Nulion Posted May 18, 2007 Share Posted May 18, 2007 New version of E3 is in June this time, isn't it? ....Damn, how I miss the media blitz of new and awesome stuff every May Hopefully the new E3 will have some good stuff. Hopefully. Also, there's two new SH:0 videos that are out, if anybody would like to watch them. The first one is more or less the opening of the game, except it goes on for a bit longer, so you can hear more of that new Yamaoka song that plays in the beginning. http://gamevideos.com/video/id/11581 The second one is actually a bunch of gameplay in the beginning sections of Alchemilla Hospital, and it's at least nice to watch. http://gamevideos.com/video/id/11582 Enjoy ...even if there really isn't that much new to enjoy, hehe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StarZander Posted June 3, 2007 Share Posted June 3, 2007 Won't write much now, but here you can enjoy my recording of Akria Yamaoka playing Theme of Laura at the PLAY! concert in Stockholm. The quality of the video is not what it could be, but is still pretty okay. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StarZander Posted June 8, 2007 Share Posted June 8, 2007 Another bump: Tatopoulos Studios finally updated their website! You can now see some images from the Silent Hill movie, and there are some of just the creatures. Check it out! Go to Project Portfolio, adn then click on Silent Hill. http://www.tatopoulosstudios.net/mainpage.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nulion Posted June 9, 2007 Share Posted June 9, 2007 Those are some really interesting pictures over on Tatopoulous's website there, especially the ones that look like concept art for the nurse and the mumbler. I...think that's what they were called, at least. Probably the neatest one, though, was of that little insect-roach creature that hasn't been shown in such clear detail before. I'd for some reason never noticed before looking there, that the thing had little arms and legs. Freaky, yet cool. And thanks for the recording of Yamaoka in concert, too. I was at the Chicago PLAY! concert last year and heard him playing like that, and it's the biggest pain to try and find a recording of the song the way HE did it. Ah, the memories Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ifirit Posted June 26, 2007 Share Posted June 26, 2007 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inimitable Posted July 12, 2007 Share Posted July 12, 2007 Short Silent Hill 5 teaser released at E3. Note it's a TEASER, not a TRAILER. http://www.gametrailers.com/game/5159.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aetherius Posted July 13, 2007 Share Posted July 13, 2007 :/ unnacceptable voice acting. I hope that's not the main character's voice/dialogue. Sounds like an angsty teen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
I-n-j-i-n Posted July 13, 2007 Share Posted July 13, 2007 That was barely even a teaser.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nulion Posted July 13, 2007 Share Posted July 13, 2007 I'm pretty excited for the next game, even if the voice acting wasn't exactly what I expected...but then, if you take into consideration that the main character is a man returning home from a war, I can actually picture a young military man as fitting the voice in that teaser. Ah well, it could actually end up being really good; you never know. Hopefully we'll at least *SEE* more of SH5 in EGM's cover story for the October issue. ( http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3161061 ) They say it should be on sale in September, with Silent Hill 5 as the cover story. EDIT: As for where I got the details on the story of the game, that can be found here; http://games.ign.com/articles/803/803921p1.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ifirit Posted July 17, 2007 Share Posted July 17, 2007 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) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aetherius Posted July 17, 2007 Share Posted July 17, 2007 hm, Origins looks exciting, though, I find the change in character design a little jarring. They look a little too cartoony to me. Let's hope that Climax can handle telling what appears to be a "here's what Alessa did" story. If only I had a PSP... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJ Skratch 'n' Sniff Posted July 17, 2007 Share Posted July 17, 2007 I'm incredibly leery about SH5. The more I read about it, the more it sounds like they're gambling with the franchise. 0rigins looks pretty awesome though. A handheld survival horror game, if done correctly, could be the scariest thing ever. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nulion Posted July 17, 2007 Share Posted July 17, 2007 I wouldn't worry too much about Silent Hill 5....honestly, crazier things have been done with beloved franchises, only to have them turn out great. Case in point; Metroid Prime. Can't believe it was Retro Studios' very first game...Even if there will be another developer doing Silent Hill 5, you can bet that Team Silent/Konami will be watching CLOSELY. At least, I really hope so. It's hard to say how the game will really turn out without seeing more of it...I can't wait for October's EGM >.