Video E3 Interview With Tomm Hulett

[NarooN]

I am very much looking forward to this game. And as such, I've just preordered this via Amazon.com in the U.S.
I personally feel that the haters of this game subscribe to the notion that Silent Hill, at its very core, cannot be played, shown, or whatnot, in a format other than the console games we have gotten to date; I disagree with this viewpoint

Yeah, people made a big deal when Silent Hill: The Arcade came out way back when... Just gotta ignore those types and let them live in their own delusions (har har). I for one am open to this game and look forward to playing it later this year.

[Matt S]

Cool - save me a game! Oct here we come! (assuming no more Konami delays)

[Arkjoww]

I would have more respect for Tomm if he understood more behind the series. I respect him as a fan, but not as a series director. If he understood fundamentals that are nessesary for the series, and listened to the fans, then I would appreciate his work more.

[Floodclaw]

I would have more respect for Tomm if he understood more behind the series. I respect him as a fan, but not as a series director. If he understood fundamentals that are nessesary for the series, and listened to the fans, then I would appreciate his work more.

So, coming onto the forums, talking with the fans and changing things in the game because fans requested him to isn't listening to the fans? That's news to me.

[Tomm]

I would have more respect for Tomm if he understood more behind the series. I respect him as a fan, but not as a series director. If he understood fundamentals that are nessesary for the series, and listened to the fans, then I would appreciate his work more.

By all means, fill me in. I'd like to know what areas of the franchise you feel I don't understand.

[HalfTransition]

If he understood fundamentals that are nessesary for the series, and listened to the fans, then I would appreciate his work more.

He's coming into different SH forums, he talks to fans, he makes sure Silent Hill doesn't become crap like Resident evil, etc.. I think he cares about fans.

But about the fundamentals, what do you mean?

[NarooN]

I would have more respect for Tomm if he understood more behind the series. I respect him as a fan, but not as a series director. If he understood fundamentals that are nessesary for the series, and listened to the fans, then I would appreciate his work more.

With all due respect, I don't think any fan has the right to tell a developer that they don't understand the "fundamentals" of the series. It's no better than the fans who claim that every SH title post-SH3 is garbage because they lack the "feel"* that the first three games had.

*This "feel" has never been properly explained by anyone to this date.

[devil hunter]

*This "feel" has never been properly explained by anyone to this date.

That's just one of those "SH fan myths".

[Purramid_Head]

*This "feel" has never been properly explained by anyone to this date.

That's just one of those "SH fan myths".

The mystery feeling I think of the unknown. But, the series was slowly losing this "feeling" people talk about it. Tomm himself certainly understands the series, SHSM shows this.

[devil hunter]

Hmm, probably. People always say that first four games had the same feel, I disagree with that because each game has a different feel.

I think I kind of lost that "mystery of the unknown" feel because of the stuff that was explained. It's not the same playing SH 1 for the first time and wondering what the hell is going on and playing it now that you know most of the stuff that's happening.

And totally, Tomm is awesome

[Purramid_Head]

Yeah, actually, they do all have different feels to them. 1 has a really different feel to it!

[jacobia]

Hmm, probably. People always say that first four games had the same feel, I disagree with that because each game has a different feel.

I think I kind of lost that "mystery of the unknown" feel because of the stuff that was explained. It's not the same playing SH 1 for the first time and wondering what the hell is going on and playing it now that you know most of the stuff that's happening.

And totally, Tomm is awesome

Agreed on the different feel of the first 4 games. And as for the loss of the 'mystery', I know what you mean, and I think it's just part of human nature that you can't recreate the same experience twice.
And absolutely, Tomm is awesome....and lucky, because he's working in an industry he enjoys on a franchise he loves....methinks

[HalfTransition]

*This "feel" has never been properly explained by anyone to this date.

That's just one of those "SH fan myths".

There is a typical SH feel.

