Monster Rancher marketing blitz hits Japan

[01.26.99] » The PlayStation monster breeding game spawns a TV show, comic strip, soundtrack, and more.

Yikes.

   The first Monster Rancher (Monster Farm in Japan) enjoyed modest success, selling 850,000 copies worldwide. Its developer and publisher, Tecmo, is determined to improve on that respectable showing, and is preparing a wide range of spin-off products to help promote the upcoming Monster Rancher 2 in Japan.

   First up is a comic strip based on the game, which will begin running in Japanese newspapers this April. It will probably tie into the animated TV show, which will also begin at that time. The TV show will feature a song, "Nothing Without You", by popular Japanese singer Ami Suzuki, which will be available on the show's soundtrack. The soundtrack can be used in the game to create a special exclusive monster. This monster, when mated with the one obtained from a special disc given to those who reserve the game, will produce a third rare monster. That's still not all, though -- Tecmo is also organizing a Monster Rancher fan club and a nationwide tournament in Japan.

   Tecmo obviously has big plans for its series, and is currently planning on selling at least a million copies of Monster Rancher 2. While it's unlikely that we'll see any of the spin-off products in North America, where game merchandise rarely surfaces, the game itself is headed our way. Look for it the third quarter of this year.