7/01/07
Dementium: The Ward
Nintendo DS gets new survival horror game

"Dementium: The Ward tells the tale of a man who awakens to find himself alone in a mysterious, derelict hospital that is frozen in time. Confronted by the deadly, grotesque surgical experiments that wander the halls, a series of challenging puzzles and a cast of peculiar characters, he must face his deepest fears, unlock the mysteries of the hospital, and escape with his life. A completely new experience on the Nintendo DS, Dementium promises to creep you out with gory visuals and bone-chilling audio that brings the world screaming to life." Source: RenegadeKid

"Playing heavily on its survival horror theme, Dementium follows a man who awakens in a desolate hospital filled with disfigured medical experiments and other ungainly figures. Players must search for answers while solving puzzles and escaping the hospice of horror in one piece. Combining action adventure and first-person shooter elements, Dementium features gory visuals in a 3D environment.

No release date has been given for Dementium: The Ward, but an M for Mature rating is all but assured."

Source: Gamespot

 

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6/2/07
Japanese Magazine Masashi Tsuboyama Interview
Electric Shock Magazine uncovers more Silent Hill 5 information

 

Masashi Tsuboyama

Silent Hill 5 is under large rumors lately because of the lack of communication between Konami and the fans. Electric Shock magazine have had the chance to speak with Masashi Tsuboyama, the cheif director, about the next Silent Hill game.

DP: Tsuboyama-san, rumours of Silent Hill 5 have been spreading but lack of official word is causing some doubt in the fanbase. Can you state if you are officially developing Silent Hill for next generation consoles?

Tsuboyama-san: Konami are yet to release an official statement regarding Silent Hill 5 which means we cannot comment on progress until we are given the OK. However I can say that we have some ideas down and perhaps something to show in the year future.

DP: Have you made any thoughts on the platform which Silent Hill will appear?

Tsuboyama-san: Like I said, we only have ideas but we have been assessing next-generation consoles such as Sony's Playstation 3. We have looked at other consoles too but they exact limitations which could delay progress. We have not decided the console yet.

DP: Would going multi-platform be an option?

Tsuboyama-san: Silent Hill 1 to 3 have all been multi platform appearing on either Playstation 3, Xbox or PC. This was when we were working at DVD level with no HD needed. Mutli-Platform will be discussed but nothing is certain yet.

DP: PS3 uses Blu-Ray technology, would you actually need this or is it just a novelty?

Blu-Ray will be a great asset to the developer in the future. 50GB of storage is a huge jump from what we had [9BG Dual Layer] at DVD level. Saying that, we have not had too much trouble fitting the games on a CD as was the case with Silent Hill for Playstation or DVD for Silent Hill's 2 to 4 but in those times we have not had HD involved and more complex environments and detailed character models which next-gen allows.

DP: Are these limitations involving the Playstation 3's cell processor which is hard to utilize?

Tsuboyama-san: The Playstation 3 is a complex piece of hardware. With that limitation once worked around can result in something wonderful. Which is why the playstation 3 is harder to develop for because its new but when we work round the idea then it can rise above the other lead consoles in processing power.

Akira Yamoaka (L) and Masashi Tsuboyama (R)

 

DP: Would console sales aid your choice?

Tsuboyama-san: Nintendo and Microsoft have a strong lead ahead Playstation 3 in the West. This im sure will pass if the price drops and when games which appeal to the wider audience arrive. A large thing I noticed for Western shores is that Playstation 3 doesn't have any soccer games! I know the popularity of soccer in the west so Konami are delighted to be making such a sought-after game.

DP: Microsoft Xbox 360 sales are low in Japan and the Playstation 3 sales are declining. While these decline PS2 sales are stable and Wii sales are quite high. Does this suggest that its not the right time for next gen?

Tsuboyama-san: The Xbox 360 is definatly a candidate. However the sales are Japan are unimpressive. It does have a large installed based in the West though which will be looked at. While Nintendo Wii sales are very high, and i applaude Nintendo for their sucess, I dont think Silent Hill is a game that would be sold on Nintendo Wii as much as a game like Zelda would worldwide. This by no means says we will not consider the idea but the general opinion is that Wii is for family games and im sure the fans don't play Silent Hill with their grandma!

DP: The consoles vary in terms of processing power, output and control, who could this effect the choice?

Tsuboyama-san: Yes and no. Like before mentioned, Playstation 3 is complicated to work with but gives a excellent result. It also offers a HDD "install" functions to cut load times like Genji: Days of the Blade uses and words very well. Nintendo Wii would be easier to make for but the control scheme would be hard to implement in a Silent Hill game.

