Silent Hill Discussion

[ifirit]

Hopefully a soundtrack will be coming for this movie. I've got all SH soundtracks but a movie soundtrack would top off my SH CD collection

Any news on this?

I wouldn't recommend buying it.

It'd be like buying a 'the worst of silent hill, in 5 different versions each, plus You're not here' album.

Or rather...you've already got the soundtrack, it's just spread across your 4 game OSTs. Don't waste your money.

That seems kinda harsh. I know that the selection may not have been the best in the world, but speaking for myself, found the remastered versions of the music to be refreshing, exciting and heartfelt. I know a number of people who would love to own a copy of the revised "Dance With Night Wind," "I'll Kill You" or "Magdalene."

Besides, who knows what's going to be included in the soundtrack itself. Are there going to be full versions of the revised tracks, or will they be editted to flow together, like the first OST. (Which by the way isn't really an original soundtrack, but is actually an arranged album, since direct comparisons with the ripped soundtrack, will show unnoticed variations and additional accompaniments. Hell, it even says that it's an arranged album in the linear notes themselves.) Will there be bonus tracks on the disc? Unreleased tunes? Live performances? Audio commentary? DVD-Rom extras? Music Videos? CD-only web-access to additional bonuses on the website? The number of possibilities and benefits to owning the CD are astounding and heart-provoking. Just thinking about it makes me excited.

Warning: Silent Hill Spoilers

Also, they skipped Samael (EDIT: Incubus) completely, and set Alessa as the "God" instead of the mother of God. They should have kept the original story on that part.

That part got to me as well after first viewing the film, but it was intended to be different from the original story. There are speculations as to why this aspect of the story was changed, but when one thinks about the change itself, it inspires one to think in about the cult in a different manner.

One theory suggests that the cult is actually still based on the original cult from the game and that they do seek to bring "god" into the world, but through different means than the cult from the game. The theory states that rather than drawing "god" (or the "devil," whichever you want) into the world, "evil" must be driven out in order to make room for "god." Burning evil is the most common way of accomplishing this. Meaning that burning people is still a purification ceremony, but purifying to drive out evil rather than purifying to cleanse the spirit. (A subtle difference, I know, but still an important one.) However, what the cult views as evil is not truly what is evil and the cult is only able to drive away negative emotions, particularly sadness and revenge. Their prayers do not bring purity or goodness, but solely numb and disassociate one's negative emotions, such is a cult's nature. As such, this is how the cult is able to subdue the darkness that covers Smokey Silent Hill (a variation on the Misty Silent Hill since the movie makes the fog smoke and ash). They do not drive away Dark Alessa's power, but subdue it by numbing Alessa's anger and sadness.

Dark Alessa thus needs Rose's help to pass through this numbing agent created by the cult in order to let Alessa's feelings of pain, sorrow and revenge penetrate the cult's prayers. Rose's feelings of duty and patronage cover over Alessa's feelings and allow her to be unaffected by the cult's numbing agent. (I'm not entirely sure if this is refering to the cult's faith or to themselves personally, or because of something else entirely. But something about the cult is making Alessa's feelings numbed.) The symbiote relationship that Dark Alessa creates with Rose thus penetrates through to Sharon's personality. The invasion of the church is a metaphor for the invasion of Sharon's soul. So, it isn't until the end of the movie that Alessa's soul is made whole. Which brings up some even deeper questions about what Dark Alessa's power actually is and why Sharon is sought out, because to me, it seems that Dark Alessa doesn't really need Sharon at all, but Rose, as indicated by the line, "Why me?" "Because you chose her, you chose Sharon." If Sharon was simply bait for Rose, why would Dark Alessa want Sharon back? (The only thing that comes to mind is that Dark Alessa simply was retrieving what was her's. It seems too simple an answer though.)

All in all, evertime I start thinking about the film, the more I uncover and the more obvious it becomes that the film is hiding a deeper, fully conceptualize narrative made for fans to enjoy. Something I find great for fans, but bad for the general audience, since the experience isn't as well executed narratively as it could have been. A fault that I believe lies in the flow of the story. Still, let's see what other people think.

