ifirit

The file you are trying to access is currently unavailable. ... Maybe some other time.

Finished completing the survey. Question #5 definitely should be two questions, since it is a two-part question. Yet, it should also be separate because it does ask a somewhat different question than the first part of what makes a system different from its competitors. In addition, what are your assumptions of what a "hardcore" gamer is in the survey? Are you looking at gamers who play multiple (current) systems? Gamers with a history of gaming on previous systems who have purchased or are looking to purchase a next-gen system? Gamers faithful to a certain genre or franchise? The term "hardcore" gamer is somewhat broad in its general use, though it's often assumed as someone who plays games on a regular to frequent basis. Also, the survey is a little biased towards the action, adventure, and RPG genres in terms of the questions it asks, which is sorta what Zircon said. Games do also include puzzle, sports, music-game, simulation, stategy and other genres which focus primarily on game mechanics than visuals or presentation; games which may not be visually appealing, but are mentally appealing. I did mention it in my response to the survey, though. Good luck with the dissertation.

I'd like to bite, since I'd like to get a copy of Anitgravity. However, I already bought Chroma and BTSB when sgx was offering autographs with the purchase. (Awesome to do that, by the way.) Although I've already looked at the list of other music to get, I just can't decide. Would anyone else like to recommend two additional albums out of the lot? (Hey, if you want to pimp me your CD, I'll hear you out.)

Learn Capoeira in six easy lessons, the Mazedude way! Sorry, but the cynic in me can't get over the very commercial presentation and the Hollywood-ized persuasion that in a short period of time, beginners can learn to perform Capoeira just like the videos. Unfortunately for me, the music only helps to solidify my made-up nickname for your oft times corny arrangements, Maizedude. But, the kid in me likes the frosting! And only five easy payments of $29.95!

Silent Hill 0rigins Update: Silent Hill 0rigins Demo Leaked via Torrent Distribution; Reviews & Media Posted: On Sunday, August 19, 2007, a pirated version of the demo for Silent Hill 0rigins was leaked across the internet via torrent distribution. The demo version of the game is suggested to be the final version to be displayed for the upcoming German Games Conference in Leipzig next Thursday, however, based on screen captures and videos, the demo appears to be the same one in the IGN.com preview, which was also shown to the press at this year's E3 conference. As mentioned, players have captured various screenshots and videos from the demo. In addition, players have also posted reviews of the demo and are rating about the same as many of the press who played the demo during E3. If you would like to know more about the demo, please go to the thread on Silent Hill: Origins. As an affliated member of Silent Hill: Origins, I must warn OCR forum members that the demo is a pirated version and if you so choose to download it, you do so at your own risk. WARNING: Downloading pirated materials is illegal. As such, I must also warn members that the demo is only available as an ISO file, which means that it is only operational on a custom firmware PSP, i.e. downgraded PSP. Also note that if you choose to downgrade your PSP, you do so at the risk of destroying (or "bricking") the system. WARNING: Downgrading your PSP firmware runs the risk of destroying, or bricking, your PSP system. The current custom firmware versions successfully tested are versions 3.52 M33 and 3.40 OE-A.* Please do not attempt to install a custom firmware onto your PSP without proper instructions. (EDIT: Due to new information, the demo version that was leaked has been confirmed to contain the full version of the game.** The demo restricts access to the full content files when played normally, but because it was presented as an ISO file, hackers have cracked those restrictions and accessed the full game, including cut-scenes and music. Please do not download the cracked demo of Silent Hill 0rigins.) *Footnote: Currently, the demo is only playable on the PSP on a custom firmware. There are no PSP emulators available, nor is the file playable as a PSX emulation file. (Personal Note: So don't ask.) **Footnote: Although Climax Studios claims to not have released or leaked the demo of SH0, the fault of releasing a demo that contains the full game within the coding is still their responsibility. However, that does not give free-reign for players to take advantage of this situation. Silent Hill: Origins - News - Silent Hill 0rigins Demo Leaked? Silent Hill: Origins/Silent Hill V Forums - Silent Hill: Origins - Silent Hill 0rigins Demo GameSpot Forums - Silent Hill 0rigins - Just finished the demo... Little review here! / Silent Hill: Origins - News - Silent Hill 0rigins Demo Summary YouTube.com - Silent Hill 0rigins Demo MegaUpload.com - Silent Hill 0rigins Demo Images [.zip file / .bmp files / 2.05 MB] Introduction Song Ripped from SH0 Demo: In addition to players ripping videos and screenshots from the game, a full version of the introduction song from the demo has been recorded and placed online for download. Please note that this song is the full version of the one featured in the Tokyo Game Show 2006 Trailer. Many thanks are given to 2nd_gig from Silent Hill: Origins for ripping and posting the song online. The song can be downloaded from the thread in the Silent Hill: Origins forum, but I'll also provide a mirror.* The song is still currently untitled, but never-the-less fans insist on giving it one.** The lyrics are posted below. *Footnote: Please note that the audio recording is not of the highest quality and that there is both some hiss on the track and dampening of the audio output. **Footnote: Previous fan titles for this song have included, "Hope," "Hope of me" and "Lonely." Currently, fans are titling the track, "Lost in Here" and "Alessa's Theme." No titles are yet official, as a release of the official Silent Hill 0rigins/Silent Hill Zer0 soundtrack is planned for release around the time of the game release. (Personal Note: Neither of the current fan titles seem appropriate considering that the nature of the emotions expressed in the song seem to reflect Travis' feelings rather than Alessa's.) Silent Hill: Origins - News - Silent Hill 0rigins Akira Yamaoka Vocal Track Extended Silent Hill: Origins/Silent Hill V Forums - Silent Hill 0rigins - 0rigins Akira Yamaoka Vocal Track Extended / [MegaUpload Mirror] / [.mp3 file / 4.04 MB] EDIT: There's like some new SH5 scans and all posted up somewhere. Liek check it out, y'alls.

