The Silent Hill games are acclaimed by fans of the survival horror genre and as a result, speculation about the return of the franchise has caused a great deal of excitement. The first Silent Hill game made a sizable impression on the gaming community when it was released over twenty years ago, but over time the franchise lost its way as its games became smaller critical and financial successes. Despite this, fans have been hungry for new content that mirrors the quality of the original, but the latest statement by publisher Konami may dash some hopes.
Ever since the release of P.T., a game that acted as a teaser for a new Silent Hill game from Hideo KOjima, there has been a renewed interest in the franchise. Unfortunately, the hopes for the release of a full game came to a halt when Kojima and Konami had an unceremonious split. Since then there have been a host of rumors about Sony acquiring the rights to Silent Hill as well as Kojima returning to the project.
A North American PR representative for Konami has responded to rumors, stating that they “are not true.” They went on to explain, "We’re aware of all the rumors and reports but can confirm that they are not true. I know it’s not the answer your fans may want to hear." Finally, they added that Konami had not "closed the door" on the franchise but the response does not indicate immediate plans for the series. It will be interesting to see what Konami does with the series but many fans would have been hoping for a Kojima-led Silent Hill project after hints were dropped. One aspect that may lead to disappointment in fans, is the widely acknowledged shift in Konami's focus from console games to mobile games.
Many players had hoped that Sony would absorb acclaimed Konami IPs such as Castlevania, Metal Gear Solid, and Silent Hill. This does not seem to be the case, although after the way Konami has previously dealt with the Silent Hill franchise it is understandable that some fans would like to see the franchise handled differently. With this new information, it will be interesting to see what Konami does with its impressive properties next.
Some players want a soft reboot of Silent Hill regardless of the developer and publisher. This option has not been ruled out by Konami but previous rumors of a project on the immediate horizon now seem to be false and as a result, fans will have to patiently wait for clarification about the plans for Silent Hill.
Source: Rely On Horror