Thread Weekly Update:

Anyway, for today's weekly update, it's another Choose-Your-Own-Direction post. That means you guys choose what I post. But, to make things interesting, you guys choose a theme and I'll post based on the theme. So, choose one of the below, but choose carefully:

1) Leave (Traditional, Warm)

2) In Water (Sad, Thought-Inspiring)

3) Maria (Deceptive, Inticing)

4) Rebirth (Untraditional, Revealing)

5) Dog (Humorous, Irrelevent)

6) UFO (Unknown, ???)

[Aetherius]

The number of possibilities and benefits to owning the CD are astounding and heart-provoking. Just thinking about it makes me excited.

Sometimes you're just irretrievably poofy, and it both saddens and frightens me. The benefits of owning a defibrillator are heart-provoking. The benefits of owning a magical mystery box full of wonder are astounding. the benefits of owning re-arrangements of songs I've already heard arranged better by someone else are fanatic and few.

Thread Weekly Update:

Anyway, for today's weekly update, it's another Choose-Your-Own-Direction post. That means you guys choose what I post. But, to make things interesting, you guys choose a theme and I'll post based on the theme. So, choose one of the below, but choose carefully:

1) Leave (Traditional, Warm)

2) In Water (Sad, Thought-Inspiring)

3) Maria (Deceptive, Inticing)

4) Rebirth (Untraditional, Revealing)

5) Dog (Humorous, Irrelevent)

6) UFO (Unknown, ???)

I choose rebirth, because I shudder to think what the others will be like.

[UnforgivingEdges]

In Water.

Best ending ever.

[StarZander]

Bump.

http://www.deviantart.com/view/20122254/

http://www.deviantart.com/view/1573593/

http://www.deviantart.com/view/19388834/

[ifirit]

I know that it's been a while and that this is probably really not the best update, but I figured I do it anyway to keep interest up. (Seeing as how Silent Hill 0rigins is still at least 6 months away with no updates yet and the Silent Hill DVD/Blu-Ray hasn't sparked much conversation. I still think that the film has more to it that what most people do.) Anyway, here's another...

Silent Hill Weekly(?) Update:

Video Footage of "Theme of Laura" from PLAY! A Video Game Symphony:

I've kinda had this on my plate of things to post for a couple of weeks. I was kinda of looking around for a downloadable version of this file before posting it, but since I figured that it has already been more than a month and a half, a downloadable file would have already been available.

Anyway, this is the video footage of Akira Yamaoka's performance with the Chicago Popland Orchestra conducted by Arnie Roth at the Chicago premiere. The performance on film is just as exciting as I remember it and have grown to love this performance of "Theme of Laura" much more that the original. It's just so very vibrant and organic when it's played live, especially by the composer. As far as the video quality goes, I would have perferred better, but considering the circumstances, this is as good as anyone would hope. The camera shakes a lot and goes in and out of focus on a number of occassions, but still it manages to capture the overall performance and highlights. Please note that the beginning of the performance was cut off. I'm not sure as to why this was. (Possibly due to the fact the camera operator is a known Final Fantasy fan and was simply waiting for the performance of "One Winged Angel" before realizing that this performance was worth capturing. Or simply due to the possibility that they didn't get the camera started in time, or even more possibly due to file size and quality constraints.)

The file is hosted on YouTube, posted by imnickjamesbitch. (I know a lot of you hate YouTube, but if you only run a minimum of applets while surfing and wait for the entire file to load before playing it, you can minimize any complications that may arise.) Additional photos of the performance and the rest of PLAY! A Video Game Symphony can be found off Nick James' gallery page. Additional photos of Akira Yamaoka's performance can be found here, providing graciously by the.miker. I hope you guys enjoy it.

EDIT: There is also a small video clip of the performance from the Stockholm concert available. However, it does not include Akira Yamaoka and is simply the orchestral version with an additional guitar player. Honestly, the performance Akira Yamaoka gave was much better. Anyway, enjoy.

