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Silent Hill composer departs Konami - Report

Notable musician and producer Akira Yamaoka said to have left publisher after 16 years following completion of Shattered Memories.

Next week, Konami will try its hand at the tepid M-for-Mature market on the Wii with Silent Hill: Shattered Memories. Billed as a reimagining of the 1999 original, Shattered Memories picks back up with Harry Mason as he searches the eerie town of Silent Hill in an effort to find his daughter. Aptly enough, the remake will apparently be the last installment in the franchise helmed by longtime Silent Hill producer and composer Akira Yamaoka.

Akira Yamaoka

Akira Yamaoka

As reported by game soundtrack enthusiast site Original Sound Version, Yamaoka has personally confirmed his departure from Konami. OSV offered few other details concerning the circumstances behind Yamaoka's departure, saying only that the confirmation came as part of a soon-to-be published interview. Konami had not responded to requests for comment as of press time.

Yamaoka joined Konami in the early 1990s. He is known primarily for composing the atmospheric tunes that have come to define the Silent Hill franchise. Yamaoka has also been credited as a producer in more recent installments in the series.

108 Comments

  • nature_music

    Posted Mar 17, 2010 9:54 am GMT

    So that's it for Silent Hill? *Sigh* First Resident Evil lost it's survival horror and turned to action (I still like the games, they're fun, and the storylines are awesome, but why would they change it from a genre that it practically created?) and now Silent Hill's lost it's composer. Farewell, Silent Hill. We've had some great times together, you fabulous, freaky series. I'll be sad to see it go. I loved Yamaoka's music, it really defined the games. But hopefully both Konami and Yamaoka will go on to make more games and I wish them both luck.

    I agree, @Christoph410

  • mruppel2

    Posted Feb 4, 2010 6:07 pm GMT

    He left Konami and Silent Hill to work with EA in another survival-horror game? Yamaoka, you're a traitor!

  • Christoph410

    Posted Jan 13, 2010 7:28 am GMT

    its not silent hill anymore

  • itou16

    Posted Dec 30, 2009 2:10 pm GMT

    Damn twisted environment sounds just came to my mind...Original Silent Hill is a master piece. I have not played yet the remake but really my favorite one Silent Hill 1999. God but the Silent Hill 3 has some weird stuff too...

    peace

  • postaldude23

    Posted Dec 9, 2009 8:39 pm GMT

    this is for the best since Climax has not made one good silent hill game, why they Konami pays them to make silent hill games is beyond me.

  • THE_DRUGGIE

    Posted Dec 9, 2009 2:40 pm GMT

    Well, maybe this is for the best. Climax seriously messed up with Origins with the music being one of the few positive aspects (as was the case with Homecoming as well). Maybe Yamaoka will go off and create his own studio like Kojima did so he can create more psychological games without worrying about constraints.

  • Aentikraist

    Posted Dec 9, 2009 10:10 am GMT

    as lons as he continues to write an d work togetjer with mary elizabeth im allright bu still konami just lost a magnificent atmospheric composers of all time whether someone likes that or not its the truth i hardly hear music as Yamaoka did for SH games and are the soudntracks that i like the most anyways good lluck to your new projects Akira san ganbate ganbate atarashi de puroyekuto!!! Akira san ichiban itsumo!!!!!!

  • BuiltForSin

    Posted Dec 8, 2009 5:58 pm GMT

    @December_Man - The only reason I dont understand people saying that is why they would be saying that "now".. the true series ended after 4.

  • December_Man

    Posted Dec 6, 2009 4:16 am GMT

    As much as I love his work, no one is irreplaceable. There are a lot of talented musicians in the world waiting for their chance. I don't understand people saying "OMG IT IS TEH END OF SILENT HILL!!!11!".

  • Sharky_vs_Venom

    Posted Dec 5, 2009 9:45 am GMT

    What?!!!! Konami just lost Akira? I can't believe they were that stupid! ha ha. Could it be another PR campaign? I'd rather believe that.
    Just before Shattered Memories coming out that news would be a great marketing move. Now everyone will buy "the last Silent Hill with Akira". So naive. Hats off for Yamaoka! He's a great composer and a creative producer and Konami is one of the kind, that rarely failed me. Everybody, Akira will be back and it's not the death of a franchise! trust me on that

  • Business_Fun

    Posted Dec 5, 2009 9:23 am GMT

    Shame. Silent Hill 2's soundtrack was superb.

  • solidsnakeckw

    Posted Dec 5, 2009 6:32 am GMT

    In Our Loving Memories Of "Silent Hill"
    (1999-2009)
    May You Rest in Peace and God Be with You

  • Orasion_Seiz

    Posted Dec 5, 2009 4:59 am GMT

    this is sad news. without yamaoka the silent hill franchise is basically dead...

