, later renamed as ''Monster Hunter Frontier Z'', was a
massively multiplayer online role-playing game
A massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) is a video game that combines aspects of a role-playing video game and a massively multiplayer online game.
As in role-playing games (RPGs), the player assumes the role of a character ( ...
(MMORPG) for
Microsoft Windows, the first
spin-off
Spin-off may refer to:
*Spin-off (media), a media work derived from an existing work
*Corporate spin-off, a type of corporate action that forms a new company or entity
* Government spin-off, civilian goods which are the result of military or gove ...
in the ''
Monster Hunter'' franchise to appear on the platform. ''Monster Hunter Frontier'' was released on the
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is a home video game console developed by Microsoft. As the successor to the original Xbox, it is the second console in the Xbox series. It competed with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generati ...
in Japan on June 24, 2010, where it sold 93,000 copies during its initial launch week. It was continually updated through expansion packs known as ''Seasons'' and ''Forwards'', which introduced new locations, armor sets, and new monsters. All ''Monster Hunter Frontier'' online services ended on December 18, 2019.
Development
Capcom announced in February 2010 that the game would be ported to the
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is a home video game console developed by Microsoft. As the successor to the original Xbox, it is the second console in the Xbox series. It competed with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generati ...
with a subsequent release on June 24, 2010. There were rumors of a western release, but these speculations never materialized.
In an attempt to reach a wider audience across multiple gaming platforms, a variety of presets were made available to customize the overall game experience. "Heavy mode" presented the game with the highest graphics and audio settings, "Medium" presented the game in middle-range settings, and "Low" presented the game with the minimum settings necessary to run.
Capcom made use of
nProtect GameGuard
nProtect GameGuard (sometimes called GG) is an anti-cheating rootkit developed by INCA Internet. It is widely installed in many online games to block possibly malicious applications and prevent common methods of cheating. nProtect GameGuard p ...
to combat cheating efforts in the online environment. In early 2013, an expansion called ''
Monster Hunter Frontier G
''Monster Hunter Frontier G'' was an expansion pack for ''Monster Hunter Frontier Z'', a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) in the ''Monster Hunter'' series for Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360, PlayStation Vita, PlayStation 3, and ...
'' was confirmed for all platforms, which would serve as a major update to the ''Frontier'' service. The title was added to the
PlayStation 3
The PlayStation 3 (PS3) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment, Sony Computer Entertainment. The successor to the PlayStation 2, it is part of the PlayStation brand of consoles. It was first released on Novemb ...
,
Wii U
The Wii U ( ) is a home video game console developed by Nintendo as the successor to the Wii. Released in late 2012, it is the first eighth-generation video game console and competed with Microsoft's Xbox One and Sony's PlayStation 4.
Th ...
, and
PlayStation Vita
The PlayStation Vita (PS Vita, or Vita) is a handheld video game console developed and marketed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on December 17, 2011, and in North America, Europe, and other international terri ...
later that year.
References
External links
''Monster Hunter Frontier'' official website''Monster Hunter Frontier Z'' official website
{{Monster Hunter series
2007 video games
Action role-playing video games
Inactive massively multiplayer online games
Massively multiplayer online role-playing games
Frontier_Online
Video games developed in Japan
Video games scored by Hideyuki Fukasawa
Windows games
Xbox 360 games