Monster Hunter Switch reveal spikes Nintendo shares
Platform holder's shares hit highest level in almost 9 years after Capcom confirms port of 3DS hit
Nintendo's share price surged today after the announcement of a potentially key piece of third-party software support. As noted by CNBC, Nintendo shares closed trading up almost 5.5% to ¥33,510 ($300.72) after Capcom's Friday announcement that it would be bringing Monster Hunter XX (Double Cross) to the Switch.
This is the highest closing price for Nintendo's shares since October of 2008, when the company was fielding a Wii holiday lineup anchored by Wii Music and Animal Crossing: City Folk while the big DS titles were Pokemon Ranger: Shadows of Almia and Personal Trainer: Cooking.
It's not clear when Monster Hunter XX will launch, but Capcom is expected to reveal more details about it at an official Monster Hunter tournament tomorrow. Monster Hunter XX launched on the 3DS in Japan in March, and shipped 1.7 million units in its first two weeks. The game has not yet received an international release.
While Monster Hunter has only met with mild success in the West, the game has been hugely successful in Japan. The series has sold a cumulative 40 million copies since its inception in 2004, primarily on portable platforms like the PSP and 3DS. However, Capcom seems intent on broadening the series' appeal, and has teamed up with Paul W.S. Anderson (filmmaker behind the Resident Evil film series) to bring Monster Hunter to the big screen as a film franchise.