Capcom exec hints at Monster Hunter for PS Vita, 3DS

While Capcom's Monster Hunter series started on the PlayStation 2, no installment of the multiplayer-focused action franchise managed to break the million-unit mark until it went portable on the PSP. The series may soon be branching out in the handheld space even further, as Capcom Europe COO David Reeves implied Monster Hunter would make its way to the PS Vita and 3DS in an interview with the Middle East-focused MEGamers.

"I think down the road, you could probably see a Monster Hunter iteration somewhere. Probably on both of them," Reeves said in reference to the new generation of portables. While Reeves specified that there were no concrete plans to that effect that he was aware of, the topic was also touched on elsewhere, when discussing Capcom's initial support for the PS Vita.

"There will be one launch title for Vita," Reeves told the site. "I am not actually sure if it's been mentioned, so I am not going to, but there will be a launch title for the platform. And then we will do Street Fighter x Tekken, and at least two others. I am sure you can guess what one of them has to be, considering the success in Japan."

Between Street Fighter, Biohazard (Resident Evil), Mega Man, and Phoenix Wright, Capcom has a variety of popular franchises in Japan. However, none of those is as known for its phenomenal success specifically in the island nation as Monster Hunter. Each installment of the Monster Hunter series averages more than 1 million copies sold, more than any other Capcom franchise. Monster Hunter Portable 3rd's 4.5 million copies shipped in Capcom's last fiscal year made it the publisher's fourth best-selling title of all time, even though it has yet to see release outside of Japan.

Earlier this year, Capcom demoed the PSP version of Monster Hunter Portable 3rd running on PS Vita to demonstrate the machine's backwards compatibility. In that presentation, the PS Vita's right analog stick was mapped to the camera to bring the game's controls more in line with its console counterparts. The publisher also presented a demo of Lost Planet 2 running on the Vita in order to show the handheld's ability to handle the MT Framework engine.