DP: Can we expect an announcement at this years E3 in July?

Tsuboyama-san: [Laughs] Konami have a Press Conferance on Wednesday July 11th at 5:45. Im not saying Silent Hill 5 will definatly be there but you should be!

DP: Thank you for your time Tsuboyama-san.

 

Source: SilentHill5.net

 

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5/17/07
Parasite Eve 3 Hitting Cell Phones
It looks like the 3rd installment will be a cell phone title?

Kotaku reports: "For the last couple of years, Square-Enix has been going after the Japanese cell phone gaming market. And hard. Well, the company hasn't given up, and will eventually be sacrificing bringing its horror RPG series Parasite Evil to Japanese DoCoMo handsets. Good news if you live in Japan and like playing games on your phone. I guess.

Don't worry, all those Final Fantasy spin-offs, they'll still be on the DS and the PSP. And those rumored Final Fantasy VII, VIII and IX remakes will be on the PS3."

Here is what Destructoid.com had to say: "Among other news coming out of the Square Enix Party 2007, it appears that the third installment of the Parasite Eve series will be a mobile title.

Specifically, the title will be designed with NTT DoCoMo phones in mind; seeing as how they're the largest mobile phone operator in Japan, it's unclear as to whether or not the game will ever make it to other territories. I'm not a betting man, but I'm going with ... no.

This will disappoint many fans, as the Parasite Eve games (both of which were on the original PlayStation) had some pretty killer cinematic sequences. Unless Square Enix and DoCoMo know something we don't, let's assume those aren't going to translate very well to mobile phones.

If they're getting one thing right, it's keeping the game's main character, Aya, smoking hot. Right, guys? Right? Fap fap fap? Hey, don't walk away from me ... "

Well one thing is for sure, I am not over joyed by the fact that the third installment of PE will be a cell phone title and from the reader comments I have read, many people aren't too thrilled about the release either. I guess it might not matter either way since PE3 will probably only be released in Japan anyhow. - CowboyFromHell

Comment or discuss this article.

 

 

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4/29/07
New interview with Akira Yamaoka about Silent Hill 5
Full interview from Gamepro's German magazine

The interview below sheds a bit more light on the news that we reported on 4/24/07. It's not much more than what we new already, but it does offer more insight.

"Fans of the famous horror franchise Silent Hill will be happy to know that we have managed to get a short talk with Akira Yamaoka (Sound Director, PC version "Silent Hill 3" Producer) who will have a great role in the making on Silent Hil 5, we are happy to report.

GamePro: Akira, its good to have you here to dicuss. Silent Hill has a very unique fanbase caused by the obvious unique ****and settings of the games, will this be continued in Silent Hill 5?

Akira: At the moment I cannot reveal much detail on the story, or our progress, but I can tell you that this game will resemble Silent Hill 2 in the terms of the way the player is directed and the characters' behavoir.

GamePro: Despute is over the console which SH5 will appear on. Does Konami Digital Entertainment have any plans or ideas of the platform which Silent Hill 5 will be?

Akira: At this time we are still not sure. We are thinking of putting the next canon game on the next generation consoles like Playstation 3 and Xbox 360, but we have had a good past experience with Playstation [where the series was born] and we hope to continue that trend, but there are no definate plans as of yet.

GamePro: Will the gameplay aspect be a resemblance of Silent Hill: Origins or remain as far as the series is?

Akira: Everything is draft at the moment, but we might not copy the Silent Hill: Origins. That is not our intention as a different studio is inventing Silent Hill: Origins.

GamePro: You sound displeased with the new system?

Akira: I dont mind it, infact I like it and agree with the choice for the Playstation Portable System, but I dont think thats the camera angle we want on a home console. That way you don't see enough of the surroundings that really mean alot to the player in Silent Hill.

GamePro: Will you be composing the music as well as directing?

Akira: I have considered the sound directing offer, however nothing is 100% on the project, though I do hope it can be arranged.

GamePro: Thank you for joining us in this short interview Akira, we and all the fans of Silent Hill are extremly excited about the next installment."

Discuss or comment on this article.

 

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4/24/07
Silent Hill 5 Like Silent Hill 2?
"Silent Hill 5 will spell a return to Silent Hill 2's direction and character behavior...

...according to series composer and SH4 producer Akira Yamaoka.

