Barbara
# MONSTER HUNTER NOW: A NEW AUGMENTED REALITY GAME BY NIANTIC
Niantic, famous for creating the successful game “Pokemon Go,” has announced a partnership with video game company Capcom to produce a new game based on the “Monster Hunter” franchise. The game, called “Monster Hunter Now,” takes the main concept of the series – hunting monsters – and creates an augmented reality experience for players. The game will allow players to encounter monsters and resources on a real-world map. The gameplay strategy is familiar to that of the “Monster Hunter” series, where players will earn materials to craft weapons and armor. Combat has also been simplified, but players can still team up with friends to take down more challenging monsters.
## GAMEPLAY SPECIFICS
The game has not yet been launched; however, details will be available during the closed beta testing period. The game follows the typical “Monster Hunter” series formula, where players encounter monsters and resources on a real-world map. Upon hunting down monsters, players earn materials that can be used to craft better weapons and armor to battle even more challenging monsters. Combat lasts a maximum of 75 seconds, and players can team up with their friends to face tougher monsters.
## NEW GAME MECHANICS
“Monster Hunter Now” introduces new game mechanics, such as the ability to tag monsters with a paintball and fight them later. The game also features the addition of the adorable Palico companion creatures to aid players during battles. According to Senior Producer, Sakae Osumi, they wanted to make the combat element simple and intuitive while still challenging to master.
## PARTNERSHIP WITH CAPCOM
The development of the game has been a close collaboration between Niantic and Capcom. CEO of Niantic, John Hanke, stated they worked closely with Capcom to make the game an experience that honors the “Monster Hunter” franchise’s incredible legacy. The popularity of the “Monster Hunter” franchise continues to soar. “Monster Hunter: World” was Capcom‘s best-selling game ever, and the series hit 16.4 million copies sold worldwide.
## NIANTIC’S HISTORY OF LICENSED REAL-WORLD GAMES
Niantic has a history of successful licensed real-world games, which include “Pikmin Bloom” and “NBA All-World,” but none have been as popular as “Pokemon Go.” In June 2022, Niantic canceled several in-development projects and laid off eight percent of its staff in hopes of still creating a dominant game in the industry. Niantic plans to release its own original virtual pet game called “Peridot” in May 2023.
## RELEASE DATE AND PLATFORMS
Niantic has confirmed that “Monster Hunter Now” will be released in September 2023 on both iOS and Android platforms.
Sources:
– https://www.nianticlabs.com
– https://www.capcom.co.jp/
– https://www.reddit.com/r/MonsterHunter/
– https://www.ign.com/monsters/monster-hunter-world/
– https://www.gamespot.com/games/monster-hunter/