Watch all the fan-movies, fan-games: There is something that is always the same: The look of the town. The way it was built made it unique, with it's white fog, the architecture, all the little shops on the streets... From Shattered memories and so on (homecoming and downpour), the town began to lose it's identity and started looking generic and bland (IMO).

So yeah, I think it's fair to say that there is a SH feel. If SH didn't have a feel, it wouldn't be silent hill. The same applies with any games.

While I like the newer games, I think they sometimes try too hard to do something 'too' different. I understand they want to make something new, but I think they should still keep the trademark elements that made Silent Hill what it is today.

[devil hunter]

I was talking more about the feel of the games, rather than the town itself.
I only recall fog being white in SH 1, others had different variations of grey, Downpour had blue, I think SM had white fog, don't remember. The fog was never the same in the games.
Well, new areas were introduced to the town, don't see what was so special about it before, it was supposed to be a small town.

Don't tell me you got the same feel while playing SH 1 and SH 2. They have completely different themes and stuff like that which creates different feel.

I don't think it's fair to say that new games try too hard to do something too different because that's what older games were doing too.
SH 2 is A LOT different from SH 1. SH 4 is also a lot different from those two. SH 1 and 3 are kind of similar because SH 3 is a sequel to 1 but they still have different feel, they explore different themes etc.

Team Silent tried new stuff with every new game. They had plans for multiplayer and sunny Otherworld in the next game.

[HalfTransition]

SH1 had purple-ish fog
SH2 had white fog
SH3 had white fog
SH Origins had white fog


But from SH3 and on, the white fog became the town's trademark. From the movie, to the fan movies and fangames.

SH1 and SH2 doesn't feel the same, but there's something that relates them together. All the older Silent Hill games where different but hat the same kind of feel thanks to the town design and the interiors.

You can notice something interesting while playing SH 1,2,3 : All the inner locations (hospitals, school) are typical Japanese interiors with occidental design. The hospitals and schools (any buildings) in Japan are very different. The way the hallways are, the stairs, the rooms etc... The fusion between both American and Japanese architecture gave Silent Hill a unique feel.

[Purramid_Head]

The school in 1 is from Kindergarden Cop and 2 is from San Bruno, CA. They're not a fusion of JP-US anything.

The fog had importance in 2 and is specifically mentioned in that ritual. It doesn't create the atmosphere, the sound to me does combined with the visuals.

[HalfTransition]

The school in 1 is from Kindergarden Cop and 2 is from San Bruno, CA. They're not a fusion of JP-US anything.

They took inspiration from that school but the shape of the hallways, the rooms, etc.. Are typically Japanese. The original team said it themselves and you could see them modeling streets and inner locations from Japanese locations in one of the making-of DVD (from SH2 or SH3)

[devil hunter]

SH 1 is a weird case, in FMVs it's shown as white, but it's purple like you said in game. I'll go with white, because it's shown like that in FMVs, plus Origins had white fog too. Also, fog in 1 also had snow falling, something that's exclusive to that game.

SH 2 had grey fog.


SH 3 had the same type of grey fog, very similar to SH 2 one.



Silent Hill Homecoming had dark grey fog.

White one wasn't used that much.

Also, you can't apply the same feel based on locations, most of locations looked different from each other in designs, so they don't feel the same. The music contributes to that, the camera angles, the monsters, everything. You can't play SH 2 hospital level and think oh yeah, reminds me of times when I went through hospital in 1.

[Purramid_Head]

The school in 1 is from Kindergarden Cop and 2 is from San Bruno, CA. They're not a fusion of JP-US anything.

They took inspiration from that school but the shape of the hallways, the rooms, etc.. Are typically Japanese. The original team said it themselves and you could see them modeling streets and inner locations from Japanese locations in one of the making-of DVD (from SH2 or SH3)

www.igotaletter.com/rarities/oldneelystreet/

I think you don't get it. Silent Hill isn't rooted in Japanese culture, it's rooted in American.

[Tomm]

The apartment in SH2 was a recreation of an apartment from San Bruno, CA.

EDIT: I should be specific: the INTERIOR of the apartment in SH2.