If the live album is anything like these live performance videos, I will be picking up a copy immediately. I really wish that I had had a chance to view the concert live myself.

Now com' on, Zircon. Why couldn't you take it in stride like lcd soundsystem? Turn some of that pessimism into creative juice.

It's ironic that pixie's first NO was from Zircon on an opera ReMix. I don't think I could have dreamed that up in a 1000 years. My immediate reaction is to lol at this, but it seems a funnier to envision the situation as an opera scene itself. (ROFL at the prospect of Zircon singing opera.)

Stupid 15,000 character limit. Won't let edit my text. (Grumble, Grumble...) Silent Hill: The Arcade Update: Silent Hill: The Arcade Officially Releases in Japan: The official release of Silent Hill: The Arcade, an arcade console version of the series' first enterance into the arcade shooter genre, was released on July 25, 2007 in select arcades in Japan. The arcade console, which features two player gameplay, is designed in the motif of the more recent releases, primarily the Silent Hill film. Players can choose to either play as the male or female protagonist, Eric or Tina. The gameplay itself is stardard for many arcade, lightgun-based shooters, popularized by games like the House of the Dead series. Creatures and locations from the various incarnations of the games make an appearance as enemies, including fan-favorites the Red Pyramid Thing, Nurses and even, Robbie the Rabbit*. One of the exclusive features for the arcade version of the game include Konami's e-AMUSEMENT PASS, which allows players to save their progress and scores onto their e-AMUSEMENT PASS card which can be transfered to any console on the network. Players can also review and compare their scores across the internet via the e-AMUSEMENT PASS website or from the official Silent Hill: The Arcade website. In addition to these features, Konami has also announced that there will be ties between this game and the digital manga, Silent Hill Double under Dusk. Exact details of these connections are currently unknown. The website officially established for the game (only available in Japanese) includes information about the game as well as it's compatibility to the e-AMUSEMENT PASS network. There are also sections describing how to play the game, introductions to the story and characters, creature information and a mysterious "Special Section," which has yet to reveal it's contents. Check out the website for more information about the game. If you'd like to see it in action and/or with gameplay footage, check out the official news press video. If you are a prospective buyer of arcade consoles, you can purchase one of these new consoles through Konami Digital Entertainment Co., Ltm.'s GameShop webpage. Konami Digital Entertainment Co., Ltd. - Silent Hill: The Arcade - Official Website Konami Digital Entertainment Co., Ltd. - Konami News Network - Silent Hill: The Arcade Press Video (Imbedded Stream / Broadband) Konami Digital Entertainment Co., Ltd. - Konami News Network - Silent Hill: The Arcade Press Video (Imbedded Stream / Dial-up) Konami Digital Entertainment Co., Ltd. - Konami News Network - Silent Hill: The Arcade Press Video (Direct Stream / Broadband) Konami Digital Entertainment Co., Ltd. - Konami News Network - Silent Hill: The Arcade Press Video (Direct Stream / Dial-up) Konami Digital Entertainment Co., Ltd. - GameShop - Silent Hill: The Arcade Purchase Form *Footnote: It should be noted that this arcade version of Silent Hill is very non-canonical to the series as it mixes locations, creatures and even story elements completely out of context. If this is likely to upset you, consider the game as a fan homage' to the series from Konami creators/executives. Enjoy it as one would any non-canonical fan work of the series and always look on the bright side of life. Silent Hill Novels Update: Novelization of Silent Hill 3 Released: On July 27, 2007, Konami Digital Entertainment Co., Ltd.'s KonamiStyle of Japan released the third novelization of the book series, which covers obviously the third game in the series. As has been mentioned before, the book is again written by Sadamu Yamashita and features revised illustrations by Masahiro Ito (the series monster designer). The novel is written in the traditional Japanese style (sentences reading from right to left, in vertical columns). The novel also features CGI images from the game and its pre-production interlaced sparingly to visually indicate what is written at that point in the story. There is currently no translation of the text in any other language and Konami has expressed no plans to do so in the future, but keep an eye out for updates from fan translators.* The Silent Hill 3 novel is available from KonamiStyle of Japan as well as from other Japanese book sellers. The novel retails at 933 yen (980 yen after sales tax) and is listed under the ISBN: 9784861558429. Konami Digital Entertainment Co., Ltd. - Books - コナミノベルス「SILENT HILL ３」 KonamiStyle of Japan - Books - 送料無料　コナミノベルス 「SILENT HILL3」

