Monster Hunter: Journey from the East to the West
Topic: Exploring Monster Hunter’s recent international success and what elements brought a popular Japanese video game series into the Western market.
- An Intro to Monster Hunter
- Monster Hunter’s appeal
- Gameplay, User Interface, choice of a gaming platform
- Popularity in Japan
- Monster Hunter in Pop Culture
- Anime, Manga
- Scott Pilgrim cameo
- Homages (Godzilla, Tokusatsu = armor designs, crossover events)
- Lethargy in the West
- Lack of popularity
- Western gaming culture vs Japanese gaming culture
- Elements of Inspiration
- Western and Eastern motifs
- Eastern = Folklore and mythology (Mizutsune/Yukumo village)
- Western = Wyverns and Dragons (Fatalis/Castle Schrade/Rathalos)
- Soundtrack: Proof of a Hero and classic story tropes
- The Trailblazers of East – West proliferation
- Godzilla and Monsters in America (Tristar, Legendary Entertainment, Toho)
- Dungeons and Dragons (The creation of Role Play Games and precursor to their video game contemporaries)
- Final Fantasy: The Japanese Role Play Game series
- RPG vs JRPG
- Globalization of Japanese games
- Monster hunters in Pop Culture
- Crossing the Bridge
- Monster Hunter World
- The making of the soundtrack (Nashville, interaction between the Monster Hunter Team and American composers)
- User Interface changes, streamlining the process to be more palatable to Western audiences, shift into a realistic aesthetic
- Reason behind the naming of the title (Global release, “World” as a concept)
- Connecting more into the international scene (Global servers, western crossover events)
- Closing Remarks
- Monster Hunter World’s reception
- Change in atmosphere (Lighthearted vs serious)
- The legacy of Monster Hunter (Generations Ultimate)
- Future plans (Iceborne)
I had no idea there was a Monster Hunter reference in Scott Pilgrim! The contrast between Western and Eastern gaming culture is interesting to me too–there are some games I enjoy that weren’t nearly as successful in Japan, despite that being their place of origin. I also like how you’re touching on the differences between RPGs and JRPGs, as JRPGs aren’t often seen as just “RPGs that are Japanese,” but their own genre.
This is so detailed! I don’t really know anything about Monster Hunter, but I’m really interested to see where you’re going with this!
Your project sounds really interesting! Maybe it’s already included in your conclusion, but I think it would be cool to have a section discussing why your topic is important–what does it mean for Monster Hunter to succeed in the west?