[Poiso]

That video would be sweet if you could hear any of it.

[Nulion]

Ohh man, good memories, good times...Thank you VERY much for the clip ifirit, I didn't think I'd ever hear that song a second time played like that

Admittedly it loses the effect when you listen to it on headphones as recorded by some guy's camcorder, but DAMN it was impressive to hear in person.

[Aetherius]

That performance reminded me of....Born to be Wild, only cooler, but remarkably less cool because of shitty recording quality.

[RazorOutlaw]

I agree, the quality is a problem.

But then I never thought I'd see a clip from PLAY! let alone one actually catching the entirety of Akira's performance. What can I say, I truly appreciate Ifirit's searching ability.

A++ will watch again.

[StarZander]

BUMP

Can't let this thread just die. Too much information lies here!

[ifirit]

I might as well throw in some more information, then.

Silent Hill Film Update - Japan:

For those who may not have been keeping score, the japanese release of Silent Hill was set on July 8th, with the premiere on July 2nd. And, since the film opening occured further away than the US release, Japan got to see a few more promotions than us.

"Shocking House" Set-up in Japan to Promote Film:

In Kabuki-cho Shinjuku, located in Tokyo, Japan, Konami (in conjunction with Davis Films) opened up the Silent Hill Shocking House on June 22, 2006. At the opening of Shocking House, which was a single room haunted house in which you could find actors dressed in familiar Silent Hill monster costumes (notably the "Red Pyramid" and the "Nurses"), Akira Yamaoka lead a procession of Japanese actresses dressed in caps and (provacatively short) nurse's gowns to a stage where they assembled for an audience. The opening marked the beginning of promotion for the film and followed very shortly after Akira Yamaoka's appearance at PLAY! and between sessions of recording music AND dialogue for the upcoming Silent Hill 0rigins.

Silent Hill Shocking House was available for free public viewing from 11am to 6pm (UTC) running from June 22 to July 2 (the premiere of Silent Hill in Japan). Photos of the event abound on the internet (Warning: Panty-shots). And you can read more about it from a number of articles released online. However, to read about the event in full detail, including the other two female hosts for the event, you'll have to refer the Japanese article on Dengeki.

Dengeki - News: 歌舞伎町に磯山さやかさんの悲鳴が響く！「サイレントヒル ショッキングハウス」開設

Famitsu.com - 映画『サイレントヒル』の恐怖をイチ早く体験！　"サイレントヒルショッキングハウス"が期間限定オープン！

QJ.net - Tokyo's Silent Hill Shocking House

Kotaku - Silent Hill Promotion in Japan: Crazy, Sexy Scary!

Horror.com Media - Silent Hill Special Event Held In Tokyo, Japan

DemoNews.de - Silent Hill Shocking House: Der Albtraum in der realen Welt!

Silent Hill at The Japanese Maid Cafe:

As part of the promotion for the film that Konami and Davis Films were supporting, the Amusement Cafe Maid in Japan held a special luncheon featuring the Silent Hill theme. (For those who may not be aware, japanese maid cafes are restuarants and cafes that have waitresses, or waiters [called "butler cafes"], who dress in frilled, often skimpy, maid uniforms. Most are centrally located in the Akihabara district.) The luncheon which ran from June 26th to July 9th, feautured a special "Red Pyramid Curry" (curried chicken skewers served on a bed of white rice and curry sause on triangular-shaped plates, served with tomato juice and a skinless tomato). The waitresses dressed in short nurses' cap and gowns (again shortened for viewing pleasure). The walls were decorated with posters and banners from the film, while special coasters were used to serve drinks on (viewable in the photo above).

Akira Yamaoka appeared in person on July 7, 2006 at the Amusement Cafe to promote the film. As a treat to diners and wayward guests, a special sneak-screening of the film was shown. Details of what exactly was shown are not available for the moment. However, hopefully, Akira tried the "Red Pyramid Curry." The original link to the flyer and article on the Amusement Cafe's website has been taken down, but I'll post the link for posterity.