< As a side note though...hot damn that SH:0 E3 trailer was good! I actually like to see that they seem to be using the Silent Hill movie's method of showing the transition from foggy to alternate Silent Hill, with the bits and pieces of the world floating up into the sky and all. Very cool. Here's some other Origins-related stuff....some gameplay videos that show off some gameplay, as well as some of the actually very cool creature design. The first link has just one video, the second link has *three* videos http://pspupdates.qj.net/index.php?pg=49&aid=97307 http://pspupdates.qj.net/E3-three-new-Silent-Hill-Origins-gameplay-videos/pg/49/aid/97486 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ifirit Posted July 17, 2007 Share Posted July 17, 2007 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nulion Posted July 17, 2007 Share Posted July 17, 2007 That is true...Several different takes on the 'tortured war veteran' theme have been tried before, and it would be all too easy for that sort of story, told just as it is, to become trite. If Silent Hill 5 *does* take the story of Alex's time in the war and bring it into the picture, I would expect them to add layers of depth to that story. A troubled past (Cliche'd, I know), a failed relationship, problems with his brother, a family oath, that sort of thing could come into play and really give this game some personality outside of that war-angst you mentioned, Ifirit. What I really see this game ending up as becoming, especially since the game was already described as being much more psychological than the past several games in the series, is more of a character study on Alex as he comes to terms with coming home, yet not *actually* coming home, from a war. Maybe he will deal with what people must think of him afterwards, or what kinds of things he missed while on his tour of duty. Maybe the theme of the place he's coming back to just not being the same as when he left, leaving him feeling as if he has no rightful place there anymore. Of course I bet you there'll be themes of war, of what it feels like and of what it means to the "entity" that pulls the strings behind the scenes of Silent Hill...but then, I really think that for the most part, this story will be about Alex, and his relationship to his brother, Joshua. It could even wind up like the Father/Daughter (SH1, SH3) Husband/Wife (SH2) Neighbor/Neighbor (SH4) relationships of past games...only this time, it is Brother/Brother. There could be some seriously disturbing things coming into play, in a Brother/Brother relationship scenario... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJ Skratch 'n' Sniff Posted July 17, 2007 Share Posted July 17, 2007 I guess as long as it doesn't feel like a direct Jacob's Ladder rip-off, I'm down with it. Actually, that's not true. After listening to the Silent Hill 3 soundtrack earlier today, I decided that no gaming franchise has managed to mix music, gameplay and mood as masterfully as the Silent Hill franchise. When you hear a song from a Silent Hill game, even if you aren't as familiar with the score as others, you can say, "This totally sounds like Silent Hill." Akira Yamaoka practically created a new genre of music and it's become synonymous with series. If he becomes less a part of the games' development from now on, it doesn't matter how great the games may be, they won't quite feel like Silent Hill. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nulion Posted July 18, 2007 Share Posted July 18, 2007 Oh, I completely agree....And it is interesting to think that Yamaoka-san's music has become a kind of genre in itself, like you said there. It really has, and every time I hear something like it, the first thing that comes to mind are the games. I really, really doubt that Yamaoka is ever going to distance himself completely from the games though,be it his choice or otherwise...You should have seen him at the PLAY! concert in Chicago last year; the man really looked like he loved doing what he does best. Not only that, but in almost any press release involving a new Silent Hill anything lately, a major selling point that they make CERTAIN to plop into there, is Yamaoka's involvement, be it soundtrack or otherwise. They did this with Origins, with the movie, and now with Silent Hill 5. Even they know that Yamaoka just seals the deal, as far as a Silent Hill game goes. They probably do know that without him, their franchise just wouldn't be the same. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aetherius Posted July 18, 2007 Share Posted July 18, 2007 I suppose they've thrown out the idea of doing a story linked to the Alessa arc in every odd numbered game. Origins is carrying it on, but I wouldn't have called it Canon, especially since it's for handheld, which is usually spin-off type stuff instead of main-game junks. I liked the Way Silent Hill 4 connected itself with Silent Hill 2, so, hopefully, they'll make some effort to connect this story with the others. As far as the soldier thing goes, I think it's a tired gimmick, and I don't really care much to play a character who's got his knickers bunched up over the horrors of war. I hope he's done something unspeakable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schwaltzvald Posted July 18, 2007 Share Posted July 18, 2007 ...I don't really care much to play a character who's got his knickers bunched up over the horrors of war. I hope he's done something unspeakable... Or some one else did, died and left the blame on the protagnonist. Constantly haunted with supposedly being responsible for something he had no hand in. The accusations echo and ring loudly enough in his head to the point where he accepts the false reality as a truth; one which manifests itself into a physical pain in regular life. Read somewhere when mental stress manifests physically like a nasty tooth ache when all the teeth are perfectly healty. Needs a placebo effect to allow him to see through the pain, to see the truth... (yeah I'm just pulling it out my ass...) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ifirit Posted July 18, 2007 Share Posted July 18, 2007 I guess as long as it doesn't feel like a direct Jacob's Ladder rip-off' date=' I'm down with it.