Apparently, SH5 will be closer to SH2 "in the terms of the way the player is directed and the character's behavior." The camera style will also revert back to the traditional setup, instead of sharing the over-the-shoulder view from upcoming PSP adventure Silent Hill: Origins.

Which ought to be great news for any fans hoping for a return to the series' earlier, eerier and less run-and-bludgeon style gameplay.

Yamaoka also revealed that the latest installment in the much loved survival horror franchise will head to next-gen consoles "like PS3 and Xbox 360," during an interview with German games mag GamePro." This is according to Games Radar.

And Kotaku reports:

Speaking with German GamePro magazine, Silent Hill composer (and SH4 director) Akira Yamaoka has said the latest installment in the series will be a lot more like Silent Hill 2 than 3 or 4. Good news? No idea. I like 3 best myself, but hey, you might not.

The "characters' behaviour" and "ways the player is directed" are cited as the two biggest reasons it feels so comfy and familiar. Also mentioned, rather importantly, I guess, is that the game's in development for 360 and PS3 and will be out...sometime in the future.

Discuss or comment on this article.

 

The Advent Life - A new TBE affilate!

I have just added a new affiliate to The Bitter End's list today. The Advent Life is a site dedicated to the unlikely combination of games Resident Evil, Final Fantasy VII, and Tomb Raider. Well, that just happens to be 3 out of 4 of my favorite games (the other being Silent Hill)... so, your in like Flint. After all, this is still a Survival Horror site of sorts, and a cool one at that. Please pay The Advent Life a visit by clicking HERE!

 

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4/20/07
TBE Forum Servers Down
Repairs to the servers keep you from logging in?

I just wanted everyone to know that we are aware of the issue at the forums with logging in. We were informed that the servers are down so that certain software upgrades could be made and to, hopefully, fix some of the bug issues we have had with "new posts" markers not clearing. We are not sure when the forum will be back up, but it should be up soon.

-ControlFreak

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4/19/07
Obscure 2
Survival horror sequel brings co-op gaming to PC, PS2 and Wii

VideoGamesBlogger reports:

Dutch game publisher Playlogic has announced they’ll be releasing the survival horror game Obscure 2 from French developer Hydravision. The sequel to Obscure will be released in Q3 2007 on PC and PS2. The release for Wii is set for Q4 2007.

Obscure for PS2Obscure II (PC, PS2, Wii) takes place two years after the gruesome events of the first game. The survivors have gone on to college and try to return to their normal lives. After the discovery of a beautiful but strange plant on school campus, events take a turn for the worse. Soon, the college students have to battle for survival once again.

Players of Obscure II can choose their character and one AI controlled sidekick. In total there are six playable characters, each with their own unique abilities. These can be switched at various points in the game. Due to the game’s unique co-op feature, friends can join at any time to team up and attempt surviving Obscure II together. There are many available weapons to keep the monsters that hunt you at bay. Light might be the players’ biggest ally because you never know what’s lurking in the shadows.

Key features include:

* Adventure and action in a teen horror movie scenario.
* 6 charismatic characters with unique skills Unique co-op mode: second player can join in at any time Highly detailed and rich 3D environment Find clues and solve various riddles and mysteries Vast variety of weapons and horrifying monsters Stunning soundtrack performed by the Boston Symphonic.
* Orchestra and the Paris Opera Children’s Choir.

 

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4/15/07
Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles Hands-on
If Capcom made House of the Dead, this would be it.

by Matt Casamassina

April 13, 2007 - Capcom producer Masachika Kawata wants to make something clear as he takes the stage at the company's Gamers Day 2007 press conference in San Francisco. He's speaking about the studio's new Wii project, Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles. "It's a brand new, all original title that has been developed from the ground-up," he says. "It's a title that isn't a port of any way, shape or kind." That much is true. The project features a storyline that finally exposes what happened to the devious Umbrella Corporation. But Chronicles won't be entirely new to those who've played through the survival horror franchise's many offerings because it takes you back into the mansion, on board the train, and into the police station before you finally get to Umbrella's stronghold. And did we mention that this is an on-rails shooter?

"[The game] has been developed focusing on the point, shoot and aim feature of the Resident Evil franchise and we're trying to deepen that part of the experience," explains Kawata. He's not kidding. To play Umbrella Chronicles, all you really need is the Wii remote because the action is pre-set and auto-choreographed for you. At the most basic level, you point the Wii remote at the television screen and blast zombies as the first-person view camera takes you through the eerie locales. So if you thought you were getting a true sequel to Resident Evil 4 when you signed up for this effort, think again.