Amusement Cafe Maid in Japan - Silent Hill (Link No Longer Available)

Dengeki - News: 『サイレントヒル』の山岡氏による映画公開記念トークライブ

AkibaBlog.net - 映画「サイレントヒル」のサイレントヒル ナース喫茶が始まる

Kotaku - Silent Hill: The Japanese Maid Cafe

Volunteers Sought to Play Nurses at Silent Hill Opening:

In addition, it seems that Konami/Davis Films held an open casting call for actresses who would cosplay as nurses for the japanese opening of the film. According to the article, the "volunteers," as none who participated would be financially compensated, would be asked to dress as nurses, march down the street to the Marion theater complex in Tokyo, and pass out flyers to incite streetwalkers to view the film. The volunteers would be able to keep their costume after the event and would also receive Silent Hill merchandise.

Unfortunately, no news of this event having ever taken placed has appeared. Either the promotional event didn't gather enough volunteers to gain attention or that there was a problem with having people carry rusty scapels in an open street. If anyone knows what happened to this event, feel free to post it here.

GameSpot - Scary Nurses Sought for Japanese Silent Hill Premiere

ITmedia +D Games - KONAMI、映画「サイレントヒル」特設サイトで携帯アプリなどを配信

Silent Hill DX - Mobile Gaming:

Konami Digitial Entertainment of Japan is set to release (if it hasn't already) a revised version of the "Silent Hill Play Novel" for cellular gaming devices, particularly cell phones. Not much information is available in English and it would be complete unlikely that it will release in the US, but if anyone in Japan would like to share some info, please do.

All I can gather from links and other internet sources are that this game offers a card system similar to the original Silent Hill Play Novel for the GameBoy Advance, yet the cards are newly created/revised. The image of the title card with the words "Silent Hill Cage of Cradle" interest me most since it may be the official title of the game. Although links from the movie site direct you to the game page (and movie images are clearly present in the game page), I'm still not sure what the connection is between this version of the Play Novel and the official film. However, I figured that I might as well inform you guys of it. Also, the site http://573.jp was used to host some further information on the game and may still be used in some function on the cellular devices.

Konami Digital Entertainment - Silent Hill

GameWatch - ＫＯＮＡＭＩ、コナミネットDX「SILENT HILL 特設コーナー」設置 FOMA90Xシリーズ対応ゲームアプリ「SILENT HILL」も登場

GPara - コナミネットDXに映画「SILENT HILL特設コーナー」OPEN

EDIT:

Silent Hill 0rigins Update:

Video Interview with Producer William Oertel:

A new interview with producer William Oertel is available for viewing on GameTrailers.com. As previously known, William Oertel is producing the newest chapter in the Silent Hill saga with the help Akira Yamaoka and Team Silent. However, what you may not know is that William Oertel is the producer not for Konami Digital Entertainment of America, but for Climax Studios. The interview (taken from this year's "Comic-Con International" at the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego, CA) discusses most of the same details already posted in the last interview just after E3, however, they come directly from the producer's mouth. This gives one a sense that the creator has a very good grasp on the series and understands more than the average fan (and even the average hardcore fan, in my opinion), not simply in terms of story, but in the experience as well. Such sense comes from the way he discusses controls and camera angles, from level design to overcoming technical challenges for the PSP. He understands the technology and in traditional SH fashion is using the PSP to it's full advantages. This is a very critical interview to watch for those who may still not be convinced that this chapter should be made.

In addition, it seems that many other gaming magazines have picked up the story as well and decided to conduct their own interviews. Luckily, William Oertel has not turned them down and is working to get out as much press on the game as possible. I'm sure there are those who are a little skeptical about such shameless propaganda, but there are a few things that one should understand about Oertel and Climax Studios.

