Monster Hunter Portable 3 — or 3rd for those in the Land of the Rising Sun — is single-handedly dominating the Japanese gaming market. Capcom boasts that the game is "not only [Capcom’s] fastest selling PSP title to date, it is also the fastest selling game in Capcom’s history."
Released on December 1 in Japan, the 17 day-old action-RPG flew off store shelves and into the UMD trays of over three million Japanese gamers. This brings overall "Monster Hunter" franchise sales up three million and counting, to a total of 16 million units. Capcom looks set to further capitalize on the game’s stunning sales success with a series of massive marketing campaigns in Japan.
The game is scheduled for release in North America and Europe sometime next year. We hear a summer release looks likely.