Welcome home...
The genre is hardly unexplored. SEGA has House of the Dead and Capcom itself has Resident Evil: Dead Aim, but these are light gun games and Umbrella Chronicles is not. It survives by the Wii remote and you will survive only if you learn how to wield it to point and kill with speed and accuracy. The gameplay mechanics may be reduced or simplified compared to the Resident Evil norm -- we won't argue that they're not -- and yet having played the title's first mission, there's no denying that the end experience is still a fun one. It looks good, too.

Kawata is promising that the title will run between 15 and 20 hours long and while many of the environments will look familiar -- you'll play through portions of Resident Evil 0, 1, 2 and 3 -- this will be the first time most of them have been realized in true 3D. Remember, for as pretty as the remake of the first survival horror entry was on GameCube, those backgrounds were pre-rendered, not true polygonal 3D. Unfortunately, we only got to see one of the locales and it was the famous mansion from the first game. Comment or discuss article here.

Read the full article here.

 

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4/13/07
Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles
Teaser Trailer

 
Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles
Teaser Trailer

Comment or discuss article here.

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4/7/07
Resident Evil 4 Wii Edition
Latest edition of Famitsu spills the undead beans.

After rumours that a Wii version of Resident Evil 4 was appearing on the release schedules of Japanese retailers, the latest

This screenshot shows how by wagging the Wii remote, you can shake off enemies. In the PS2 version the same action was achieved by moving the analog stick back and forth.

issue of Famitsu has confirmed the tittle-tattle and gives a few details about the Wii installment.

Imaginatively titled Bio Hazard 4: Wii Edition, this updated version features new Wiimote-specific controls. These include using the remote to aim weapons, moving the control to reload and using a knife by waggling the controller.

According to Famitsu it also features Ada's missions from Resi 4 on PS2 and comes with a trailer for the upcoming Umbrella Chronicles, which is also on Wii.

A Capcom representative was unavailable for comment at the time of writing.

Article Source: IGN

 

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3/14/07
Resident Evil Outbreak
Online Severs will be Shut Down by Capcom

This is what Capcom had to say:

"Resident Evil Outbreak 2 server (U.S.) to close: Capcom regretfully announces that the server for our Playstation 2 online game Resident Evil Outbreak: File#2 will be closing at the end of March 2007. Since Resident Evil Outbreak File#2 was released in August 2005, Capcom has provided a server enabling consumers to experience the online element of this game free of charge.

Regretfully, conditions now dictate that we must close down this server effective from March 31, 2007. Naturally, it will still be possible to play the game offline, but the online component will no longer be available. We would like to take this opportunity to thank all of those who have been loyal members of the RE Outbreak community for the past months."

So if you are planning to play Resident Evil Outbreak, play it before March 31, 2007. After that, the servers will be rusting in peace. I wonder what will happen three – four years later, when Gears of War or even Counter-Strike will be old and their servers will be shut. No I don’t think so! Comment or discuss article here.

Source: Gameguru

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3/10/07
The Darkness
Not exactly survival horror, but cool looking nonetheless

Gamespy writes: "On the eve of his 21st birthday, fearless mafia hitman Jackie Estacado is suddenly possessed by the terrifying and spectacular powers of The Darkness. Though his supernatural entity lets him wreak terrible havoc on his enemies, the Darkness also has a strong will of its own and now Jackie must learn how to control it. Gameplay features include a seamless and unique blend of modern crime drama and supernatural horror with both first and third person non-linear progression, ad well as highly destructible environments that enable players to stalk the gritty New York slums, harbors, subway tunnels and rooftops, then defeat the terrifying creatures of The Otherworld-a parallel reality where the Darkness dwells."

Article source: Gamespy
Official Flash site

 

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2/18/07
"Gun shooting game" Silent Hill The Arcade revealed in Japan
by: Andy Robinson at Games Radar

 

 

Konami has revealed the next installment in the much-loved Silent Hill survival horror series... and it's heading for the arcade.

Silent Hill: The Arcade, as it's called, is apparently a "gun shooting game" (Silent Hill: Gun Survivor?) with a black and moody arcade cabinet that in all likelihood will never see the light of day in the west. Graphically it's not looking too impressive either, which at least suggests that the core Silent Hill team is bustling away on a new console installment.

There's not many more details other than that at the moment, but as always, we'll put up the first official screens when they reach our side of the internet.

 

Click here to view screenshots and other photos.