Climax Studios is a company that has been around since the Amiga and Commodore 64 days, however, most of the games that they have created since then have been licensed products, such as movie-to-game titles and sports titles (most notably, ATV OffRoad Fury 3 and ATV Quad Power Racing 2). This suggests that until recently, the studio has been struggling to obtain noterity in the gaming world, and with the recent string of original titles appearing in their development list, it seems that Climax is trying hard to break out of it's mold and become recognized as a serious game developer. Being such, Silent Hill 0rigins will be their first test to prove their ability to produce top-selling games. So, suffice it to say, they don't want to screw this up. ('Cause no one here wants to see this screwed up either.)

GameTrailers.com - Silent Hill Origins - GT Interview (.wmv file / 18.7 MB)

GameTrailers.com - Silent Hill Origins - GT Interview (.mov file / 18.3 MB)

GameTrailers.com - Silent Hill Origins - GT Interview (.mp4 file / 10.5 MB)

Game Informer Online - Silent Hill Origins - The William Oertel Interview

ShackNews.com - Silent Hill Origins Interview

Dread Central - Oertel, William (Silent Hill Origins)

SH0 Newsletter, Concept Art and New Screenshots from Silent Hill US Official Site:

For those who registered onto Konami Digital Entertainment of America's Official Silent Hill site, you were given a newsletter last month that revealed exclusive new information about the game as well as new images. The newsletter, which has been archived by SilentHillOrigins.com, is somewhat more personal that the average newsletter that one receives from most official sites. It discusses in brief the current status of the game and it's music, which has since been completed, as well as giving an open invitation to fans to submit their comments, suggestions and ideas to the developers themselves. (An incredibly generous thing to occur in these days.) In addition to this, the newsletter is looking for a new name, to coincide with the more intimate feel of the letter than its current "Silent Hill 0rigins Newsletter." To do so, please send your emails to travis.grady@konami.com and title your email "Answer My Question!"

The new images that also appeared in the newsletter are currently available on the Official US Silent Hill site. To view them, you must be a registered member to the site (free to those over 18 years of age); click on Media, followed by Miscellaneous, then SH0. The images include some original concept paintings of two environments (one featuring a girl in a white dress, hmmm...), two images from PLAY! A Video Game Symphony in Chicago, two images from the recording session for SH0 with Akira Yamaoka and two new images from one of the game's settings, "Silent Hill Fresh Meats" (one of the stores from Silent Hill, viewed from the pre-production photographs).

Images from the official site have also appeared in some forums. I'll post the links for those who cannot register on the site and for those who wish to download the images.

Konami Digital Entertainment of America - Silent Hill

SilentHillOrigins.com - Silent Hill 0rigins Update (Archived Newsletter)

SH Lost Memories - Silent Hill 0rigins Concept Art'al (Archived Images) / Akira Yamaoka 01 / Akira Yamaoka 02

Japanese Text from "Silent Hill NEXT" Transcribed, Partially Translated:

A fan of Silent Hill has managed to transcribe the Japanese text from the promotional video for Silent Hill 0rigins called Silent Hill NEXT. The author has choosen to remain ananymous, but it's not entirely important. The text appears in the comments section of an article featured on GamersReports.com on the same subject. I'll repost what was written for archiving purposes.

人間はったものを水めき

時には白分のむのむの中で

時にはとてもパーンナルで

そんな白分の水のとなり

それを見つけたとさ

その火が入らないかもしれない

人間はーーったものを水めき

時には白分のむのむの中で

時にはとてもパーンナルで

そんな白分のーー水のーーとなり

それを見つけたとさ

そのーー火がーー入らないかもしれない

Ignore the first half of the japanese. something screwed up. overall i couldnt really make out most of the kanji because of how blury the picture was and just guessed what i thought it looked like and even so most of it makes no sense.

Heres a bable fish translation ommitting those kanji i absolutely coulnt recognize:

As for the human - - the っ it is the thing the water め coming Time in む of む of white amount The time very being the pirn null Such a white amount - - the water - - with it becomes, That you found that, Perhaps that - - the fire does not enter - -,

PS: you need the japanese lagnuage pack to see it.

The full article, as well as the comments can be viewed in the site below.

