silent-hill posts

In 2008, Konami released Silent Hill: Homecoming for the PC as a Steam exclusive digital download. Now comes word that the next game in the popular survival horror game series is being targeted for the PC as well. 1Up.com reports that Konami is teasing us with word that the next game in the Silent Hill series (which doesn't have an official title yet) will be fully revealed at E3 in June.

The article claims that the game is being developed by Vatra Games, a studio formed last year by former members of 2K Czeck (the Mafia series). A PDF document from Digital Development Management states that Vatra is indeed working on a "major franchise" for a "top tier publisher" for the PC and other platforms that will be released in the first quarter of 2011, which makes it likely that the new Silent Hill game could be on its way to the PC as well.

The writer of 2006's Silent Hill movie adaptation will be spending the next year behind bars. Variety reports that Academy Award-winning screenwriter Roger Avary was sentenced to a one year jail term today for a 2008 car crash in California that took the life of a passenger in his car while Avary was driving in 2008.

Avary pleaded guilty last month for gross vehicular manslaughter and drunken driving in the incident. In addition to his year in jail he will have a five year probation period. Just before the car crash Avary was set to both write and direct a movie version of id Software's Wolfenstein. He's also attached to write a sequel to the Silent Hill movie.

It looks like we could be getting a sequel to the 2006 movie adaptation of Konami's Silent Hill game franchise. The Hollywood Reporter has word that Davis Films plans to start filming the sequel to the movie sometime in 2010. Scriptwriter Roger Avary and producer Samuel Hadida will return to their roles for the sequel but there's no word if the movie's original director Christophe Gans will return.

The original movie got mixed reactions from critics but did solid business in both theaters and later on DVD. Avary was also supposed to both write and direct a movie based on id Software's Wolfenstein franchise but there's been no movement on that project since it was announced in 2007. Avary has also been dealing with the repercussions of driving a car that was involved in a crash in 2008 that killed a passenger. Last month Avary pleaded guilty to vehicular manslaughter and drunken driving and is scheduled to be sentenced later this month.

The last truly frightening movie I ever saw was The Blair Witch Project. Regardless of your particular feelings about that film, it scared the living hell out of me far out of proportion to what I'd been expecting when I went in to see it. Bear in mind that I hadn't seen any trailers promoting it, hadn't been exposed to any of the viral Internet marketing associated with its release, and none of my friends had seen it yet. I was going into it completely cold, the week it opened, expecting nothing more than a Friday the 13th Part 4-level jump-at-you scarefest.

I walked out of the theater numb, and was unable to go near a dark wooded area for weeks afterward. Certain sounds from the movie kept replaying themselves in my head, and even watching television shows or commercials that featured shaky hand-held video evoked that perfect dread. Needless to say, it was one of the most effective horror experiences I've ever had.

I have yet to see a video game affect me the same way.

If you have been waiting for Konami to fullfill its promise earlier this year to release Silent Hill: Homecoming on the PC, your wait is finally over. The latest game in their survival-horror series is now available to purchase and download via Valve's Steam service.

Konami announced last August that there would be a PC port of the game but that it was going to take a risk and sell the title only via Valve's Steam service. There are no plans at this point for a retail release of the PC version. Originally announced as coming out alongside the console versions, the PC port got delayed until after the console ports were released in late September. On the plus side, people who purchase Silent Hill: Homecoming via Steam will get 10 percent off its normal $49.99 price until Nov. 10.

Konami gave some gamers a bit of a surprise earlier this year when it announced that its survival horror title Silent Hill Homecoming would appear on the PC but would be distributed only as a downloadable title via Valve's Steam service. Originally the plan was for the PC port to be made available at the same time as the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions ship to stores.

However both the console versions have now shipped to stores. So where is the PC/Steam version? According to a post on the Steam message board, Valve's Mike Dunkle has stated, "Silent Hill Homecoming for PC will not become available until later this month. Please stay tuned for more information." There's no other word on why this delay has happened,

[Via Blue's News]

Konami rarely releases PC games but for their upcoming survival horror game Silent Hill: Homecoming they are making a big exception, announcing today that a PC version will be released at the same time as the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions. All three versions are scheduled for release at the same time this September (the European versions are due out this November).

Silent Hill: Homecoming is the latest game in the long running survival horror series as your player character heads back to his hometown of Shepherd's Glen to try to find his missing brother. Naturally you will have to encounter some of the oddest and most frightening creatures ever made for a survival horror series. The PC version will be made available via digital download on Valve's Steam service. There's no word if Konami will release the game to retail stores yet.

During a live demo of the PS3 and Xbox 360 title Silent Hill: Homecoming (the fifth game in the Silent Hill series), the game's developers revealed that a PC port is planned, although no time frame was specified. We doubt it will be day and date, but this is still good news. Lots of PC gamers have enjoyed the past three games in the series, although the original PlayStation title never saw a Windows release.

Just in case you're not familiar with Silent Hill: it's a Japanese-developed survival horror game. It's not much like the Resident Evil games, though; the characters you play in Silent Hill are not trained professionals. They're regular Joes or Janes who are faced with vastly superior and horrific monsters, as well as psychological trauma. The series is known for its deep storyline, multiple endings, and apallingly disturbing monster design.

The sequel to Monolith Productions' F.E.A.R. has gotten the trailer treatment, just in time for E3, giving fans a nasty shiver with the return of Alma, a young girl with immense psychic abilities.

Fans of the franchise can expect just as much of a horrorfest as the original, if this trailer is anything to judge by. Clearly inspired by "The Ring" and possibly Silent Hill, there are lots of shots of body horror images -- pale, decaying humanoids, raw and pulsing organic orifices -- and static-filled jump cuts combine to create a lasting sense of dread and foreboding. Good thing you have guns, huh?

[Thanks, Jason!]

Have you ever wanted an in-depth look at the people creating one of this year's biggest titles, Fallout 3? Well if you have then you're sure to be pleased with the IGN Bethesda Blog's verbal exchange with Liz Beetem, character artist at Bethesda Softworks. Liz actually has quite an interesting story about her journey into the videogame industry and the luckiness of Fallout 3 being the first game she's worked on.

We always love the opportunity to learn more about the people working on games we'll end up pouring hours of our lives into. For instance, we're very happy to hear Liz's favorite game is Silent Hill 2 with Shadow of the Colossus coming in at a still-important second. Now we can rest easy knowing that someone who appreciates symbolism in videogames as much as we do is working on Fallout 3.