  • MattHopeKids

    Posted Dec 4, 2009 5:12 pm GMT

    I guess we can all kiss goodbye to any hopes of the silent hill series ever being a must have game again. This truly is some sad news. We have to hope he will go onto greater things.

  • zar144

    Posted Dec 4, 2009 11:10 am GMT

    Laides and gentelmen... At December 2, 2009 11:59 am, s.s.Silent Hill sank at the north atlantic waters... its pressumed there are on survivors -_-...

  • lucifer3999

    Posted Dec 4, 2009 8:41 am GMT

    R.I.P silent hill

  • tmthywtsn

    Posted Dec 3, 2009 6:29 pm GMT

    I see a coffin in the making for this series.

  • akasha_ishtar

    Posted Dec 3, 2009 5:47 pm GMT

    Now that is the worst news for Silent Hill. Akira’s music gave the perfect feel to the games, it was haunting and so beautiful at the same time, if they do any more in the series they are gonna be very hard pressed to find someone that can do that for them.

  • satanka

    Posted Dec 3, 2009 12:20 pm GMT

    ladys and gentlemen Akira has left the building.

  • Alucard7321

    Posted Dec 3, 2009 11:16 am GMT

    Nobody likes to see the death of a good franchise or series...but honestly the last few games were such a departure from..well..."Silent Hill"...so different from the actual FULL Silent Hill Team game (the 1st one)...and of course very different from its attempted followup to keep things different (the 2nd was always my favourite!)...since then its never been the same (though the 3rd game was quite good for visual effects!).

    If anything has been consistent, its this man's music....he kept it "Silent HIll" when whoever was taking over in the Dev team was deviating it wildly from its roots....however it doesn't mean its the end of good ol' original horror ideas and I really wish the guy all the best in creating and being part of something completely fresh, new...and most importantly...disturbingly horrific!!!

    He'll always be remembered for his service to such a great game series no matter what he makes next.

  • DionysusBurning

    Posted Dec 3, 2009 9:50 am GMT

    This sucks. It's definitely the end of Silent Hill. Akira Yamaoka's music was one of the main things I kept looking forward to playing the Silent Hill games, and now that's gone. The only thing I actually liked about SH:Homecoming was the soundtrack. Well, I at least hope that he'll do some similar projects and what not. Good luck to Akira Yamaoka!

  • IGDetail

    Posted Dec 3, 2009 9:40 am GMT

    Maybe this will move him onto better projects... anything by a solo Team Silent would be so much better than what Konami will make of this series.

    Akira, think "independent project"

  • zafarsher

    Posted Dec 3, 2009 9:33 am GMT

    oh no...dam...silent hill composer gone....now silent hill franchise is spiritless...Americans already ruined it in homecoming and now Japanese also made a blunder...its just like if final fantasy's composer is gone then final fantasy be like a dead corpse....like wise now silent hill is....

  • OrianaDorta

    Posted Dec 3, 2009 9:19 am GMT

    This is the end of Silent Hill.

  • killip

    Posted Dec 3, 2009 9:18 am GMT

    Noooooo, the one thing giving the new silent hill games anything that relates to the old games its game over for Silent Hill now...

  • zosotattgotmilk

    Posted Dec 3, 2009 7:45 am GMT

    Thats a massive shame. One of the best in the Biz imo. Although I can't wait to see what he goes onto work on now.

  • LosDaddie

    Posted Dec 3, 2009 6:48 am GMT

    Game sounds fun

  • Vladka22

    Posted Dec 3, 2009 6:47 am GMT

    Music composed by Yamaoka is just amazing and i feel bad knowing this fact, i'm a big fan of silent hill soundtrack and Yamaoka and Mary Elizabeth McGlynn too, i will miss Yamaoka, i just hope next composer for silent hill series be at least a little good as him

  • joynul

    Posted Dec 3, 2009 6:15 am GMT

    im sooo getting this, but homecomming was just plain crap

  • solidine

    Posted Dec 3, 2009 6:10 am GMT

    Man, I was wondering the other day if he was doing the music for this new one.
    This series has been on life support for a while, but without him it's completely dead.

  • evaneself

    Posted Dec 3, 2009 4:45 am GMT

    I hope for a collection released with all Silent Hill, something like a saga, so I may have it all.

  • svalink

    Posted Dec 3, 2009 4:45 am GMT

    the worst thing for konami is to give silent hill to American developments (not Japanese). American developments can't make a good games (instead of similar shooters like Modern Warfare ). Why KONAMI ??? Without Akira Yamaoka it's dead end for Silent Hill.