GamersReports.com - Silent Hill NEXT Video Footage

[ifirit]

I hate double posts, but this is exciting enough to break that restriction.

Silent Hill 4: The Room / DanceDanceRevolution Extreme Update:

Cynthia Music Video from DDR Extreme:

The music video from DDR Extreme featuring Cynthia's character model singing Mary Elizabeth McGlynn's (aka Melissa Williamson) and Akira Yamaoka's remix of "Your Rain," "Your Rain (RAGE MIX)." The song was featured on the limitedly released North American version of the Silent Hill 4: The Room soundtrack, available only by pre-ordering the game. The video itself was released on DDRX well before the game, but few people knew what they were watching.

Fortunately for us, a fan has uploaded the music video and offered it for viewing on YouTube. The video begins very much in the traditional Silent Hill manner with Cynthia singing in an alley from Building World from SH4. This is followed by a short montage of footage from the game itself shown in black & white. However, what proceeds that is somthing completely unexpected and will probably catch you off-guard. I won't spoil it here, but it's well worth checking out. Enjoy.

YouTube.com - Akira Yamaoka feat. Elizabeth McGlynn - Your Rain (RAGE MIX)

[SpaDED]

Silent Hill was one of the scariest games I ever played in the dark.

[Aetherius]

man...that video was...almost pukesome

haha. Lately, I've been playing Fatal Frame 3, and I've decided that (though it's not nearly as complicated as silent hill) It ranks right up there as one of the better survival horror games that doesn't involve killing zombies with a machine gun.

[Deathtank]

I liked the movie

[Weretiger_Rei]

Never played the games, survival horror scares me good...

Saw the movie though, damn good for my taste, bad acting though. Pyramid head rocked, and those DAMN BURNING BABIES ARE TEH SKARYEST THENG EVAR!11one

Seriously, I couldn't sleep for a week... they aren't actually scary scary, but you don't wanna look at them and they make a spine chilling sound in the movie.

[speculative]

Movie is out to rent today. I am seriously thinking about giving it another go to see if my opinion of it would be any different. (Well, there just isn't anything else out to rent now, either.)

[ILLiterate]

Well, there just isn't anything else out to rent now, either

The Wizard just came out on DVD

Yea, not buying the DVD because of lack of extras

[Aetherius]

note: extras DVD may not be released if sales of the original lame DVD are poor.

[ILLiterate]

Yep, that sucks. Not much else to say except what is currently there isn't worth paying for imo

[ifirit]

Silent Hill Film Update:

Silent Hill Released for Home Entertainment (DVD / Blu-Ray / UMD):

I pretty much don't have to tell you guys that the North American (Region 1) version of Silent Hill has been released for home video on August 22, 2006 in DVD (Fullscreen & Widescreen), Blu-Ray (Widescreen only) and UMD (Widescreen only) formats. Although, many of the people who have viewed the film in theaters don't feel that the film is worth owning at the moment, I urge everyone to at least check it out again. (Granted many people disargree about the quality of the film, I find that it was just as exciting and fun as the first time I saw it.)

The film itself has a little problem with the CG when on the small screen. Some of the monster scenes look clearly computer animated, almost "Clash of the Titans" animated. I'm not exactly sure why this is, because in the theater, everything looked very polished. Also, it is almost recommended that you view the film with surround-sound, since when played on a normal television set-up (2.1 stereo), the sound is dampened a little. Other than the craptastic job on the film's home video cover, any other complaints I have would be entirely subjective. However, one could complain about the number of previews for other films available on the disc.

The extra "behind-the-scenes" documentary on the film, titled Path of Darkness and directed by Chris Sikorowski, is actually something worth viewing as well, because unlike the STARZ or BET featurettes, this documentary gives you a much more intimate and technical look at the making of the film. You'll clearly see where all $50 million of the budget went: the scenery, monster and costume design. As you may know the documentary includes the parts: "Silent Hill Origins"; "Casting Silent Hill"; "Building Silent Hill"; "Stars and Stunts"; "Creatures Unleased"; "Creature Choreography" I found "Stars and Stunts," "Building Silent Hill" and "Creature Choreography" to be the most illuminating parts of the documentary and really give you a sense of the scale of production involved to get this to the big screen. The run-time for Path of Darkness is 59 minutes.