In addition to this description provided about the characters, Burning Man also notes that the creators of the manga are, in fact, Hiroyuki Owaku and Masahiro Ito, the previous creators of Silent Hill Cage of Cradle and members of Team Silent. There is also a suggestion that this comic will be side-linked to the story in Silent Hill The Arcade, which has completed it's testing phase, and will officially release in Japanese arcades in August. There are two preview images available on Yahoo's Japan Blog page. Silent Heaven Forums - Silent Hill Media - Silent Hill Double under Dusk Silent Hill Double under Dusk - Preview Page 01 [Mirror] Silent Hill Double under Dusk - Preview Page 02 [Mirror] EDIT: (I don't want to do this. Do I really have to do it?) Shut-up, Inner-Dialogue Voice, and let's just get through this. Silent Hill The Arcade Update: Official Release Date Announced, Website Posted and Sample Footage Leaked: Now that Konami Digital Entertainment Co., Ltm. has completed the testing phases of Silent Hill The Arcade, the official release date for the game in arcades across Japan has been set. In addition to the release of the game, a corresponding website has been set up to inform gamers about information regarding the title and its features. The arcade console will use Konami's e-AMUSEMENT PASS, which allows players to save their progress and high scores from the game and transfer them to other machines on the e-AMUSEMENT PASS network. The e-AMUSEMENT PASS does allow on-line play with other players on the network, but it is not currently known if this is compatible with Silent Hill The Arcade. The story of this game begins with a brief explanation of the tragic event of the sinking of the Little Baroness, a sight-seeing tour boat, which occurred in 1918. The introduction begins 75 years later, circa 1993, with the sudden reappearance of the Little Baroness on the shores of Toluca Lake. Eric and Tina and their two friends decide to go to Silent Hill to check it out. Eric is stated as having "deep connections to the Little Baroness," while Tina is going to visit a pen-pal who lives in the town and had conversed through correspondence. The game begins the morning after staying in a local motel when their friends mysteriously disappear. This game is an obvious House of the Dead rip-off, with monsters appearing everywhere and random doors and walls breaking to be followed by more monster encounters. There's a floating-through-hallways first-person-perspective, shooting health items to pick them up, killing monsters to save other survivors, etc. In addition, every monster from the Silent Hill repetoir is present in the game. Sited so far are: Creepers (SH2), Gumheads (SH4), Bubblehead Nurses (SH2), Brookhaven Nurses (SH3), Double Heads (SH3), Hummers (SH4), Scrapers (SH3), Red Pyramid Thing (SH2), et. al. Two players can play at one time, but the story itself does not change regardless of the number of players. The only circumstances that effect the story are the routes taken through the game, which are noted at various locations by a pause and then a prompt on which direction to take. All-in-all, the game is very non-canon to the series, but not a bad game if you liked the House of the Dead series, or other stand-up arcade shooters. Although, neither developers nor Konami reps have stated that the game will appear in regions outside of Japan, testing stations have been set-up in the UK, with fans having captured footage of the gameplay at these testing locations. Supposedly, if these testing stages prove successful, it may appear that the release of the game may occur in other regions as well, likely in Europe first. Anyway, feel free to discuss the title and the gameplay based on this footage. I'm going to go take a 3-day shower. Konami Digital Entertainment Co, Ltm. - Silent Hill The Arcade AcradeHeroes.com - Silent Hill The Arcade - Test Location Videos EDIT 2: Silent Hill Comics Announcement: Silent Hill: Sinner's Reward Unofficially Announced: On the Silent Hill Heaven Forums, assistant editor and writer Tom Waltz for IDW Publishing unofficially announced the creation of another Silent Hill graphic novel to be released in 2008. Although, the announcement only showed the cover art and the writer's and artist's names, the announcement seems genuine.* I'll post more about this release as information is presented. Writer: Tom Waltz (previously written Children of the Grave) Illustrator: Steph Stamb (previously illustrated Salvador) Silent Hill Heaven - Media - Silent Hill: Sinner's Reward *Footnote: Whether or not the announcement is true or a complete hoax, the point of this announcement is show that IDW still holds the license to the Silent Hill series as it pertains to graphic novels in North America. In addition to this, IDW Publishing seems to still have an interest in creating derivative works for the series, much to the shagrin of fans everywhere. (Personal Note: I can only hope and pray that this work, which features a new writer and artist, isn't a big piece of crap either. However, there is some fortunate news...) Silent Hill Comics Update: ComX Artist Releases Images from Unreleased SH1 Comic, Plans to Release Entire Work: Thanks to some major, intensive research by KnickKnack (creator of the Silent Hill 2 Chibi and active member of Silent Hill Heaven), she has located the original artist, Steve Huge, from ComX, whose Silent Hill (1) graphic novel was originally going to be released by Konami way back in 1999, but never came to be. Through her correspondence with him, the artist agreed to release the comic on his DeviantArt page in its original form (without textboxes, without watermarks). He also stated that he plans to post the graphic novel in its entirety. I'll link and mirror the pages posted so far, but keep your eyes open for more released images. DeviantArt.com - Steve Huge DeviantArt.com - Steve Huge - Silent Hill (.jpeg file / 456 KB) ComX Silent Hill by Steve Huge [Mirror] DeviantArt.com - Steve Huge - More Silent Hill (.jpeg file / 353 KB) ComX More Silent Hill by Steve Huge [Mirror] Silent Hill Heaven Forum - Media - Silent Hill ComX Artist FOUND

