
There have been so many rumours flying about the place about Silent Hill Shattered Memories lately. Originally penciled in for a mid-October launch, the game got delayed, and then delayed again, all without a word of confirmation either way from publishers Konami.
The good news is that fans in the states finally have a date: 8 December 2009. The bad news is that this is only for the Wii release; if you were hoping to find the PS2 or PSP version in your Christmas stocking, you’re going to be disappointed as all Konami will confirm is that they’re ‘following shortly’ – suggesting Wii exclusivity until at least early 2010.
Worst of all, if – like me – you’re a massive Silent Hill fan cursed to live on the other side of the Atlantic, we don’t have a release on any platform scheduled yet. My pre-order on Amazon UK now lists the release date as 10 February but at this stage, that’s simply an estimate. Looks like us Europeans are forced to sit and wait it out until Konami put us out of our misery. Or, more accurately and if the game is anything as terrifying as it first appears, into it!
Source: Silenthillheaven.com

After having its coming out party at E3 2009, Project Natal will now have a compliment of developers working on software for its feature set. Microsoft touted a list of developers, including Konami, SquareEnix, Electronic Arts, Activision, MTV Games and more as having signed on to provide games for the Project Natal experience. The list of developers equals 70% of the third party developers that released games for the 360 (their numbers, not ours).
There was no word on whether these would be new franchises or existing ones, and if existing, would they only allow Project Natal control schemes. At least it is good to know that there will be something there when Project Natal does finallyhit retail shelves. Whether it will be good or not is a totally different story.

Like it or loathe it, there is no denying that Silent Hill raised the bar when it came translating games to the silver screen. And now that a second film has finally been officially confirmed, the rumour mill cranks into overdrive as speculation about the plot of the second film spreads across the community.
Davis Films, responsible (ahem) for other game-to-screen adaptations such as Resident Evil: Afterlife and Return to Castle Wolfenstein, have confirmed plans for Silent Hill 2. And whilst we know that original screenwriter Roger Avary and producer Samual Hadida are back on board for the sequel (and that Rhada Mitchell will not be involved this time around) what’s less clear is what this second film will be about. A sequel to the de Silva’s tale, a brand new story or – SHOCKGASPHORROR! – an adaptation of the second, and arguably the fan-favourite, game in the series?

GameShark have posted up a new interview with Tomm Hulett, producer of the up-and-coming and eagerly-anticipated Silent Hill Shattered Memories. After months of speculation about the game’s mysterious in-game psychological profiling, Hulett answers some questions (albeit vaguely on occasion) about this new approach to survival horror.
“You shouldn’t think of [the psych profiling] like one decision affecting something else,” Hulett says. “This isn’t about helping a young prince in the past and then inheriting his kingdom when you come of age or anything like that. The game watches everything you do, and learns what kind of person you are. Past games taught us that Silent Hill reflects the inner mind of each person – so that’s what the psych profile does. This time Silent Hill is looking back at you, rather than James Sunderland, Walter Sullivan, etc. In demos you’ve seen that hallway with a sign at one end pointing toward the exit (left) and the restrooms (right). Well Silent Hill knows which way you turn, and if you go right, which restroom you go into.”
That’s quite a claim from a game that starts with a brief questionnaire during a chat with your friendly psychiatrist. Do you role-sex during sex? Do you make friends easily? Have you ever been unfaithful? And rather have your answers dictate a static pathway through the game from very early on, instead you’ll find that the seemingly inconsequential decisions you make as a player will dramatically change the landscape of the Silent Hill you’re trapped within … from the appearance of the creatures that pursue you to the behaviour of the other characters around you.
I know. Impressive … well, on paper, in any case.
For more of the interview, and information on the release date and bonus pre-order giftage, join me after the cut.
Even though they are now few and far between, and considered by some to be a dying breed, the American arcade still exists in quiet alcoves and dimly lit buildings. This feature highlights these final holdouts and some of the electronic beasts therein.
Before the release of the Wii, five years prior to be exact, Konami unleashed a sword fighting game that used close to 1:1 motion control: Blade of Honor, or Tsurugi. As with many new or stylistic arcade games, this one was thought to have only seen a release in Japan. Well lo and behold while walking through the arcade at my local mall, there stood an intact and operational unit.
There’s a pretty nurse in salmon scrubs tucked away in that trailer. That’ll make some of the SH fanboys happy (although it probably won’t stop them complaining).
Accompanying the new trailer and screens comes the official press release:
Face your fears in Silent Hill®
Konami explores the dark side of the player’s mind by utilizing a new & innovative psychological profiling system in Silent Hill®: Shattered Memories
Konami Digital Entertainment GmbH has released more details on the elaborate psychological profiling system at the heart of its new Silent Hill: Shattered Memories for Wii, PlayStation®2 and PSP®(PlayStation®Portable).
While the new game borrows key plot and setting elements from the original PlayStation game, this re-imagining begins with a visit to a psychiatrist, who asks the player to answer a series of questions. From here on in, their every movement, reaction and response is monitored and the game tailored accordingly.
Join me after the jump to find out what else Konami has to say, as well as take a peek at the official cover art. No, it’s not as good as Dementium II’s insane artwork. I know – bummer.

