[subversus]

Kuju is currently assessing the viability of its Czech studio Vatra after rumours emerged that the business is to be closed down. Last month Dominic Wheatley joined Kuju as CEO, alongside Gary Bracey as commercial director. "The new management team at Kuju have been conducting a strategic review of all aspects of the business, as part of this process the on-going business activities of the Vatra studio are currently under review, however, at this stage no decisions have yet been made," said the company in a statement.

another one bites the dust

[Opus Angelorum]

When it rains, it pours.

[ilnadmy]

I never played Downpour after the mess that was Homecoming (lack of inverted aiming FTL), but I heard it was alright. Sad to see this happen.

[dan2026]

Sad news as always, but Downpour wasn't a very good game in the end.

I think it is long past time to put the Silent Hill world to rest.

[Nemesis_]

Seems every team who works on a Silent Hill game gets dissolved.

:(

[Risk Breaker]

Fuck that.

[Takao]

Seems every team who works on a Silent Hill game gets dissolved. :(

Climax is still alive.

[dark10x]

Sad news as always, but Downpour wasn't a very good game in the end. I think it is long past time to put the Silent Hill world to rest.

It had the makings of a pretty good game, though, but it was let down by a number of issues (including atmosphere sapping framerate drops and hitches).

[dan2026]

It had the makings of a pretty good game, though, but it was let down by a number of issues (including atmosphere sapping framerate drops and hitches).

Yeah if the game had actually been technically sound, it would have been a good start.

Its just incredible that the franchise has been dead in the water since 2+3. (My opinion of course)
Personally I think the writers just aren't doing enough drugs to write a truly messed up Silent Hill story.

[Stumpokapow]

Someone make an actual case for why more Silent Hill games should be made.

Konami clearly hasn't been happy with any since #3 (as evidenced by developer hopping to the extreme and clearly listless development processes or priorities with multiple reboots). They clearly don't make money. I don't really feel like the brand name is adding anything--there's no evidence a new horror IP being launched with many similarities to SH would actually be at a disadvantage versus having the established IP behind it.

[Combichristoffersen]

And there went all chances of a patch for Downpour.

Sad, I liked what I played of Downpour. Vastly much better than the useless shitstain that was Homecoming.

[BlazingDarkness]

I got the ps3 version last week

The framerate is so bad, it slows to a complete stop at times. The game will actually pause completely, as far as I'm concerned it's not a finished game, at all.

It may be one of the only games I won't play because of technical reasons, the other being Enslaved, also for the ps3, also with crippling framerate issues.

[ironcreed]

Other than some framerate freezing and stuttering, I think Downpour is actually a pretty damn good game. It requires you to think and figure things out on your own in more of an old school sense. You come to appreciate that in a time where survival horror has become a genre that is severely lacking.

[plagiarize]

And there went all chances of a patch for Downpour. Sad, I liked what I played of Downpour. Vastly much better than the useless shitstain that was Homecoming.

yeah. guess it's time to go back to it and just deal with the technical problems. i was enjoying it, but i was hoping for some fixes before carrying on.

[Ridley327]

I can't say I'm surprised, but it sucks since they're the first team to have a solid vision for the series since Team Silent.

Perhaps scarier than any of the games, we now face the looming reality that the Vita game may very well be the last Silent Hill title ever released.

[Fury451]

Sad news. Vatra delivered a decent experience, and it seems they could have done so much more, but I suspect there were massive budget cuts from Konami, and next to no marketing or QA testing. Really, Konami sank their own franchise here. I really got the impression Vatra cared a lot about Silent Hill, and tried their best with what they had to give a faithful experience.


To answer a prior challenge: Silent Hill has somewhat limitless potential, if they would just fully adapt it to each character. Essentially, the town could keep changing with every new "subject" that enters it, catering to their psychological state. With Murphy in Downpour being a prisoner....there could have been so many amazing and horrifying things done there, but the enemies were lame, and the concept wasnt't fully embraced. Same with Alex being a 'soldier'. Shattered Memories tried something new with the concept, and I loved it, while others seemed to hate it for those very ambitions. I think its a combination of devs lacking imagination, and lacking resources and support to do it properly, plus a stubborn fanbase that will compare every game that comes out to Silent Hill 2 (or 3, depending). Silent Hill Downpour did take a stab at being true to its roots again, and succeeded in some ways, and failed in others, but at least it tried to be scary and uncomfortable, rather than straight up action.