I have to agree with you, Nulion, on the point of not judging a studio for taking a game series in a new direction, because in many cases it often brings new life to that series. However, and this may only be my lingering attachment to the old way of thinking about the games, I worry that the series will become so unfamiliar that it will no longer appeal to my taste. (Though, it won't stop me from checking them out.) Still, this is the second season and as I told myself before, it will incorporate the style and presentation of the new members of staff. I've just got to get with the program. Anyway, what I really wanted to bring up was a discussion on the concept of placing the theme of war in a Silent Hill game. This topic has crossed a number of people's minds since the second game, because the concept has such great potential to probe a person's psyche and change their character and envoke great sadness, etc. But, my concern is that the concept is so complex and difficult to explore because of the fact that you can't simpify that topic to an easy answer, enough so to properly present a comment that can represent a generational state of mind. Previous attempts to explore the anguish of war in official ( Silent Hill: Among the Damned) and unofficial Silent Hill works (various fan works) have created extremely lackluster and often cliche'd, angst-filled stories that bring no satisfying resolution, either good or bad. When it comes to the concept of fighting for god and country in the Silent Hill universe, things are incredibly warped from the traditional versions of it in American society. In the Silent Hill universe, nothing is selfless, not even acts of charity. Patriotism cannot be obtained from a sense of duty or responsibility, but from a sense of self-destruction. Our main character Alex Shepherd seems to allude to his own self-destruction in the brief teaser, citing that he neither wished to come home nor felt that his hometown could empathize with his experiences. Though these feelings may have some foundation in truth (we've yet to see), it can only be assumed that he is speaking to no one in particular during the trailer, which is rather self-deprecating. As such, it seems that our main character is displayed as a volitile, young man with a burden of guilt that extends beyond merely facing the fear of killing and dying that comes with war. Place such a character in the reflecting pool of Silent Hill's Otherworld and I can only foresee a tragic fate for everyone involved in his story. Maybe that's not such a bad story after all. We'll have to hope that the developers keep that in mind.

