Monster Hunter Frontier G may release outside Japan

Monster Hunter Frontier G - the PC, PS3, Vita, Wii U and Xbox 360 MMORPG - may release in countries other than Japan, according to Capcom's Yoshinori Ono.

In a Japanese Q&A translated by Siliconera, Ono said the reason Capcom has ported the game to so many platforms, including Vita, is because it may be on the way to other territories.

"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," he said.

"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."

Although "outside Japan" could mean anywhere, later comments suggest Capcom's hardware drive is aimed at the west.

"There is little need to focus on game consoles in other Asian countries because they are only used by hardcore gamers. We do intend to continue marketing titles aimed at hardcore gamers, but in general our primary focus in the Asia is building up the market for online games," Ono said.

It sounds like the plans are still only tentative at present, and in a statement, a Capcom representative reiterated that no announcement had been made regarding western release. Given the cost of developing ports, though, and the much smaller market for Xbox 360 games in Asia especially, it certainly looks likely.

Monster Hunter Frontier G is a subscription based MMO based on, but developed separately from, the core Monster Hunter series.

Thanks, Polygon.