Sad to see the developer get pushed under the bus for this. Really, after the abomination that was the HD Collection, it seems like Vatra are taking the fall for Downpour from the real problem with the series now- the people that own the IP.

EDIT: Oh, and the Hansel and Gretel sequence in Downpour was chilling. They nailed everything perfectly with that puzzle.

[Typographenia]

Sorry to hear that. Downpour wasn't my favorite, but I rather enjoyed a lot of what it was doing.

Someone make an actual case for why more Silent Hill games should be made.

Because I like them. : (

I actually believe the SH world allows for a much broader range of storytelling, gameplay opportunities, and visual variety than any other current franchise. It's unfortunate that both fans and devs are so set in what a silent hill game "should" be. We've had glimpses of the ability to successfully deviate from the norm since 2, but I wouldn't mind at all if things were pushed further in more directions. I am both excited and apprehensive about Book of Memories, as it is changing things up more than ever before, but it is trying to do it while still wearing the skin of the older games. I'd rather they remove themselves more from established iconography if they wanted to make something truly unique in the library, but I digress.

It is perhaps too naive or optimistic to anticipate a series that can truly be flexible to the degree I perceive SH being capable of while still retaining enough at its core to validate wearing the name of the franchise. However, I think SH is in a better position than most any other property to take that chance and make it work. Fans are tired of hoping for someone to recreate an old experience (unnecessarily, in my opinion), devs are banging their heads against a wall trying to straddle what everyone liked the most out of each game, and Konami keeps tossing the series at new studios like a game of horseshoe. I guess I'll just have to leave my fingers crossed for a while longer.


edit: I'm almost hoping for a "Quicksilver Highway" type of SH game at some point. I think a small collection of stories with a more tightly focused experience could be a really great approach.

[RedSwirl]

I want to eventually buy Downpour. Rented it and although it might not be a good horror game, it's the closest thing to that style of Dark Japanese Adventure game that I've ever seen on an HD console. It nails the feeling much better than any of the recent crop of action horror games.

[soultron]

Someone make an actual case for why more Silent Hill games should be made. Konami clearly hasn't been happy with any since #3 (as evidenced by developer hopping to the extreme and clearly listless development processes or priorities with multiple reboots). They clearly don't make money. I don't really feel like the brand name is adding anything--there's no evidence a new horror IP being launched with many similarities to SH would actually be at a disadvantage versus having the established IP behind it.

Everyone wants to sshootbang.

[Combichristoffersen]

I can't say I'm surprised, but it sucks since they're the first team to have a solid vision for the series since Team Silent. Perhaps scarier than any of the games, we now face the looming reality that the Vita game may very well be the last Silent Hill title ever released.

If that would be the case, the series wouldn't even go out with a whimper, it would go out with the sounds associated with having liquid diarrhea.

[subversus]

Konami sucks

[TheChocolateWar]

Someone make an actual case for why more Silent Hill games should be made. Konami clearly hasn't been happy with any since #3 (as evidenced by developer hopping to the extreme and clearly listless development processes or priorities with multiple reboots). They clearly don't make money. I don't really feel like the brand name is adding anything--there's no evidence a new horror IP being launched with many similarities to SH would actually be at a disadvantage versus having the established IP behind it.

There isn't much of one beyond rabid support by a niche audience. Granted, if a company were able to expedite the development process and minimize costs to garner a decent profit from the game then that would be a good reason to keep it going. Perhaps turning Silent Hill into a budget/PC title.

[Koralsky]

And there went all chances of a patch for Downpour.

:/

I have the game day one, but was waiting for the patch to fix huge (for me) technical problems. PS3 version here.

Sad to see them go.