Man, I'm never there to see these major announcements everytime they make it. Oh, well, I'll just give a clean format for the announcement of the game. Silent Hill 5 Announcement: Silent Hill 5 Announced (FINALLY!!!): On July 11, 2007 at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) in Santa Monica, California, USA, Konami Digital Entertainment made their official announcement regarding Silent Hill 5 (working title), which will release on the PlayStation 3 and the XBOX 360. The announcement states that the creation of the game will involve an "international and cross-cultural production" of the game and attempt to "raise the bar even higher for the incredible series."* In terms about the specifics of the game, the announcement boasts that it will be a tour-de-force of action adventure and for the series as a whole. Citing that the game will be "building upon the series trademark foundations of atmosphere, adventure and storytelling; Silent Hill 5 introduces players to a whole new experience." The soundtrack and sound design will be composed/created by Akira Yamaoka.** In regards to story, the main character is introduced as Alex Shepherd, a young man returning to his hometown of Sheperd's Glen to search for his missing brother, Joshua, leading to a return to the silent town on Lake Toluca. Additional screenshots from the game are available from the US Konami website. Silent Hill 5 is expected to release in 2008. Additional news and a possible demo will be revealed at the German Games Conference in Leipzig, Germany this August. Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc. - Press Releases - Konami Announces Silent Hill 5 (.pdf file / 138 KB) Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc. - Press Releases - Silent Hill 5 Screenshots (.zip file / .tif files / 2.8 MB) GameTrailers.com - Silent Hill 5 - Teaser GameTrailers.com - Silent Hill 5 - Teaser (.mov file / 6.5 MB) / [MegaUpload Mirror] GameTrailers.com - Silent Hill 5 - Teaser (.wmv file / 6.0 MB) / [MegaUpload Mirror] GameTrailers.com - Silent Hill 5 - Teaser (.mp4 file / 3.5 MB) / [MegaUpload Mirror] *Footnote 1: Although many pre-E3 interviews and internet articles have suggested that Team Silent will be heading the project for SH5, the press announcement suggests otherwise. From the press release, interviews conducted with Konami representatives at E3 and official announcements on the developer's website, the truth is that development for the game will actually be conducted by The Collective, part of Foundation 9 studios. Games belonging to The Collective's resume include: Marc Ecko's Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure, Indiana Jones and the Emperor's Tomb, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Star Wars - Episode III: Revenge of the Sith as well as other licensed video game titles. The Collective is another struggling gaming studio with good talent at creating very realistic graphics and visuals in a video game, but have always suffered from poor gaming mechanics and overall level of fun. (Personal Note: I'm very unsure as what will happen to the series now that development is completely out of the hands of Team Silent. I think that it is too early to critize a studio simply because their previous works don't include A-list titles. However, because development of a Silent Hill game requires a huge understanding of the games and their influences, it will be a long and challenging road for these new developers, as Climax Studios will attest to with their long-delayed release of Silent Hill 0rigins.) **Footnote 2: If you had been following pre-E3 interviews and internet articles, you've probably heard different things about Akira Yamaoka's involvement in the development of Silent Hill 5. In certain ones, he mentions acting as producer, overseeing the complete development process of the game. In another, he talks about possibly directing the game, but stated that it was too early in the development process to solidify that comment. In others, still, he talks about simply working on the music and nothing more. All of these reports say different things and Akira Yamaoka nevers says with certainty where his position in the development will be, simply defering to his statement that it's too early to make any commitments. (Personal Note: If Konami plans on trimming back Yamaoka-san's involvement in the actual development of the game to just music creation, I think it will mark the official end of the involvement of the original 15 members of Team Silent. That doesn't sit well with me. However, The Collective is currently hiring programmers and level designers at this time... Maybe it's time Takayoshi Sato jumped EA's ship.) EDIT: You can view a portion of the raw video file from the official press release of Silent Hill 5 from the Scandinavian gaming network, GameReactor. GameReactor.com - Gamereactor TV - E3 Silent Hill 5 Presentation EDIT 2: Konami has also