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2/12/07
Saving Ourselves: Psychoanalytic Investigation of Resident Evil and Silent Hill;
Was 2006 the worst year in gaming for Survival Horror?

We start with a link I found to an article at Chris' Survival Horror Quest entitled, "Saving Ourselves: Psychoanalytic Investigation of Resident Evil and Silent Hill". To make a long story short, that is exactly what the article does, it breaks down the reasoning of fear and the connection between killing, surviving, and symbolic order. Just read the darned thing, it's awsome and it gives some insight to how the human mind works.

Our next article comes from Chris himself at Chris' Survival Horror Quest and is titled "2006 Was A Bad Year". Here Chris discusses the alarmingly dull year that 2006 provided in the way of Survival Horror gaming and how the future might not pose to be much brighter. He breaks down past and current sales for an in-depth look at the genre and what is to come of it. Pay Chris' site a visit by clicking HERE, it is one of the greatest and most comprehensive sites online today. You won't find a better site for the Survival Horror genre.

 

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2/2/07
Thessaly Lerner's Q&A with The Bitter End
Thessaly, the voice of Lisa Garland, grant's us an interview

Ok, so I have been asked in the past about interviewing some of the talented voices behind some the cultier (is that a word?) games such as Silent Hill, Resident Evil, etc... . So the first character that comes to mind is Lisa Garland. Why Lisa? From the first time I played Silent Hill, way back in 1999, I was moved by the character. I felt sorry for Lisa, I wanted to help Lisa. I couldn't help but to think that she had been mistakenly mixed up in all of this madness and somehow didn't deserve the same fate that may have been fitting to the other characters. Thessaly's voice provided that emotion and feeling behind Lisa's pain and brought her to life, giving us a dose of realism and connectivity to the character. Thank you so much for taking the time to answer these questions for the fans Thessaly!

Read the interview here

 

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1/29/07
Silent Hill Origins Trailer
Trailer from the Tokyo Game Show 2006

Click here to view trailer.
Well, there you have it. That's the official trailer for Silent Hill Origins as shown at the 2006 TGS (Tokyo Game Show). Here is a brief synopsis for those of you not already familiar with SH Origins. Origins tells the story of a trucker who finds himself alone in the terrifying town we know as Silent Hill. He has gone to make routine deliveries when, all of a sudden, the town changes. From what I know, at this time, new gameplay elements have been added, such as a barricade system, that lets players block off rooms from enemies, and an enhanced camera system that creates an added sense of creep out factor and isolation. It seems our main character also has laser-sighted equipped firearms, just like our dear old friend Leon S. Kennedy in Resident Evil 4.

Speaking of Leon S. Kennedy...

1/29/07
Resident Evil 3.5
Beta Footage from Resident Evil 3.5

Click here to view trailer
Have you ever wondered what Resident Evil 4 may have been like if it were more in the vain of a true survival horror game? Here is some footage of an early version of RE4. It definately shares many elements of such games as Fatal Frame and Silent Hill. The little dolls are freaky, no doubt. As a die-hard survival horror fan, I would much rather have played the beta version shown in this footage than the version that I play on the PS2 today. Some of you may scream at me for that, but I just felt that RE4 was much more of an action shooter than anything. But the 3.5 Beta footage actually makes me sad that RE4 didn't turn out the way it started out. Well, that's the way it goes. I don't make the games, I just play them and report what I think. Enjoy!

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1/28/07
Silent Hill 5 to use broad daylight as scare tactic?
PS3 Fanboy reports:

Posted Dec 26th 2006 12:45PM by Nick Doerr

"Not sure how well this one will pan out, but let's go ahead and give Konami the benefit of the doubt. We've talked before about how Silent Hill 5 is going to return to the psychological fear produced by the second game in the series, but this whole "unique idea for fear in daylight" is a bit tough to picture. Who worries about monsters under the bed when the lights are on? As far as any other production news, the soundtrack is going to be the same creepy minimalist stuff with lots of white noise... and machine noise. Noise, creepy noise.

Well, what do you guys think? Is Silent Hill 5 going to break new grounds, as far as the placement of fear goes? Or will they end up making one of those "it's a horror movie but everyone's laughing" games? It is hard to imagine a true "horror" game where there isn't an aggravatingly thick fog or a flashlight... or night. It's not impossible, though. We'll just wait and see what comes of this game, but we at least know it'll probably come to the PS3 and possibly the 360.