[Acquiescence]

Unfortunate, but unsurprising. Konami sent the game out to die with no intention of giving it anything approaching a marketing push; that much was clear. Ho-hum enemy design and crappy performance aside, I enjoyed Downpour immensely, and feel it's especially commendable for being one of the few retail releases this gen to actually abide by the strictures of survival-horror, instead of morphing into the easier sell of action-horror like so many other franchises. The disempowerment was there, the atmosphere was there, the exploration was there, and I haven't been more gripped and immersed in one area this year than I was when playing through the Centennial Building. Not even anything from Gravity Rush, Journey, Max Payne 3 or The Walking Dead (so far) could match that place.

Would've been nice if Vatra were given another chance, but yeah, I saw it coming.

[Combichristoffersen]

:/ I have the game day one, but was waiting for the patch to fix huge (for me) technical problems. PS3 version here. Sad to see them go.

Yeah, I bought the PS3 version day 1 too. I stopped playing when Tomm announced there would be a patch, but I guess I should pick the game up again now, since I guess the patch got dragged away by Valtiel.

[brandonh83]

Someone make an actual case for why more Silent Hill games should be made.

I would love it if they did put the money and focus into it like they should (Konami) as the actual development teams have been, in my opinion, putting a lot of heart, soul, and intelligence into the projects. They absolutely reek of studio ignorance, and that sucks, but I still respect them and still enjoy the things about them that I feel they did get right-- all of which were outside the realm of technical problems and inside the realm of creativity and storytelling.

That's why I feel like the games should still be made, in general-- but I don't want to see another case like Downpour for example, where it felt like the devs were on their own and I found it super impressive that they delivered what they did. If they had more money and studio support, it could have been even better. So in the long run, I don't think it has anything to do with whether or not Silent Hill games should be made; the creativity is there and I see developers seriously trying.

But as you said, Konami really needs to either support the franchise better, or drop it. I'm a huge fan of the games, I loved Downpour, but I don't know how much more, as I fan, I could take of Konami's incompetence toward the franchise.

[jimi_dini]

Seems every team who works on a Silent Hill game gets dissolved. :(

There was a team here, it's gone now.

[Combichristoffersen]

There was a team here, it's gone now.

Well done :lol

;_;

[Sadist]

Konami hates everything these days except for PES or MGS.

The way they treat the SH series is quite sad.

[Trigger]

I can't say I'm surprised, but it sucks since they're the first team to have a solid vision for the series since Team Silent. Perhaps scarier than any of the games, we now face the looming reality that the Vita game may very well be the last Silent Hill title ever released.

Depressing.

[Takao]

Unfortunate, but unsurprising. Konami sent the game out to die with no intention of giving it anything approaching a marketing push; that much was clear. Ho-hum enemy design and crappy performance aside, I enjoyed Downpour immensely, and feel it's especially commendable for being one of the few retail releases this gen to actually abide by the strictures of survival-horror, instead of morphing into the easier sell of action-horror like so many other franchises. The disempowerment was there, the atmosphere was there, the exploration was there, and I haven't been more gripped and immersed in one area this year than I was when playing through the Centennial Building. Not even anything from Gravity Rush, Journey, Max Payne 3 or The Walking Dead (so far) could match that place. Would've been nice if Vatra were given another chance, but yeah, I saw it coming.

That's pretty much the MO for every non-MGS and PES game at Konami.

[ratcliffja]

Seems every team who works on a Silent Hill game gets dissolved. :(

Don't say that. I worked on Book of Memories. It's a fun game, darn it.

[Relaxed Muscle]

Someone make an actual case for why more Silent Hill games should be made. Konami clearly hasn't been happy with any since #3 (as evidenced by developer hopping to the extreme and clearly listless development processes or priorities with multiple reboots). They clearly don't make money. I don't really feel like the brand name is adding anything--there's no evidence a new horror IP being launched with many similarities to SH would actually be at a disadvantage versus having the established IP behind it.

It's a fucking hard case, actually.

