Capcom has released its financial results for fiscal year 2017 and it turns out that the company did pretty well, thanks largely in part to the success of Monster Hunter: World.
As you might recall, Monster Hunter: World made history for Capcom back in March when the developer/publisher confirmed it had become the best-selling title in the company’s history, selling 7.5 million units (shipments and digital downloads).
Now, based on what was said in the report, that number has risen once again and now stands at around 7.9 million, allowing Capcom to enjoy its “highest level of profitability” in history.
Honestly, the fact that Monster Hunter: World has managed to be such a success is hardly surprising in of itself. The series was already fairly popular as-is, but Capcom sealed the deal when it brought MH:W to consoles and made it more palatable to Western audiences. What truly makes the success so notable, is the fact that it managed to reach its status in less than four months: MH:W debuted in January and these financial results track the period ended on March 31st, 2018.
This achievement becomes all the more impressive when comparing it to other strong-selling Capcom titles which have been on the market for far longer:
- Monster Hunter: World – 7.9 million
- Resident Evil 5 – 7.5 million
- Resident Evil 6 – 7.1 million
- Street Fighter II – 6.3 million
- Resident Evil 7: biohazard – 5.1 million
- Resident Evil 2 – 4.96 million
- Monster Hunter Freedom 3 – 4.9 million
- Monster Hunter Generations – 4.3 million
- Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate – 4.2 million
- Monster Hunter 4 – 4.1 million
At this point, Monster Hunter: World surpassing 10 million sales seems almost guaranteed. Remember: these results don’t account for the period after March 31 — meaning it’s possible shipments and digital sales have already surpassed 8 million — and the game is still not out on PC yet.
So, what’s next for Capcom’s mega blockbuster as it continues to leave its mark on the company’s history? That’s unclear. March and April saw the introduction of new monsters (Deviljho and Kulve Taroth), as well as crossover events with Devil May Cry and Mega Man; and though you can currently complete a quest to dress up as Street Fighter’s Sakura, those events have been somewhat standard during MH:W’s brief lifespan. There have been no announcements concerning future monsters or content, but whatever Capcom has planned is sure to be good.
