Silent Hill Escape Slot Machine
Konami has announced they are finally ready to revisit Silent Hill but ... yeah, this isn't exactly what fans had in mind nor do I think this is what I think fans wanted. I could be wrong, it's been known to happen.
The company responsible for one of the most beloved horror experience to date has revealed their latest Silent Hill project: a slot machine. So, perfect if you're super into gambling? The Silent Hill slot machine will be making its grand debut during the Global Gaming Expo in Las Vegas from October 15 through the 17th. It's called Silent Hill Escape and offers a 49-inch J curve display in 4K ultra HD. But it's still not a new Silent Hill game.
The Silent Hill Pachi slot machine was developed by Takasago, a subsidiary of Konami Japan and was released on October 5th 2015. The machine is exclusive to Japan with no plans to release it elsewhere. The machine's storyline is based on that of Silent Hill 2. Konami has announced a new Silent Hill based slot machine titled Silent Hill: Escape. Konami referred to the new machine as a “for-wager slot experience.” This will only be one of many new.
“Konami’s aim is empowering operators with exceptional entertainment to reach and engage today’s players and beyond,' said Executive vice president of Konami Gaming Tom Jingoli. 'We are actively leveraging a combination of top technology, talent, design, and development to deliver a host of new products at this year’s event, through the immediate years to come.
'This cabinet is a striking combination of sleek entertainment, premium packaging, and player comfort, backed by a rich library of original titles. Everything, including its shape, screens, betting surface, and available merchandising, has been engineered to maximize both player experience and operational results. This latest cabinet is a first glimpse at great things to come from Konami.”
Let's be real, there is a lot of animosity towards Konami following all of the Hideo Kojima reports that circulated over the past several years. That, and their latest entry into the Metal Gear-verse post-Konami was met with a less than stellar reception. Pile that onto the fact that it's likely we'll never get another Silent Hill game from them based on their previously canceled projects, and this slot machine almost seems like a slap in the face. But again, I could be wrong.
There is one silver lining when it comes to this franchise. Though it's really not likely, as mentioned above, Konami did renew their trademark on the property earlier this year. If they renewed it just for ownership or for the slot machine is unclear, but it does offer that small sliver of hope fans are looking for that one day the masters of horror will once more revisit the world that gave us Pyramid Head.
What do you think about the new Silent Hill project? Major bummer or are you just jazzed to see Silent Hill in the news again? Hit us up with your thoughts over on Twitter @PrimaGames!
H/T Yahoo Finance
About the author
With an arguably unhealthy obsession with Dragon Age and Mass Effect, Liana is wildly passionate about all things in the gaming community. From shooters, to RPGs, if it's out - she's playing it.A medically retired US Sailor and now full-time hoarder of gaming collectibles, Liana's passion for everything in the gaming industry is palpable. Also, if you lose her in a crowd, just casually mention any BioWare game and the crazy pterodactyl screech will without a doubt follow.You can follow her on Twitter @DirtyEffinHippy or email her for editorial inquiries at liana.ruppert@primagames.com!
Silent Hill Escape Slot Machine
Konami has announced a surprise pair of ‘Silent Hill’ slot machines. The move has been met with controversy, as diehard fans of the legendary horror game are skeptical of Konami’s new direction. Nevertheless, this new slot game will offer casino-goers an exciting and unusual type of game to play.
Konami’s new ‘Silent Hill’ slot machine has divided opinion amongst fans of the horror game ©thesixthaxis.com
Konami has created not one, but two brand new ‘Silent Hill’ themed slot machines. ‘Silent Hill Escape’ and ‘Silent Hill Return’ both draw on one of the developer’s most critically acclaimed gaming franchises. For those unfamiliar with this title, the ‘Silent Hill’ series is a set of survival horror video games set in a fictitious American town. Since its first title released in 1999, the series has gained a cult following. It is this large fan base that has expressed its disregard for the new ‘Silent Hill’ slot machines.
The announcement comes ahead of their appearance at G2E, the Global Gaming Expo in Las Vegas. G2E describes itself as ‘the largest gathering of global, commercial and tribal gaming professionals in North America’. Here, Konami will be able to showcase their new gaming cabinets and titles to an audience of industry professionals.
Despite some negative press from the gaming community, Konami has a positive outlook on their latest offerings. The Executive Vice President of the firm said the “aim is empowering operators with exceptional entertainment to reach and engage today’s players and beyond” and that the company is “actively leveraging a combination of top technology, talent, design, and development to deliver a host of new products at this year’s event, through the immediate years to come”.
“This cabinet is a striking combination of sleek entertainment, premium packaging, and player comfort, backed by a rich library of original titles. Everything, including its shape, screens, betting surface, and available merchandising, has been engineered to maximize both player experience and operational results. This latest cabinet is the first glimpse at great things to come from Konami.”– Tom Jingoli, Executive Vice President & Chief Commercial Officer, Konami
Silent Hill Escape Slot Machine Jackpots
A Controversial Move
This is not the first time that Konami or the ‘Silent Hill’ franchise has courted controversy. In April of 2015 the ninth installment, ‘Silent Hills’ was canceled suddenly. This action came as a shock to fans and industry pundits alike, as it’s precursor ‘P.T’ – a ‘playable teaser’ – was met with positive reviews. ‘P.T’ was created in collaboration between Hideo Kojima and acclaimed film director Guillermo del Toro. Following the abrupt cancellation of ‘Silent Hills’ and removal of ‘P.T’ from the PlayStation Network, Del Toro said that he would never work on a game again and described the move as ‘one of the most moronic things I’ve ever witnessed’. Konami then removed itself from the New York Stock Exchange and expressed a new focus on mobile gaming.
Later in 2015, another huge change came for Konami. Hideo Kojima, Konami’s most celebrated video game producer, parted ways with the company. He is most well known for developing titles in the ‘Metal Gear’ franchise. There has been much speculation over what really happened, although the general consensus seems to be ‘artistic differences’. Since the split, Konami has moved away from video games and now develops an array of casino and mobile games.
This isn’t the first slot machine that Konami has developed with a ‘Silent Hill’ theme. Their first pachinko machine was actually launched in 2015. However this one didn’t seem to leave Japan, so it didn’t garner much media attention. This time, Konami has chosen a much more public approach, designed to showcase its new identity at the forefront of the casino gaming industry. Konami have also recently established themselves as a competitive force in eSports, with the announcement of an innovative new complex.
Silent Hill Escape Slot Machines
Despite a distinctly negative response from the video gaming community, it can’t be said that Konami isn’t doing well. In fact, drawing on its own gaming history with the inclusion of the ‘Silent Hill’ slot machines is proving to be one of the company’s most savvy decisions of late. Konami might be ruffling feathers, but they are also drawing media attention. They have got people talking about their new games and are attracting a new audience to casino gaming. Horror titles are pretty uncommon when it comes to slot machines, so in creating one, what better source material could there be? These new games will spark a lot of interest at casinos, simply because they are different from most other slots. Konami might not be pleasing everybody, but they certainly know how to shake up the industry.