Seems like pure horror games are in a decline since years. Basically the genre is dead on consoles. But seems there's a niche market on PC. Games like Amnesia, Lone Survivor or free games like Slender shows that there's interest for that kind of games. IMO Konami should go that way, there's no way the series will sell as much as before but giving the large spectrum of indie developers that still works in the genre I think it might be a good idea try getting one of them to work with the series.

I mean Amnesia sold like 100k (or something like that, I think) with the Silent Hill name attached to it could easily put another 50-100k to that number. Horror games are basically a niche genre by now, but SH could be the king of that genre and making some bucks for konami.

[Ridley327]

Don't say that. I worked on Book of Memories. It's a fun game, darn it.

You guys better hope Adventure Time over-performs, then!

[Takao]

Don't say that. I worked on Book of Memories. It's a fun game, darn it.

Were you guys as confused as I was that Konami took a year to even release a proper trailer for that game?

[Host Samurai]

I have played a few hours of Downpour and I think its a pretty good SH game. I love all the old adventure aspects of the game like puzzles and exploration which is pretty much gone in the era of console gaming. Besides the technical issues mentioned, the only problems I have so far with Downpour is the art and character design don't really feel "Silent Hillish". Gone are the sickly looking pale characters and dreadful forbidden environments. There is something about the environments that don't give it a terrifying feel, its more like generic abandoned feel. Still I find it a solid game.

[Ushojax]

TBH I think this franchise is finished. The brand is now an indicator of a lack of quality, unlike the Team Silent era. There has been one good SH game since 3, that was Shattered Memories and even then it was a far cry from the classics.

[Solid warrior]

I think they've promised patches for the game, What will happen if the studio closes? Also, Who's going to port it to the PC then?

[K' Dash]

So, no hope for PC?

[Typographenia]

So, no hope for PC?

I don't think there really was in the first place.

Also, considering the terrible shape Homecoming was released onto PC, I don't know that it would really benefit anyone having it on PC.

[shidoshi]

Someone make an actual case for why more Silent Hill games should be made. .

All it takes is the right person/team to come along and reinvigorate the series. Silent Hill's current position is like where Batman was before Nolan came along.

At some level, the answer is simply "because I don't want it to die". There's so much potential in the Silent Hill franchise, and I'd rather see that potential realized versus throwing away the series and coming up with something different.

[Combichristoffersen]

I think they've promised patches for the game, What will happen if the studio closes? Also, Who's going to port it to the PC then?

So, no hope for PC?

No PC port. And most likely no patch either.

[Ridley327]

I don't think there really was in the first place. Also, considering the terrible shape Homecoming was released onto PC, I don't know that it would really benefit anyone having it on PC.

Well, it is a UE3 game, so I imagine that a theoretical PC port would have no issues appearing on there and it certainly would run a hell of a lot better.

[Reallink]

Shame, Downpour was great aside from the comically bad combat. Atmosphere and set pieces were amazing. The theater and the play were stand out moments of the entire generation for me.

[Napalm_Frank]

Sad. Downpour was best SH since 3 imo. Patch fixing technical issues would have made it even better.

[K' Dash]

I don't think there really was in the first place. Also, considering the terrible shape Homecoming was released onto PC, I don't know that it would really benefit anyone having it on PC.

if only they could do the port and optimze it for the PC crowd, I'm sure it'd be a hit.

[legacyzero]

Ok Downpour wasnt THAT bad. Was it. I dunno, I liked it.

[Criminal Upper]

Probably the worst Silent Hill I've ever played.

[Combichristoffersen]

Ok Downpour wasnt THAT bad. Was it. I dunno, I liked it.

Downpour wasn't bad, but with the budget Konami seems to allocate for SH games these days (shoestring and bubblegum wrappers) combined with Konami not giving a shit about the franchise, Konami sending Downpour to die, and the HD Collection fiasco, it's not really surprising Vatra took the hit for Konami being incompetent :/

Probably the worst Silent Hill I've ever played.

You can't have played Homecoming or Shitty Memories then.

[WickedLaharl]

Damn that sucks. downpour is a good game and I would like to see vatra get another crack at the IP.