released an official news press video of the E3 presentation in Santa Monica, California, USA. I'll link the videos below. (My apologies, but these are only available in Japanese.) Konami Digital Entertainment Co., Ltd. - Konami News Network - E3 Media & Business Summit (Imbedded Stream / Broadband) Konami Digital Entertainment Co., Ltd. - Konami News Network - E3 Media & Business Summit (Imbedded Stream / Dial-up) Konami Digital Entertainment Co., Ltd. - Konami News Network - E3 Media & Business Summit (Direct Stream / Broadband) Konami Digital Entertainment Co., Ltd. - Konami News Network - E3 Media & Business Summit (Direct Stream / Dial-up) Silent Hill 0rigins Update: New Trailer and Demo Released at Sony E3 Press Conference: Also released on July 11, 2007 were new information, a trailer and demo for Silent Hill 0rigins. In the trailer, additional CG cutscenes were added showing some of the best animation to appear in the series, yet. While the PSP limitations hinder the appearance of character models and actions in game, the environments and effects rendering are on par to those of it's PS2 bretheren. Early reviews of the demo remark on the formulaic approach to the gameplay, but say that it is solid none-the-less while also remarking on the addition of new elements. The new gameplay elements to be added included additional items and objects used as throwing weapons, which usually break after a single use. Additionally, the character's eyes will now be drawn to doors that are unlocked as well as to items that can be picked up, making checking doors less cumbersome. Lastly, the radio has now been replaced by a visual static effect that appears on the screen whenever monsters approach and attack, ala' SH4's victim encounters. William Oertel was also on hand to provide an interview about the game (though doesn't say anything new about the game itself) and his experience in how creating the game is so similar to creating art. It has become very apparent how much the experience has changed his personality when you compare this interview with one of his first ones last year. (A sophisticated game indeed.) The new trailer and various gameplay videos are available at various gaming sites for download, but you can get a High Definition version at GameTrailers.com as well as the interview with William Oertel. GameTrailers.com - Silent Hill 0rigins - E3 2007 Trailer GameTrailers.com - Silent Hill 0rigins - E3 2007 Trailer (.mov file / 10.3 MB) / [MegaUpload Mirror] GameTrailers.com - Silent Hill 0rigins - E3 2007 Trailer (.wmv file / 10.3 MB) / [MegaUpload Mirror] GameTrailers.com - Silent Hill 0rigins - E3 2007 Trailer (.mp4 file / 6 MB) / [MegaUpload Mirror] GameTrailers.com - Silent Hill 0rigins - E3 2007 Trailer (High Definition) GameTrailers.com - Silent Hill 0rigins - E3 2007 Trailer (High Definition) (.mov file / 33.7 MB) GameTrailers.com - Silent Hill 0rigins - E3 2007 Trailer (High Definition) (.wmv file / 32.1 MB) GameTrailers.com - Silent Hill 0rigins - Interview with William Oertel at E3 2007 GameTrailers.com - Silent Hill 0rigins - Interview with William Oertel at E3 2007 (High Definition) Silent Hill Manga Announcement: Silent Hill Double under Dusk Released Via Digital Distribution: On July 2, 2007, Konami Digital Entertainment Co, Ltm. posted an announcement listing a new Silent Hill digital manga that was released last week. The new digital manga is titled Silent Hill - Double under Dusk and is distributed via their mobile network which began on July 6, 2007. Currently, very little information is available in English about the details of the manga, including the author and illustrators. (Though the artwork does greatly resemble Masahiro Ito's, particularly the method of depicting oversized breasts on the female character.) Double under Dusk is exclusive to the Konami Mobile Network. The manga features a story around two new characters, Brian Dawson (40 years of age) and Lindsay Crystal (age 20). It is currently undeterminable where or when the story is set or what it is about, but I'm currently looking into getting a translation of the Japanese webpage. This new manga follows after the success of the previous digital manga Silent Hill Cage of Cradle, which was written by Hiroyuki Owaku and illustrated by Masahiro Ito. Although, Ito-san has stated that a printed version of Cage of Cradle is scheduled for the international release this summer, there has been no announcement pertaining to Double under Dusk about a printed release. To access the Konami Mobile Network, you must have a compatible mobile device, namely a cellular phone with access to either i-Mode, EZweb, or Yahoo Keitai. You can subscribe to the manga by entering the special http into your phone and sending an email to the subscription url to join. Konami Digital Entertainment - Konami Mobile News - Silent Hill Double under Dusk Konami Mobile News - Video Preview (Stream Video File / .asx file)

