By One of the major transformations the gaming industry has witnessed in the past ten years is that numerous Japanese developers are now wholeheartedly adopting PC versions of their titles. While Capcom took a while to embrace simultaneous PC releases for Monster Hunter, as Monster Hunter Wilds nears its release, the studio is fully welcoming the platform.
During our recent interview with the developers of Monster Hunter Wilds, we asked producer Ryozo Tsujimoto if he would concur that PC is a crucial growth platform for Japanese titles. “Absolutely, there are more players than ever engaging on PC, including in Japan,” Tsujimoto stated. “Thus, we clearly see an opportunity for the series to attract new players who may not have experienced it before if that’s their preferred platform.”
This is part of the reason Capcom was so enthusiastic about incorporating crossplay in Wilds, allowing “the choice is yours on which platform you wish to enjoy, and then [you can simply] go online and hunt with your friends.”
Monster Hunter, in particular, has experienced remarkable success on PC. While comparing peak concurrent gamers on SteamDB is somewhat anecdotal, it serves to illustrate just how well Monster Hunter has performed on this platform. The recent Monster Hunter Wilds beta reached a peak of 463,798 players, surpassing the peak of the blockbuster Helldivers 2. Admittedly, the beta is free, but Monster Hunter World achieved a peak of 334,684 at its launch, exceeding the highest figures recorded for Skyrim and Starfield.
Capcom has been taking additional measures to ensure that PC gamers have a favorable experience with Wilds, lowering the system requirements of the game and introducing a comprehensive benchmarking tool just prior to the latest beta. Here’s hoping Japanese developers continue to show this level of support for the platform.