If you'd like to view clips from the documentary sections of Path of Darkness, particularly "Stars and Stunts" and "Creature Choreography," you can view them legally on MTV Overdrive. Click on Channels --> Movies --> "DVD of the Week: Silent Hill" to bring up the list of videos from the film.

SonyStyle.com - Silent Hill (DVD / Widescreen)

SonyStyle.com - Silent Hill (DVD / Fullscreen)

SonyStyle.com - Silent Hill (Blu-Ray Disc)

SonyStyle.com - Silent Hill (UMD Disc)

imdb.com - "Path of Darkness: Making 'Silent Hill'"

New Website for Silent Hill Launched:

In addition to the release of the film for home video, a corresponding website has been launched as well. Although the site contains much of the same information as the official theatrical site, with the addition of information about and the ability to purchase the film for home video, the site does contain a page on the synopsis of the film (as printed on the home video case), a set of film stills (some previously released, some not) and a section of preview clips (Now Available), as well as a new game called "Control Your Fear."

The flash-based game is a very simple maze puzzle that you navigate with the directional keys, cleverly based on the scene where Rose must travel to the Brookhaven Hospital basement. As you traverse the maze, you'll be treated to a set of clips from the film (Warning: Clips Contain Film Spoilers).

Sony Pictures - Silent Hill

Silent Hill Nominated for a Teen's Choice Award (Catagory: Thriller):

Yes, this is the worst award ever. Yes, it did not win. Yes, the film is rated R. Yes, my heart has been ripped out of my chest. I just thought you'd want to know.

Fox Broadcasting Company: TEEN CHOICE 2006 - TCA 2006 Nominees

[Aetherius]

hmm...that didn't make it seem more buyable...

Granted, if a new version isn't released by like...christmas, I'll probably buy the crappy one...

[ifirit]

hmm...that didn't make it seem more buyable...

Granted, if a new version isn't released by like...christmas, I'll probably buy the crappy one...

A lot of forum speculation exists that a "special version" of the home video release will appear at a later date this year. Many people even suspect that the release will contain special features that were seemingly left out of this release on purpose. While the prospects of this are viable in concept, especially IF said "special version" is released on a two-disc set, I have a greater suspicion that the release will not be in Region 1 (North America).

Christophe Gans and his production company Davis Films are based in France. The lengths that he went through to obtain the rights, funding and freedom to create the film were very difficult and I'm sure tiring, considering how seriously he took fan and public critism. The hour-long documentary that was added to the home video release feels like it took as much effort to create as one could expect. My general impression is that he has filled any preceived obligation to an American audience, especially when you consider that his original intention was to create a film version of the second game as it was released in Europe. The project greatly expanded beyond it's original intention, making it a world-wide box office release.

When you deal with numbers that range into the millions, it becomes difficult to satisfy the entire market at once. So, it becomes much easier to satisfy a single market of preferance, allowing the other markets to receive the trickle-effect. In Gans' case, that market happens to be France (Region 2). (You may not realize it, but Gans had previously released a director's two-disc cut for Le Pacte des Loups, aka Brotherhood of the Wolf, exclusively in France. So, it's not unlikely that he will do the same for Silent Hill.) It's not that Gans has anything against the North American market, especially seeing how the US was the first country to premiere the film, but it's just a case where Gans has a greater affinity for his homeland.