That really depends on the way that you played the game. *SPOILER* Eileen with mega-cursed will practically throw herself into the pool. Plus, with the numerous camera shifts to her, it can be easy to lose track of where you are. Took me a few times to beat Walter the first time through. Now if you want to talk about an underwhelming final boss fight, take it from .

To add a little expansion on the topic, I would like to make mention that there is a great deal of similarity between sheet and sequenced music, in regards to structure. (Since the standard method of performing "live" music is to follow a written form, i.e. sheet music, I will use sheet music as the form of comparison to sequenced music.) As such, the only difference between the two, in reference to performance (or playback), is how they are performed. Sheet music is performed by a person, while sequenced music is performed by a computer. Having said this, both sheet music and sequenced music allow you to determine what the time signatures, note pitches and durations should be. Though, sequenced music gives one a greater amount of control on the exact time signatures, pitches and durations of the music, sheet music is structured around using tones and forms that are "pleasing" to the human ear. (Granted that in modern forms of music, "pleasing" has become a very loose term.) In any case, sheet music and sequenced music can be used to create any type of music that one wishes, though each has it's own faults and virtues. However, to address the subject more accurately, the topic of discussion is actually looking at various recording methods between arranged forms of music. In the initial post, the two methods of recording discussed are "sequenced recording" and "studio recording." (There are other methods of recording music for future playback, but for now, we'll discuss these two methods.) "Sequenced recording" is very similar to "sequenced music" (music played by a computer) in that a computer program records the time signatures, pitches and durations of notes into a file that can be played back with an appropriate program. Yet, there are a variety of ways that this type of recording can be done by the computer and depends on the resources available by the computer and by the quality desired by the sequencer/composer/arranger, i.e. you, as well as other factors. Assigning instruments to perform a "track" from a piece of sequenced music is in actuality telling the program to use a certain sound library (a set of predetermined sounds) to play the indicated note pitch and duration for the piece. A common form of using sound libraries includes "soundfonts." "Studio recording" is the method of recording a piece of music performed "live" in a studio and using editing software to refine the various recordings into the desired finished track. These recording sessions can be either analogue or digital, but because of improvements in home recording technology, the most common method of recording in a home studio is via digital recording. Digital studio recordings allow for a greater amount of use of digital elements in the editing process, such as special effects and other effects processing. The advantage to using a studio recording method over a sequenced recording method is that if properly used gives the listener a more convincing sense that the piece of music is being performed "live." However, that is not to say that such an effect cannot be createded with sequenced music (as certain arrangers can create very "humanistic" recordings with sequenced music), but it requires a greater amount of talent and attention to detail to do so convincingly. Daniel Baranowsky has been cited as one of OCR's arrangers to very convincingly be able to create "humanistic" performances with sequenced music. An advantage to using sequenced recording to create an arrangement is that it requires NO ability to play an actual instrument, whereas studio recording requires some. There are other differences between using sequenced and digital studio recordings to create music, but they require a more detailed understanding of both techniques. Perhaps there are others who would wish to explain these differences...

Bravo, megadave. I for one support the group, essentially because of the music they create, and will be purchasing the new album (although, not sure which one.) As a side note, I really liked Adore and their sub-sequent releases. That sound has a lot of similar elements to certain OCReMixes and VGM arrangements in general.

I also have the soundtrack for this game, and it is just great. Seriously, someone needs to make an arrangement from this music.

I suggest that you listen to the elevator music from Level 3 of Midway's Psi-Ops: The Mindgate Conspiracy. Of course, the same music is used for all the bonus levels and training. The song itself is a cover of the game's main theme, a song performed by Cold. Although, there may be an outcry of copyright issues and all, the song was actually composed for the game by the game's composer/sound producer, Vince Pontarelli. The music takes the main theme, which is very harsh and grating, and creates a much more subdued, lush, yet emotive instrumental. I find the arrangement itself to be wonderful, but the gimick of making it sound like it's coming from an elevator speaker detracts from the experience. I've got to get around to actually ripping/recording the music from the game sometime soon.

