The United States sure does love its video games but Japan is arguably the video game capital of the world. Not only has the country spawned iconic game companies like Sony and Nintendo, but sales numbers continue to impress in terms of both hardware and software. The latest such noteworthy set of sales numbers focuses on an unlikely candidate: the Sony PSP.
While the PSP has all but been forgetten here in the US thanks to new mobile platforms like Android and iOS, the portable console is doing quite well over in Japan. In fact, just this past week it seems that PSP sales have increased from 75,689 to an amazing 326,639, but why? Well, the main reason for this is the bundle that had the PSP and Monster Hunter Portable the 3rd living together in harmony.
Now lets just see if sales numbers are the same here.
Monster Hunter 3 hits stores in Japan today, and naturally Capcom has released a launch trailer for the game. The video demonstrates a lot of the different environments that can be played in your journey to hunt down a bunch of monsters.
Even though franchises such asMonster Hunter and Dragon Questhave been seeing some ridiculously high numbers, it doesn’t mean that the Japanese gaming market is recession proof.
Recent reports are saying that sales were 24% lower in the first half of 2009 than they were in 2008. While this somewaht makes sense due to the fact thatlast year had games such as Super Smash Bros. Brawl and Monster Hunter Portable it’s proof that an economical recessions hurts all industries.
Luckily, buzz suggests that games such as Dragon Quest IX, Monster Hunter 3 and Fintal Fantasy XII (all shipping later this year0 will bring the Japanese gaming market back to its glory days.
Monster Hunter is widely known to be a huge success, especially in Japan, but I doubt anyone could have predicted the exact scale of said success.
Capcom is excited to announce that Monster Hunter Freedom Unite has sold 3.5 million copies in Japan. Not only is that a huge feat, but it’s a record; the only PSP game ever to hit the 3.5 million copy mark.
With Monster Hunter Freedom Unite only recently hitting retail in the US it’s still to be decided if American gamers will take to it like the Japanese.
Despite Activision’s threats directed towards the Playstation platforms in which they said they will drop the PS3 unless Sony issues a price cut, things are looking a bit different on Capcom’s side of things.
When asked if Capcom will stop supporting the Playstation, community manager Shawn Baxter was quoted to have said:
I don’t see that happening. Monster Hunter has sold over 8.5 million on the PSP worldwide.
With popular franchises like Monster Hunter and Street Fighter stirring up all sorts of interest on the Playstation 3 it’s no wonder that Capcom looks to stay in the game. I mean, there are over 20 million PS3 users worldwide, it’s almost a no brainer.
