In the two months we’ve been open we’ve had thousands of visits from Monster Hunters from all over the UK, proving to us not only the popularity of Monster Hunter but also the dedication of its players. Dwarfing even the efforts of visitors from as far as Scotland were the visitors from Poland, one player’s pilgrimage from Kuwait for two whole weeks (thanks for the home-made baklava, Sai) and a surprise two-day visit from a middle-eastern royal family whose origin I dare not disclose. It seems geographical location is no barrier for the dedicated Hunter.

So this is your last chance! Your last chance to experience Monster Hunter the way it was meant to be played – with others, in the flesh. It’s true social gaming at its best. So if you’re free (or just need to get away from the Notting Hill Carnival) then please, come visit us one last time. Help us drink the last of our alcohol (over 18s only) and be a part of the end of a truly unique gaming experience.

The Gathering Hall will open on Sunday 30th August at 12pm for the last time, and close at 10pm for the last time. The final playoffs for the Rajang time trial challenge will begin at 12.30pm and the winners declared by 4pm at the latest. The Hall is located at 121 Charing Cross Road, which is an extremely short walk from Tottenham Court Road tube station. Entry is free and exclusive to anyone with a PSP and a copy of Monster Hunter Freedom Unite.

End of the Line are an elite team of spray paint ninjas and the imagery that they created on our walls and shop front are both stunning and striking. Perhaps the most impressive thing about their work is that they took only a few days to complete the art throughout the entire three-storey premises. Here’s a video in which you can see the whole process in less than five minutes thanks to the wonders of time lapse photography.

If you want to see the art for yourself please feel free to pop along to the Gathering Hall at 121 Charing Cross Road (a two minute walk from Tottenham Court Road tube station). Entry is free to anyone with a PSP and a copy of Monster Hunter, and we’re also running a special secret operation to give away exclusive loot, though you’ll have to check the forums for details.

See you there, hopefully

Leo

Unfortunately, as the building is being decorated days before the opening I don’t have any imagery to share with you right now, but I can tell you that it’s going to be at 121 Charing Cross Road, London, WC2H 0EW. It’ll be open seven days a week, from 10am till 8pm (until 10pm on a Thursday), and will be accessible to anyone who has a PSP and a copy of Monster Hunter Freedom Unite. It’s generously-sized and can fit several hundred people over three floors so you’ll always find someone to play with (including our staff, who are all keen Hunters). Most importantly it’s absolutely free.

Although we’ll be celebrating the grand opening on Friday 3rd July it’s my pleasure to be able to announce a sneak preview event on Thursday 2nd July that’s especially for you guys! The day before we open to the public we’ll be giving readers of this blog the chance to see the Gathering Hall early. You’ll be able to see some of the stunning Monster Hunter graffiti art on the walls and shop front and also get your hands on exclusive downloadable quests that won’t be available anywhere else. There’ll also be secret goodies for Monster Hunter fans and refreshments served. But mostly it’s about playing Monster Hunter the way it’s supposed to be played – with other people. And in a stunning Monster-Hunter-themed building at that.

Would you like to join us? If so, email your answer to the clue below to competitions@community.eu.playstation.com “Monster Hunters Unite” in the subject line and the following information in the body of your email:

• Your answer
• Your full name
• Your date of birth
• Your PSN Online ID (if you have one)
• Confirmation that you own a PSP and a copy of Monster Hunter Freedom Unite

Full terms and conditions are here.

Here’s the clue: You’re in the Great Forest on the trail of a fast Monster. From the tracks and the rusty-brown feathers left behind, you can tell that it is a bird-like creature and, as you start to catch-up with it, you see sleeping creatures lying around the trail.

Which Monster are you tracking? Consulting the Encyclopedia Gigantica might help.

Remember: email your answer to the address above; don’t put any spoilers into the comments.

Sony’s team of crack blog technicians will be on hand to select the lucky invitees for this event so flattering me personally will not necessarily help, but I don’t think it will harm your chances either

Thanks and good luck!

My name’s Leo. I work for Capcom and I’m here to talk to you about one of the greatest PSP games of all time Monster Hunter Freedom Unite. Out on June 26th exclusively for PSP, Monster Hunter Freedom Unite is a game in which you hunt big monsters with big weapons.

In Japan Monster Hunter is, well, huge. That probably doesn’t really sum it up adequately. It was the biggest selling game last year with more than 3 million players and it’s a game that completely changed the gaming landscape over there. It could easily be classed as a phenomenon. There are festivals in all the major cities that attract thousands of players (such as those pictured below), you can go on package holidays that are just for Monster Hunters and visit Monster Hunter-themed cafes. You’ll see people playing on the buses and trains and even just on street corners sometimes.

If you’ve not played Monster Hunter before the best way to think about it is as an action game (with combos and blocking) tied up in an MMO-style metagame. You hunt monsters, carve them up into bits and then use those bits to make weapons and armour that let you fight bigger and tougher monsters. There are literally hundreds and hundreds of weapons and pieces of armour that you can make which can in turn be customised to suit your particular playing style. Like MMOs it’s incredibly deep, with many players averaging 400-500 of hours of play time, but unlike MMOs there’s no subscription fee.

One of the best things about Monster Hunter, and it’s something that’s integral to the experience being on PSP, is that it encourages co-operative play. That means that Monster Hunter is a return of the good old-fashioned tradition of going round to your friends’ house to play games together. Or going to a cafe, or somewhere you can grab a bite to eat. Maybe at school at lunchtimes. Wherever takes your fancy, really.

Not everyone is lucky enough to have friends with PSPs, though, which is why we’re creating something called The Gathering Hall. It’s in central London, just a stone’s throw away from Tottenham Court Road tube station and will open on Friday 3rd July. The Gathering Hall will be open to anyone with a PSP and a copy of Monster Hunter, and it’ll make finding other players a simple matter for anyone who can make it into central London.

There’s more news to follow, including details on a very special event just for you readers, so please stay tuned.

Leo