Just a quickie before I have to leave for the day. Silent Hill Novelizations Update: Silent Hill 3 the Novelization Release Announced: Konami Digital Entertainment has announced the release date for the novelization of the third game in the series. The official release will occur on July 27, 2007. The novel will again be written by Sadamu Yamashita, who wrote the previous two novelizations. Although there is no current confirmation, it is assumed that the novel will again contain revised images of the monsters from the game by the series' monster designer Masahiro Ito. Again, the book will retail at 933 Yen, 980 with sales tax (~9 USD). The ISBN for the novel is 9784861558429. More information will be provided once the novel is released (and I get my own copy). Konami Digital Entertainment - コナミノベルス「SILENT HILL ３」 KonamiStyle of Japan - ◆送料無料　コナミノベルス 「SILENT HILL3」 Personal Note: Every time a new Silent Hill novel gets released, there is a major Silent Hill announcement made. Considering that the release date for the novel was given ahead of time this go-around, expect something interesting to appear. In fact, Masashi Tsuboyama has already given the exact date and time for which Konami will be giving a press conference: Wednesday, July 11th, 2007 @ 5:45pm UTC. Get ready.

Happy Post+1 to me! Yea!!!!!111!1!!11 And congrats on getting your driver's licence or whatever this thread's about. XP

I love Silent Hill.

Scrap it and start over. I like the idea of this piece, but you're right, the sound just isn't coming together well. Too peppy to be dark, too grating to get into; either try a different sound or switch the style. This is just riding the fence too much between your style and the original, and it's chafing my ass.

Though I don't remember Mr. Wizard as clearly as I remember some *other* science demonstrater (namely from PBS), I do remember him more fondly. Problem was that I always had to leave for school right in the middle of his demonstrations, so I rarely got to see one to fruition. R.I.P. Mr. Herbert

Huh-huh, he said, "Stay bigger." Huh-huh-huh-huh-huh. Personally, I laugh when I see those animated PSP ads. Although the commercials in North America got pulled, at least the Europeans kept 'em going. Squirrels: Portable Nut Daxter (a.k.a. I'd Hit That) (a.k.a. Hellz Yeah)Dustballs: Pursuit Force (a.k.a. Even the Ugly Ones) (a.k.a. Love Bullets)PSP Infomercial (a.k.a. Super Hot Dustball) PSP System (a.k.a. Goose) Tekken: Dark Resurrection (a.k.a. Roar!) Killzone: Liberation (a.k.a. Snuck) LocoRoco Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters PSP Downloadable Content (a.k.a. I Love YoooOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOu) Mice: Portable Cheese Baseballs: MLB 06 The Show (a.k.a. Horrible) Pussy Willows: Portable Lilypad Goldfish: Unofficial (a.k.a. Oh, Snap)BUT, if you think those are bad, you should see the newer ones. (Actually, maybe you shouldn't.) Dude, Get Your Own: #1 - Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters #2 - Cheat Code #3 - Potty Humor #4 - Movie Killer #5 - Belt Check #6 - Air Hair #7 - Hotel Homies I still <3 my PSP anyway.

Grand Theft Auto 3 (PS2/X-Box/PC) - Yes Playing as Claude Speed is just fun. The game manages to build a world in itself, from the buildings and locations, to the people on the street, to the radio culture, to the plot itself. Everything is constructed with building a society in mind. Add onto it the socio-political statement that it makes about our own society, there's a lot to enjoy. Halo: Combat Evolved (X-Box/PC)- Yes Although I had only played this game with friends, the reason why I would recommend this game is because of the robust design of the game. Anyone could attribute any number of aspects of the game as a reason for it's inclusion on the list, but again, the definite factor is how it combines its various simple-shaped elements into a distinctive and impressive whole. I think of it as a mosaic, in which if you focus on the individual pieces there is not much to admire, but when viewing as a whole, forms an intricately beautiful image. Yet, personally, what I liked most about the Halo games is the world that is created. The history and background of the Covenant Army and their quest, the mythos of the Artifacts and the various interconnections between different elements of the story and setting. Somehow, it inspires my imagination and encourages taking perspectives other than the usual hero/savior side.