Oh, and just so you know, the symbolism in this mannequin from Silent Hill 2 is part of the psychological aspect I, personally, would love to see again. The twin-legged mannequin represents the main character's lust -- he doesn't see anyone's face, just... well, you get the idea. Where did I read that analysis? Whatever. It was awesome."

 

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1/26/07
Forum Update!!!
An update on what has been wrong with the TBE Forums.

I know that many of you have had problems at the forum for the last few days. These problems include slow pages, the inability to send your reply before the page times out, every page timing out, or simply not being able to log on at all. CFH and I just wanted to assure you that we are still here and that the problem is being resolved.

Our host IT people, however, are working hard to resolve this issue and are confident that everything will be back to normal within the next few hours to maybe the next day. If anyone has any questions, then feel free to contact us.

Thank you,
ControlFreak

 

1/26/07
Change of address for THE BITTER END
Yeah, that's right, a new url for the TBE crew!

For those of you interested, we have changed addresses. We are still with the same host, but we have just purchased new domains for both this site and our forums. You can still get here from the old address but you will need to update your bookmarks for the forums. TBE Forums new address is http://survivalhorrorforum.com if you need redirection. You might also take note that our contact information has changed as well. Our old email service had really turned into a spam machine and it was becoming increasingly difficult for me to manage all of everyone's emails and deal with the spam. Basically, I hate sifting through mail. Anyway, as usual, if you want to see something here that isn't, or if you just feel like B.S.'ing a little, then feel free to email me.

Thank you,
CowboyFromHell

 

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1/20/07
Yet another claim for a Silent Hill 5 Trailer
Alone in the Dark 5 Gamplay Trailer

Silent Hill 5 Trailer?
Most likely not, but what the hell, their isn't alot else to post about the game. Click HERE to view the trailer.

Alone in the Dark 5: For those of you waiting for a glimpse of some actual gamplay footage for Alone in the Dark 5, wait no longer. AITD5 looks as if it is shaping up to be a really solid game. Graphically it what we can expect from the Xbox360 and the PS3, but it appears to be a bit more in the action realm as far as gameplay is concerned. Check out the trailer by clicking here.

 

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1/12/07
Cool New Trailers!
Silent Hill Origins Gameplay & Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles

Click here for a sneak peak at the gameplay for Silent Hill Origins coming soon on the PSP.

 

Click here for a sneak peak at Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles being released on the Wii.

 

 

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1/06/07
Silent Hill 2 movie confirmed
French director Christophe Gans tells magazine DVDrama that the movie is "well underway," though there's confusion over Neil Gaiman's possible contribution.

There are a slew of film adaptations of video games in production right now, Hitman, Alice, and Postal, for example. Now, according to director Christophe Gans, Silent Hill 2 can be added to that list.

Gans, the Antibes-born director of the first Silent Hill movie, has revealed that a second SH film is on the way and that it will correct the mistakes of the first.

The original Silent Hill, released on April 21, 2006, told the story of Rose Da Silva, a mother who sets out to find a town called Silent Hill, which her daughter Sharon calls to in her sleep.

Gans confirmed in an interview with French magazine DVDrama that "there will indeed be a Silent Hill 2 and it is officially ordered and is already well underway." Once he has finished his adaptation of Driver, Roger Avary will be [working on the script], helped by his friend Neil Gaiman."

Roger Avary is a Canadian-born director, producer, and writer. He has previously worked on the screenplays for the first Silent Hill and Killing Zoe and won an Oscar for his work on Pulp Fiction.

British author Neil Gaiman is most famous for his series of Sandman graphic novels and has also worked on screenplays for the TV series of his novel Neverwhere, as well as Mirrormask and Princess Mononoke.

However, Gaiman's actual contribution is now under some doubt, after a post on his own blog stated, "Yesterday I discovered pretty much all of my FAQ messages were people asking whether I was really going to be writing the Silent Hill sequel with Roger Avary. I'm afraid that I don't think I am--I mean, it's the first thing I've ever heard of it, and I'm sure that if they make a sequel Roger would want to write it himself."

Gans' original statement has since been retranslated, so until there is clarification from Gans or Gaiman, some mystery still shrouds the title's development.

Gans added that he may not have time to take on the project himself, due to his commitments on the adaptation of another video game project, Onimusha.

When asked who he would like to see direct if he were unable to, Gans told DVDrama that, "If I cannot take on Silent Hill 2 myself, the director who does would need to continue in the same style as the first film. One does not want to make a Hollywood-style movie, and I think that it makes sense if the director of the sequel is European--in the best case scenario, French."

