No charge to play Monster Hunter Tri
If you live in the West, at any rate.
Capcom is likely to scrap the online charge for Monster Hunter Tri when the game heads West.
"It's something that we're looking into at the moment and there are a few factors to consider. Firstly, Monster Hunter isn't as popular in the West, so it might put people off. Secondly, Japan doesn't have Friend Codes, so Capcom run all the servers and the monthly fee is essentially to pay for those costs," Capcom's Chris Kramer told GamingUnion (via Kotaku).
WiiSpeak support is another area the publisher is looking into for Monster Hunter Tri's Western release, although there is nothing set in stone just yet.
That Western release won't be until early next year. Japan, however, has been playing since August, although the Wii-exclusive hasn't whipped the nation into a frenzy in the same way the PSP games have.
Monster Hunter Tri is an action adventure based around killing monsters over and over for better equipment, as statistics are measured by the armour you wear and weapons you wield. The kick, therefore, comes from teaming up with friends to take down the biggest beasts for the best rewards.
Our hands-on impressions of Monster Hunter Tri will tell you more.