[/quote']Actually, I was going to say that if Tim Robin's costume from Jacob's Ladder (aka James' clothing) isn't unlockable in SH5, I'd be disappointed. Anyway, I'd be more interested in knowing what happens to the story-arc involving the connection to the Otherworld through Room 302 created by Walter? Although, it seems like that part would just be surmised as being another "haunted place," we already know that the Otherworld is directly connected there. I'd like to see where that gets taken to, since it seems like a waste of a decent story-arc to ignore it. Oh, before I forget... Silent Hill Double under Dusk Update: Japanese Webpage Translated; New Information Revealed: Thanks to a tip from Burning Man from the Silent Heaven Forums, I've received new information about this digital manga, including a translation of the japanese webpage and description. Many thanks to Burning Man for providing the translation. Citing the text directly: Silent Hill Double under Dusk Webpage"]Silent Hill -Double under Dusk-Illustration: Masahiro Ito Original Work: Hiroyuki Owaku Since losing his most beloved son, Ronny, Brian spends day after day in emotional and spiritual apathy. One day, he meets Lindsay, a woman whom looks exactly like the woman from his nightmares. Together, they will take a visit to Silent Hill. Characters Brian Dawson This chapter's main character. Male in his early 40's, resident of Augusta, Maine. He has a warm atmosphere about him, possesses a strong sense of duty, and is a philanthropist who won't pass by someone in need. Yet currently, after losing his most beloved son, Ronny, he spends day after day in emotional and spiritual apathy. This also causes him to lose his job and become divorced from his wife. Tempted by Lindsay, he will take a visit to Silent Hill. His already passed away father is from Silent Hill, but personally, he is not familiar with that knowledge. Lindsay Crystal This chapter's heroine. Female of about 20 years of age, resident of Orono, Maine. She is earnest and mature, but has an obstinateness in the core of her mind to push her way through once she makes a decision. A bright side can be seen within her quietness, but a gloomy sadness can also be seen within her eyes. A college student majoring in folklore, she visits Augusta to research Silent Hill, "a town where the dead return," and she runs into Brian at the library there. Her appearance is exactly like that of the woman that Brian saw so many times in his nightmares. 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 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ifirit Posted August 4, 2007 Share Posted August 4, 2007 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」 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nulion Posted August 4, 2007 Share Posted August 4, 2007 Very nice as always, ifirit ...Is it just me, or would anybody else here love to at least *TRY* the Silent Hill arcade game? Just out of curiosity...I mean, sure, it's as non-canonical as can be, and the graphics don't look too great, but a shoot-em-up is always good fun at the arcades, and one with some Silent Hill flavor can't be *that* bad. I'm thinking about maybe getting that Silent Hill 3 manga too, as very honestly, Silent Hill 3 really sparked something with me. I'm not exactly sure why people are so divided on its quality, but I loved that game so much....just felt to me like it was the most fun to play, with some of the most endearing characters of the series so far. The manga's gotta be great, too And who knows, there more than likely would be some extra scenes in it. Usually, those things don't copy their source material verbatim, right? Too bad it's in Japanese though >.< Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomWaltz Posted August 9, 2007 Share Posted August 9, 2007 All-- Please let me confirm to everyone here that SILENT HILL: SINNER'S REWARD is not a hoax and is slated to be released by IDW Publishing in January 2008. And, let me assure you that artist Steph Stamb and myself are both honored and excited to have this opportunity to be a part of the Silent Hill universe, and are VERY serious about making this comic into something diehard Silent Hill fans (like ourselves) will be proud to own. We can't wait for the first issue to hit store shelves in January 2008. Until then, I hope everyone keeps an open mind and spreads the word far and wide about the coming of a new Silent Hill tale. Thanks! Tom Waltz Writer: SILENT HILL: SINNER'S REWARD Oh, and here's some more preview art from the fantastic Steph Stamb -- more to come soon: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarkPoinko Posted August 9, 2007 Share Posted August 9, 2007 Very nice as always, ifirit ...Is it just me, or would anybody else here love to at least *TRY* the Silent Hill arcade game? Just out of curiosity...I mean, sure, it's as non-canonical as can be, and the graphics don't look too great, but a shoot-em-up is always good fun at the arcades, and one with some Silent Hill flavor can't be *that* bad. I'm thinking about maybe getting that Silent Hill 3 manga too, as very honestly, Silent Hill 3 really sparked something with me. I'm not exactly sure why people are so divided on its quality, but I loved that game so much....just felt to me like it was the most fun to play, with some of the most endearing characters of the series so far. The manga's gotta be great, too And who knows, there more than likely would be some extra scenes in it. Usually, those things don't copy their source material verbatim, right? Too bad it's in Japanese though >.< Erm, actually, it's a novel and not a manga. As in more words than pictures. Heck, probably no pictures at all. I would love to play the arcade game, though. Maybe if it reaches a certain level of popularity, it'll see a release on a home console as a light gun game Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nulion Posted August 10, 2007 Share Posted August 10, 2007 A novel? AH! ....Man, I should check my facts better before posting >.< About that "Silent Hill: Sinner's Reward" thing up there though....Wow. That little snippet of art there actually looks great....and very heavily reminds me of Silent Hill 3, what with the reddish-orangeish tones throughout the picture.. Not to mention, if that really is the writer of the comic right there (Sorry, in the internet it pays to be suspicious, hehehe - no offense whatsoever ), then that's quite an honor for us ..So far Tom, it looks very promising! The rest of the IDW comics though...well, they get mixed reactions, but I for one am always willing to give them more chances, especially when more people are involved to diversify them and give each comic its own distinctive touch Thank you though for the heads' up, and the picture! I'll keep my eye out on this one for certain. *prays to have gotten the facts right* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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