He also revealed that he was planning a special two-disc collector's-edition DVD of the original Silent Hill, but that would be a long time coming, possibly not for two and a half to three years, and that he intends to start work on it only after finishing up Onimusha.

Source: Gamespot

 

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1/05/07
PS3 goes PC
Yellow Dog finally gets into bed with PS3.

Soon you'll be able to grab a PS3 with Linux off the shelf...
Turn your PS3 into a fully fledged PC with Terra Soft’s Yellow Dog Linux, which you can now order pre-installed on this year’s must-have toy.

Not only will this save you the hassle of searching out a free download or ordering installation DVDs of unofficial software, it’ll fully arm you with the excuse that the PS3 can deal with emails and word processing from the get go.

So no more scrabbling around for another reason to convince your girlfriend that laying out on a PS3 isn’t going to destroy your relationship.

Not that that’ll concern you once you’ve got your mits on Armoured Core 4.

Slap down a deposit and your PS3 will come decked out with the software. What’s more, it won’t damage your bank balance any more than picking up a regular PS3 once they land on these shores in spring.

Source: T3

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01/04/07
Happy New Year's
Ok, so it's sort of a new layout.

So, I have pulled the site for a few weeks in order to get a new layout finished for THE BITTER END that would be a little easier to edit in a pinch and I wanted it to be a bit more sparse yet informative. Well all of that went to hell in a handbasket as soon as I started my new job. I had great visions for how I wanted this and that to look and all of that was dashed when I took on a design job and now I have more web and graphic work than I could ever keep up with. I am sorry to dissapoint but this is what you get. A site "best viewed in 1024 x 768", which is not alltogether a bad thing, and a slightly differerent layout that was mostly the result of me creating a new stylesheet. Well, it ain't what I thought it would be, but then again, I don't really see quitting my new job just so I can get my little "hobby horror site" looking just right.

As always, there will still be plenty of news and information for you to rifle through. And if you are wanting to see somthing here that isn't already, then please feel free to contact me by email in the About Us link in the navigation column and I will see what I can do for you. If you haven't visited or joined the Forum already, then please do so. I think that you will find that we are quite possibly the nicest, helpful, and most fun horror forum on the web today. No room here for loud, self-righteous, know-it-all, bully gamers. So if you want a cool, laid-back place to hang out, then join today! Well, basically that's about it. Sorry for the let down, but life has called and I only have so many hours a day to do my thing here (not to mention I still play full time with a band), and I wish I had time to do more but I don't. Please forgive. The rest of the site will be finished shortly.

-CowboyFromHell

Here is something to read whilst we wait for more news...

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1/04/07
Japanese Magazine Famitsu interview Akira Yamaoka on Silent Hill 5
Akira Yamaoka was recently interviewed by Japanese Magazine Famitsu.
Rough Translation:

FM: Hello Akira Yamaoka and thank you for reporting to us on Silent Hill series. Our number one question is that on Silent Hill 5. How far has the production come along as it was announced a few years ago.

Akira: I cannot say much about the development of the game but i can say we are working on a new unique idea of fear in daylight and the game will play like Silent Hill 2's psychological roots.

FM: As the famous silent hill composer, will you be doing the music for Silent Hill 5?

Akira: I will be composing the music which has started being made now, but i am a far from finished. I cannot say anything about the music or the type im making but i can say that fans of the previous soundtracks should be pleased with its outcome.

FM: Alot of speculation has been made about the platform the game will play on, which can we expect?

Akira: We cannot say yet but we are hoping to carry on the plans of the earlier silent hill platforms.

FM: You earlier mentioned the concept of "scary daytime" can you expand on that?

Akira: Its a hard idea to explain, but you really have to look at the scene to understand. In a way like the Resident Evil 5 trailer where it was not the middle of the night and the vision was clear but the fear was still there. It will not be the same but that is an explanation of the idea of having fear in daylight. It is a concept that we are working on at the moment still.

FM: We have missed the Tokyo Game show chance to see silent hill 5 trailer, will we see any new informations on it next?

Akira: I cannot say when or where we will make the idea public but it is in production.

FM: Silent Hill for Playstation portable is on the schedule for opening in Q1 2007 has team silent been taking up time working on the portable project which is why we do not see silent hill 5 in the public?

Akira: Team Silent are working on the Japan project and are not involved in Silent Hill: Origins. I have composed the 15 musical, 4 vocal tracks for the game which is now completed.

FM: Thank you for this interview Akira Yamaoka, we cannot wait to speak again.