  • OldStupidGeezer

    Posted Dec 3, 2009 3:51 am GMT

    i hope that shattered memories is great. it would be a tragedy if his last SH game sucked.
    i can't wait for this game

  • Evilnator

    Posted Dec 3, 2009 1:23 am GMT

    You know, well he was great while he lasted.
    I think he to tired of the series, and could'nt work to his full potential.
    So as hard to say this, as it is, It's for the best, for both the series, and Mr.Yamaoka himself.
    I really hope the next composer is at least decent, and that Mary Elizabeth Mcglynn is still with us.

  • TheGreyArea

    Posted Dec 3, 2009 1:12 am GMT

    from one musician to another, Akira Yamaoka has been one hell of a steady influence. His melancholy soundtracks to the SH series were one of the only reasons I kept going back to play them (even if "Homecomming's AWFUL game HAS now pretty-much put-me-off EVER buying another SH game again).

    Silent Hill 2 (and it's soundtrack especially!!! .... "Promise", "Theme for Laura", BOTH tracks are iPod regulars for me!!!), one of the best moments in gaming ever

    Good luck Akira

  • Evil_Robo

    Posted Dec 3, 2009 12:28 am GMT

    lol@ monson21502. The kid just doesn't have a clue. But what do you expect from a boy who doesn't know about capital letters, comma's and full stops.

  • monson21502

    Posted Dec 3, 2009 12:10 am GMT

    do you blame him? if i had to make all my games for last gen consoles like the wii and psp,ps2 and the gameboy advance sp *** oops i ment ds** i would leave too

  • lazy_trash

    Posted Dec 3, 2009 12:05 am GMT

    so the guy who made silent hills sounds the best part of it is gone eh? Heres my thoughts on this...

    A: ONE of silent hills standout features from the beginning has always been the sound. ALONG WITH gameplay, story, art, etc..

    B: Silent hills WEAKEST feature, has always been combat and rough edges in the gameplay. I love the series to bits, but there's easier to play games out there.

    C: As the series progressed (and apparently as this guy took the helm as producer), the games got worse, lets just admit it. So. Sounds like someone thought that silent hill was all sound effects, and that gameplay would just come second? Honestly, I love the series, but the gameplay just DID NOT change or improve much. Even when they made #4, the game looked different, but still kind of felt the same. I see this as a chance to start anew.

  • Mcgnnis1

    Posted Dec 2, 2009 11:18 pm GMT

    Man That Sucks. To me the whole Silent Hill series was about the music and now that he is gone i don't see what lies for the series. Let's see what will be the next Silent Hill will be like.

  • JoKeR_421

    Posted Dec 2, 2009 10:30 pm GMT

    man this is so sad( for at least) first resident evil goes downhill and totally ignoring its survival horror and scary instead of it being action like RE5, and now silent hill, one of my fav series since ps1, its sad to see good games like this just sinkin, i hope it doesnt interfere with the series THAT much, i mean silent hill homecoming was good, not great but i enjoyed it. i really hope series like this dont go down even though they look like they are. and horror gamer, gamer082009 i agree with both of u

  • H0rr0rG4m3r

    Posted Dec 2, 2009 10:15 pm GMT

    This doesn't help at all if Silent Hill is to make a comeback

  • Trogeton

    Posted Dec 2, 2009 9:51 pm GMT

    I have never completed ANY silent hill games.. they are too strategic I like going in and just going and playing a game without having to use strategy... but I loved the movie of silent hill

  • gamer082009

    Posted Dec 2, 2009 9:42 pm GMT

    Hmm, maybe Capcom could use him..you know if they ever return the Resident Evil franchise back to its scary roots.

  • Doolum

    Posted Dec 2, 2009 9:30 pm GMT

    never was able to play the o1st Silent Hill that came on the PSOne.Played Silent Hill:The Room on PS2.Liked it.Apart from that i didnt find any other Silent Hill that appealing.

  • OrwellJames

    Posted Dec 2, 2009 9:02 pm GMT

    Silent Hill is having a bit of an identity crisis as is. As talented as Yamaoka is, and as inextricable from the series up to this point, perhaps this is a good thing, giving Konami a completely blank slate to redeem themselves after Homecoming.

  • AlfaxD_Centauro

    Posted Dec 2, 2009 8:41 pm GMT

    What is Silent Hill, Silent Hill is = Akira Yamaoka.

    For real. Not even Resident Evil Series have music like the quality and the message from the music of Akira (it's a FACT).

  • hunter8man

    Posted Dec 2, 2009 8:00 pm GMT

    Damn that's some soul crushing news right there. I can't imagine Silent Hill without him. He will be missed.

  • angelbless

    Posted Dec 2, 2009 7:45 pm GMT

    First was Team Silent and Now Yamaoka... I dont see a bright future for SH after all this...

  • evilsolidjavi

    Posted Dec 2, 2009 6:49 pm GMT

    wow...it sure was a fun ride during all those years. but anyways...they might as well end the series anyway...because since sh4 the series has gone downhill. but i'm going to miss him. wish only the best for him in his future projects.

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