Monster Hunter Portable 2nd sells half a million on day one
Japanese go crazy for Godzilla. Sort of
News reaches us from Japan that Monster Hunter Portable 2nd sold half a million copies on day one of its release.
Of course, Japan is a land of cryto-zoology fanatics. If it's plastered with dragons (or any other mythical beast for that matter), be it a lunchbox, a packet of tissues, or a game, then chances are it will sell by the lorry load there. So it comes as little surprise that Monster Hunter Portable 2nd has given the PSP software sales a beastly boost.
Still, if the popularity of the new Monster Hunter game is sustained beyond its launch weekend, then the bundle (which includes the bizarre inclusion of cuddly meat) of the game could help to shift a few more PSPs in a region that currently seems near-obsessed with the DS.
Even though there have been roughly five million PSPs sold in Japan so far, games released for Sony's handheld seldom make a dent in the Japanese top ten. Demand for Monster Hunter Portable 2nd however has been greater than even the likes of Pokemon Diamond, Dragon Quest Monsters Joker and Final Fantasy III. All top-selling DS titles, all with monsters.
Perhaps the real question is: Are monsters the new stealth? Probably not, but at least they are helping to fly the PSP flag where it needs flying most.