In addition to this, you also have to consider the added factor of the Blu-Ray and UMD formats. If Sony were to release a "special version" of Silent Hill for DVD, it would also feel an obligation to release said "special version" on Blu-Ray and UMD as well, which is quite costly considering the slow pace that both formats are currently moving. This would mean a greater loss in revenue than gain from re-releasing a film simply to include MORE special features. Plus, you'd have to deal with a public that would critize a decision to re-release the film simply to include said features. ("I just saw/bought that film a few months ago on DVD! Why would I want to see/buy it again for just a few extra features?!") This could further diminish the prospect of sales for Sony/TriStar. If one were to simply consider this case in the absence of Blu-Ray and UMD from the market, I would be inclined to think differently, but seeing as how Sony is trying to push Blu-Ray as a new media format, I really don't see a prospect of having a "special version" of Silent Hill in the next six months.

In short, I suspect this is probably the best that the US is going to get in terms of a home video release. If a "special version" of Silent Hill is going to appear anywhere it will most likely be in France or, to a greater extent, Europe.

EDIT:

Silent Hill 0rigins Update:

Second Official Trailer, Gameplay Videos Released Online:

Konami released the second trailer for "Silent Hill 0rigins" yesterday, August 23, 2006 during this year's Games Conference held in Leipzig, Germany. In addition, Konami held a simultaneous press-event in San Fransico, CA hosted by William Oertel. The twin events displayed the new trailer which featured a new vocal track for the game (YEA!!), as well as gameplay videos of the game itself in both an indoor and outdoor setting. At the Konami-sponsored San Fransico event, William Oertel was on-hand to address questions about the game with much more information about the progress of the game from the technical aspect and about the specifics of the gameplay itself.

The trailer is the first video to show exactly how the game uses the first-person view as well as how the over-the-shoulder third-person view works. While the trailer uses more special effects, filters and atmosphere to express the specifics of the game, the gameplay videos give you a much more accurate picture of the current gameplay progress. Personal opinions aside, the game is following suit with the tradition of atmosphere and detailed environments, which are apparent from the video. Please note that there is a clear lack of "atmospheric effects" in the gameplay. The reason behind this is that the game takes place before the events in SH1, meaning that the fog that has previously encompassed the town has not taken over yet. (Although I realize this logically, a part of me is still urging for some type of atmospheric weather, being that the previous graphics engines for this were the best ever for weather effects. I'm hoping that an artistic direction will compensate for the lack of fog.)

I must also point out that before you make complaints and remarks about the current gameplay of SH0, I ask that you view the interview with William Oertel conducted by GameSpot. The interview explains, in its own words, the amount of technical work needed to complete the game. Because this game is still a work-in-progress, there are issues that must be addressed. Yet, hearing from the producer himself that he plans to address all of these issues before game's release helps to subdue the initial frustration of the game's appearance. Also, Mr. Oertel has finalized the soundtrack to "Silent Hill 0rigins," being that it contains 14 individual tracks, four of which are vocal tracks and of which one is featured in this new trailer.

You can currently download both the trailer and the gameplay videos from either IGN or GameSpot. Public downloads are available for low resolution videos of the trailer and gameplay videos, but membership registration is required to download the high quality videos and GameSpot's exclusive interview with William Oertel. Video files from IGN are available in both Windows Media Video (.wmv) and Quicktime's Movie (.mov) formats, while GameSpot only offers Windows Media Video.

Konami Digital Entertainment of America - News

IGN.com - Silent Hill 0rigins Preview / Videos

GameSpot.com - Silent Hill 0rigins Hands-on / Media / Interviews

PlaystationPortable.de - GC06: Erste Bilder zu Silent Hill Origins

[Monobrow]

never debate crap about Silent Hill with people on IMDB...also bump

[RazorOutlaw]

Three things ifirit:

In Resident Evil 4, I mean, Silent Hill 0rigin's gameplay videos I noticed that the flashlight effect looks exactly the same as the one in the first Silent Hill. The edges of the light's circle (whatever you call it) are jagged. I realize this is a work in progress, but that's just something I found a amusing.

Additionally some of the camera angles while NOT in combat look exactly like Silent Hill. The later games in the series played around a bit with different camera angles and such, but the developers for 0rigins seem to have taken a look at the original game at least.

Third, you mentioned a lack of fog. Did you see the "outside combat" video? There's plenty of fog in that one...perhaps the fog doesn't come until later in the game?