The Stupid Gamer

In a big move for Nintendo, Capcom announced that Monster Hunter III will be exclusive to the Nintendo Wii. The franchise has been Sony’s strongest selling title for the PSP, so the development is very significant in Japan, if only mildly so here in North America.

Here’s the official Capcom news release:

Capcom unleashes the beast as “Monster Hunter 3 (tri-)” rumbles its way onto the Nintendo Wii®

Capcom Co., Ltd. (Capcom) is pleased to announce the development of a new edition in its mega-hit “Monster Hunter” series: “Monster Hunter 3 (tri-)” for the Nintendo Wii.

The “Monster Hunter” franchise is a series of action games that puts the player in the boots of a fearless hunter tracking down and battling huge and ferocious monsters all while traversing breathtaking natural environments. To date, the series has shipped over 4.5 million copies worldwide (as of September 30, 2007). The “Monster Hunter Freedom” series for the PSP® (PlayStation® Portable) system (referred to below as the PSP® system) makes use of Network Play to build upon the gaming experience, which has boosted its popularity, especially in the student market, and has also helped to make it the first PSP® game to sell over a million copies in Japan. The series has also been the recipient of numerous awards with “Monster Hunter” for the PlayStation®2 receiving the Award of Excellence at the Eighth Annual CESA Game Awards and “Monster Hunter Freedom 2″ receiving the Grand Award at the Japan Game Awards: 2007.

Capcom has worked tirelessly on the latest title in the series, “Monster Hunter 3 (tri-)”, to utilize the unique aspects of the Nintendo Wii, which will create a “Monster Hunter” game unlike any of its predecessors. The attractiveness of the Wii experience is sure not only to please existing fans of the series, but also attract newcomers to this unique adventure.

As always, we at Capcom will continue to strive to develop new and original games that appeal to a broad audience around the world while expanding our properties for multiple platforms. We believe that by bringing the “Monster Hunter” series to multiple platforms, it will help the franchise reach an even greater number of users eager for its unique gameplay.

Title Summary
1. Title Monster Hunter 3 (tri-)
2. Genre Hunting Action
3. Platform Wii
4. Release Date To be announced.