any system that gets it.
@Rayquaza2510
That's true I hated the demo but I ended loving the full game. 60 hrs in and I'm still enjoying it.
Bought it, love it and am ready for another portable Monster Hunter even if it's just a port of World.
GU is a superior game IMO (coming from someone who loved World like crazy)
@Agramonte
I agree, World was a wise and strong investment, and furthermore the right move for the series. I only mentioned it in the same vein of “embarrassment” to drive context for why your statement was not on point.
MH World sold 4 million per system it released on (taking into account 3 separate platforms gives better context for comparisons- naturally a game selling on 3 systems is not comparable to a game on 1 system), and new MH games typically already sell that much (4-5 million) on Nintendo platforms already. I can only imagine a big budget one with marketing on Switch would shatter records.
And yes, I’m quite sure they are making one. Gotta be. A year ago I don’t think I could confidently say that, but now? Absolutely. Every single game Capcom has put on Switch has exceeded their expectations. They’ve already stated they want to continue the series on Nintendo, already stated MH performed strongly on Switch, and numerous leaks verfiable on ResetEra state Capcom was working on finding a studio to port World (though 2 less reliable sources state they’re actually announcing a “new” MH on Switch this year, I personally don’t buy into that, but the porting World I do buy into, especially since one of the sources leaked the Resident Evil games from Capcom coming to Switch in the same sentence, which was since confirmed to be true).
So ya. Everything is all good on every front and platform. World sales were great. Obviously if you take a great series, put a respectable AAA budget behind it and actually market it strongly, and put it on numerous different platforms, it’s going to do well. And it did. 4 mil per platform. And MHGen Ult proved demand was still strong as ever on the Nintendo front, selling 1/3 as much per platform even as a super low budget, no-marketing game being packaged and sold for the 3rd time in 2 years to the exact same fanbase. Obviously when a game like that being sold for a 3rd time can still somehow manage to hit 33% of World sales on a per platform basis, demand is strong. Capcom would be fools of the century to recklessly abandon Monster Hunter on portable devices, particularly Switch, particularly when software sales on Switch are through the roof beyond expectations across the board, especially especially when there are studios willing to port the game for them. It’s the easiest mountain of cash they’ll ever make. 4 million copies sold on Switch is my prediction, even as a 2 year old late port.
As a diehard MH fan was playing this series long before it was ever popular, and has followed MH across 3-4 different platforms already, I couldn’t be more happy than I am now. Finally a big budget game on consoles with proper voice chat and modern improvements, and proper DLC expansion structure rather than full re-releases, finally an HD handheld MH with perfected mechanics and smoothness and classic series improvements, and the inevitable prospect of that being followed up with a 5th gen title on Switch (be it World or a Portable 5th, I don’t really care).
@electrolite77 I don't really think I would call it a 3rd party game if Nintendo is funding it.. that's first party because Nintendo will own the rights.. or somewhere in between if the rights are shared.
Lame comparison. MH World was the brand new game. XX/Ultimate is just an expansion of Generations which itself was just a mash up of previous MH games - like an MH greatest hits. It did very well for what it was.
1.2 million for a very late port. Little marketing and a game capcom.were very reluctant to release in the west.
Only a hater would argue this didn't sell well.
I bought but stopped playing because world has crippled my mh skills. I actually fainted a few times to the first few monsters. I'll get back into it but it was so infuriating.
@roboshort
It’s a grey area, I agree. My point is that third party exclusives are very rare now, the finances just don’t work (especially for Switch exclusives as the other Consoles and PC can easily run anything Switch can). It baffles me to see people demanding exclusives on Switch when even PS4 doesn’t have many.
Well it sold well while being an enhanced port. Surely capcom will see that these are good numbers for that type of game. My boyfriend started with World but has been playing a lot of Gen with me and has been saying how much he'd like a new game like it built for the Switch.
A new game with an improved engine by the team who made the Gen games would be great (especially if they incorporate some Frontier monsters)
MH World came out on 3 platforms. You're comparing sales of 3 systems v. 2? Yes, Generations had 3 versions, but it's still a little silly to assert that the sales of Ultimate should match World. Maybe Capcom could make an original MH game for Switch to see how it'll sell? LOL, I can dream, can't I?
Glad to hear it sold decently enough (despite me not buying it), though I would imagine the sales would be hitting much closer to World if it was a new game, instead of an enhanced 3DS game.
Wasn't there a rumor a while ago saying that Capcom was making an exclusive MH game for the Switch (that wasn't Gen. Ultimate)?
As for the question at the end of the article:
I would rather have a new MH game than have a port of World for the Switch.
@JaxonH Super busy weekend - so was waiting to have the time to carefully read your post completely.
I still think it is the chicken and the Egg problem. Nintendo games are selling in the 10s of millions. But we still need to see big IP from other studios make bank on Switch. 500K or 1 million world wide is not enough. Neither is "meet expectation" under 200K in the home Japanese market.
Those "4 million" per console is an average. X1 did not sell 4 million of MHW. But it had no need for it - what counts is the 15 million - it all subsidize everyone else. It is what EA is doing with FIFA. PS4 sales takes the slack. And basically subsidizing development for Frostbite on Switch.
Publishers need to get out of the "Indie" mentality on Switch (expect little, spend less... squeeze out a buck). MHW will sell millions on Switch (it just can not look like MHGU). My hopes are on Dragon Quest (fantastic game, played it on PC). Have it be an actual 1 million seller just in Japan for a non Nintendo game. And show that the Switch can finance big money games.
SE is sitting on another gold mine. Been playing Kingdom Hearts 3 (PS4) and it would be perfect on Switch. tons of game mechanic would work perfectly with switch Motion control or 3D rumble. UK PS4s sold like 80% of all units with X1 the rest. Would bet Switch would have done better than X1 by a mile. KH3 graphics are super simple - so you loose nothing on Switch
I get it, WiiU was a fiasco. But year 3 and 36 million later - it is time to get over it. And for the base/press to stop making excuses for the publishers who wont.
@Agramonte
I dont really disagree.
@electrolite77 Yeah. But we gamers love to make demands.
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