Social Aspects Key to Monster Hunter Tri Success

The Monster Hunger series is a huge hit in Japan, both on the Nintendo Wii and on the PlayStation Portable, but it seems that the cross over appeal which would also assure its success on Western markets has been lacking until now. Capcom is saying that Monster Hunter Tri, coming in March 2010, will make it big in the United States mainly because of the huge appeal of its social interactions.

Ryozo Tsujimoto, who is the producer on Monster Hunter Tri, has told Gamasutra that the team is working on introducing as many game elements which require communication, some of them not obvious at first glance. For example he says “You don't see the monsters' health, so it's very hard to tell when a monster is ever going to die” and that will “get people talking to each other because you're like, 'Is he going to die?' 'Oh, I don't know!' You really get people talking. So, in that sense, having it realistic in that way in an analog sense, I feel that having no gauges and being realistic gets people more together, and that's a good thing”

There's a similar apparent lack of information related to the properties of the weapons players can use and related to the monsters they can find. This will also encourage talking amongst players and will enhance the profile of Monster Hunter Tri as various gaming groups are one by one taken in by the game.

While it might encourage socialization, the lack of complete information within Monster Hunter Tri might not please all Western videogames, who are used to having complete control over their experiences. But with the huge installed base of the Wii and the talk of social gaming which it will generate, Tri has a real shot at becoming the first Monster Hunter title that makes it big outside Japan.