The moderately bizarre iPhone game Metal Gear Solid Touch has been temporarily marked down from $8 to $3 until tomorrow. MGST turns environments from MGS4: Guns of the Patriots into a tap-to-kill shooting gallery. I had the demo and deemed it OK, so I’ll pick this up on the sale for sure. The game features 20 levels, boss fights, and 50 unlockable iPhone wallpapers.
Source: iPhone Application List.com

New screens from Konami’s highly-anticipated ‘reimaging’ of the original Silent Hill were released today. Along with a redesigned logo for Silent Hill Shattered Memories (well, the first one did suck), the new screens tell us …. well, nothing, actually. We have a bizarre family portrait and learn that Harry’s super-snarky when he has his photo ID taken … and that’s kind of it. I’m all for keeping spoilers at bay, but quite what Konami are trying to achieve by releasing these I’ve no idea. Do you?
Anyway, while I’m here and we’re on the subject, I might as well tell you about the new Silent Hill attraction – yes, you read that right – opening in California later this year. So for more details and a better look at the Shattered Memories screens, join me after the jump.

As some of you may be aware, I’m something of a Silent Hill fanatic. I know – it’s a weird thing to be fanatical about. It’s mean and moody and kinda disgusting and the storylines are often nothing short of grotesque, but there’s something about that FUBARed town that gets my pulse pumping … and it has very little to do with a certain dude and his pointy hat.
Well, good news for fellow fanatics, and those of you who may have missed out on early visits to that quiet little resort town. In what they say is a direct response to customer demand, Konami Europe are re-issuing a selection of the finest (read: most profitable) PS2 games, including the last three games of the SH franchise developed internally at Konami – Silent Hill 2, 3 and Silent Hill: The Room (SH4).
The original 1999 title Silent Hill has not been re-issued – though this is likely as a result of the much anticipated ‘reimaging’ of the original game, scheduled for a Wii and PSP release in October of this year.
“They are proper reissues,” a spokesperson said. “Konami has put them out at budget price because of demand. They are re-manufactured. They are ours. We’ve manufactured certain amounts depending on the title, and they’re being bought by wholesalers so will likely pop up in independent rather than chain stores.”
But that’s not all. Metal Gear Solid 2 and 3 are also scheduled for re-release. A full list of the re-issues – along with details on just why Konami may be doing this – follows the cut.
I can’t tell my wife that the original Metal Gear Solid is coming to the PlayStation Nework as a digital download on June 18th because she’ll start complaining about how every time you die you hear “Snake? Snake?! SNAAAAAAKE!!”. She heard it a lot when I played MGS, MGS2, MGS3, and even MGS4, although I had the book for that one.
I still remember laughing at how early on Snake, skittish at how one prisoner he was trying to rescue had dropped dead in front of him, asks another if he was feeling OK.
One open question I have is whether I can take the saved game from my PS1 disc version of the game and use it with the digital download version. I do know that you can copy the saved game used on the PS3 and PSP back and forth to keep your progress between the two systems, but I think I still might have my old MGS save on my PS3’s hard drive.
From EvilAvatar and Joystiq.