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Capcom: no plans for Monster Hunter 4 on PlayStation Vita

"We want as many people as possible to play it on 3DS."

Nintendo 3DS exclusive Monster Hunter 4 will not be released on PlayStation Vita any time soon, developer Capcom has said.

The game, due out in Japan next month, will only be released on 3DS for the time being.

Sony's long association with the series came to a close with PSP title Monster Hunter Portable 3rd, Capcom exec Haruhiro Tsujimoto explained to Mainichi Shinbun Digital (translated by Siliconera).

"There's a limit to how long something can be continuously developed on the same hardware," Tsujimoto said. "The Monster Hunter series started out on the PlayStation 2, then on the PlayStation Portable. Monster Hunter Portable 3rd [which was a huge hit] had reached the end of the line, and in order to meet new expectations, it was required for us to switch platforms.

"Games have ideal release periods, which also determine when their development begins. This resulted in our judgement of seeing the 3DS as the most desirable [platform for Monster Hunter 4]."

When specifically asked about a Vita version, Tsujimoto reiterated Capcom had "no [plans] for now. We want to have as many people as possible play it on the 3DS, and we are only thinking about making it succeed."

Capcom has set Monster Hunter 4 a target of 2.8 million units for its first seven months on sale. It should be an easy feat considering Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate (the third incarnation of the game) alone sold more than two million.

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