Has Yamaoka Escaped Silent Hill?
UPDATE 12/2/09: Joystiq reports that Yamaoka has indeed officially left Konami.
There’s a rumor floating around over at Kotaku that the musical genius behind the popular Silent Hill games has finally discovered a loophole in the town’s underlying “no leaving till we say so, bitch” clause. After working for Konami for sixteen years (and being series producer since the third SH game), is it possible that Akira Yamaoka is washing his hands of the foggy wasteland where nightmares and monsters frolic in siren-themed disarray?
It’s terrifying to imagine the Silent Hill games without the disturbing touch of Yamaoka’s atmosphere. With the faltering continuation of the games, sometimes all fans loyally cling to is the strong and inventive soundtracks that are released.
Would you still play Silent Hill without Yamaoka’s music? If the rumor proves true, do you think game quality or sales will suffer?
This entry was posted on Tuesday, December 1st, 2009 at 12:36 pm and is filed under Video Games. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
4 Responses to “Has Yamaoka Escaped Silent Hill?”
December 1st, 2009 at 12:47 pm
It will definitely be interesting to see what will happen if this turns out to be true. Positively, it will signify just how much of a muscle his music played in crafting the entire world of Silent Hill; negatively however, — well because it means Silent Hill has lost something extremely significant to its identity.
December 1st, 2009 at 12:51 pm
It’s probably obvious how much Yamaoka’s music plays a role in my love of Silent Hill. I agree with you, SLS—and either way, if the rumor is confirmed, some decisions will have to be made as to the future of the series and particularly its music. Here’s hoping Romersa and McGlynn don’t leave anytime soon! :O
December 1st, 2009 at 1:00 pm
Oh dear God, no. Say it ain’t so.
Yamaoka is the only thing that felt like Silent Hill in Homecoming. Like you both said, if he leaves it will definitely change the atmosphere of the games. Now that American developers are taking over the series, if he leaves, I honestly think the series will feel like something else; and definitely not for the better.
My heart is heavy today.
December 1st, 2009 at 1:06 pm
Good point, Alan. Homecoming was definitely problematic as far as reception, but it was hard to argue with the soundtrack’s authenticity. Depending on how Shattered Memories fares, Yamaoka’s departure could present a serious issue.
Kotaku promised they were following up on the rumor with Konami, so I’m keeping an eye out. Look for an update!
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