 

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11/24/06
Rule of Rose Plucked From UK Shelves
505 Games pulls the plug on its troublesome survival horror title.

UK, November 24, 2006 - Publisher 505 Games has announced that its controversial survival horror title Rule of Rose - originally set for release today - will no longer be distributed in the UK. In an official statement, the company revealed that,"Following discussions with our retail and publishing partners, 505 Games has taken the decision not to publish Rule of Rose in the UK at this time".

505's decision follows a recent call for the game's ban in Italy by Walter Veltroni, mayor of Rome, and comments from Justice Commissioner Franco Frattini demanding a crack down on videogame material, claiming Rule of Rose had "shocked" him for its "obsence cruelty and brutality", resulting in unfavourable - and largely misleading - coverage in the UK mainstream press last Friday. The Times, for example, ran the front page headline "Violent children's game investigated by Europe", while inside splashing "Torturing this child is a game too far, says appalled EU boss" across the page. Elsewhere in the article, The Times referenced Rule of Rose's "alleged overtones of lesbianism and sadomasochism".

Despite 505 Games' swift response, noting that "Rule of Rose is a horror genre videogame, similar to a number of other videogames and movies on the market today, but does not in anyway incite minors to commit violent acts and does not promote acts of violence towards minors", it seems the controversy eventually proved too much for the publisher. However, Rule of Rose is still set for release elsewhere in Europe from today.

Read MORE at IGN

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11/18/06
Silent Hill 5 related image?

 

Well, with the release of the PS3 bringing further anticipation to anything SH5 related, we are starting to see an influx of "possible" images from the game. Most turn out to be some fan made pics or FMV's (which I have fallen for a couple of times), and some simply have no explanation or proof as to the validity. I guess this one falls into that catagory as well. If you click the image below and view the enlarged version of the pic, you will read some interesting and slightly disturbing text. Whether or not the image is an actual promo release from Konami or just a fan made image, the anticipation is still just as exciting. -CowboyFromHell

Credit for this image goes to Cybil (I don't know her real name) from Silent Hill: The Alluring Nightmare (click for link). The link for the original article can be found by clicking HERE. You should all check out this site, it is a cool Silent Hill fansite. Here is the original text that accompanied the photo:

"This cryptic and disturbing image was provided anonymously from a fan, claiming that his friend in the video game industry received t his teaser as a promotional package from Konami earlier this year. This is so far the only image I have seen related to Silent Hill 5 and although I cannot confirm nor deny its validity, I'm intrigued, just the same."

Silent Hill: Origins Delay rumours FAKE

According to Silenthill5.net/ the rumours surrounding the delay in the completion and release of Silent Hill: Origins is nothing more than rumour. The original message on his main page read as follows:

"Forum member Leonstars resently email Climax member Steve Merrett, after a couple of tries he got through and asked him some questions about the development issues. Steves responce made it clear that the rumours are nothing but rumours. :p

Leonstar's email:

"Yes i was wanting to know if the psp game silent hill origins having troubles
like is the game still coming out
and is it going to be a pretty big game
i have read on the internet that is was having troubles
and i was wondering if it is just a rumor or not
i am a big fan
and a big fan of silent hill
Thanks"

Steve Merrett's reply:

from: "Steve Merrett"
RE: Trouble Silent Hill Origins
Date: Fri, 3 Nov 2006 09:58

Hi,

There are loads of rumours out there, but that is all they are – unsubstantiated gossip. Silent Hill Origins is still on track for the early 2007 release it always was.

Steve Merrett"

I might be sucking at updates lately...

Sorry about the lack of updates lately. The reason for this would be that I have started a new job and with a full-time job, a family, and a touring band to juggle, I have very little time to be here anymore. Fortunately, I haven't missed alot, simply because there hasn't been alot going on in the world of horror gaming other than all of us awaiting the release of the next installments from the BIG 3.

Anyway, check back in a few day because I will be covering a story from a site called Silent Hill: The Alluring Nightmare concerning the real Lakeside Amusement Park. Rumour has it that this was the inspriation for the Lake Side Amusement Park featured in the Silent Hill video game series. It seems that the real Lakeside had it share of the unexplained, violence, death, and the claim of hauntings. There is even talk of cover up over a supposed suicide in the park. I am not covering this piece for the sake of entertainment but out of the realization that the Silent Hill series seems to be realted to so many things that are all to real and in that reality comes the horror. -CowboyFromHell

 

10/25/06
Rumor: Climax Hobbles Silent Hill Origins