Team Silent

Team Silent

Former type	Subsidiary of Konami
Industry	Game development Interactive entertainment
Defunct	April 2005
Products	video games Silent Hill series
Owner	Konami

Team Silent was a development group within Konami Computer Entertainment Tokyo (KCET), responsible for the first four games in the Silent Hill franchise by Konami released from 1999 to 2004, with later titles developed by external Western companies such as Climax Studios and Double Helix Games.^[1][2] According to composer Akira Yamaoka, Team Silent consisted of staff members that had failed at other projects and originally intended to leave the company before the first Silent Hill game turned out to be a success.^[3] According to a Silent Hill Homecoming artist, Team Silent was ultimately disbanded by Konami itself, because Konami wanted Western developers to make the games.^[4] KCET was merged into the parent company Konami in April 2005.^[5]

Key members of Team Silent include:

• Keiichiro Toyama: Director of Silent Hill. Left to join SCE Japan Studio in 1999 and create the Siren series of games.^[6]
• Masashi Tsuboyama: Director of Silent Hill 2, art director of Silent Hill 4
• Kazuhide Nakazawa: Director of Silent Hill 3.^[7] He later joined Kojima Productions.
• Suguru Murakoshi: Drama director of Silent Hill 2, director and scenario writer of Silent Hill 4. He later joined Kojima Productions.
• Hiroyuki Owaku: Scenario writer of Silent Hill 2 and Silent Hill 3, co-writer for Silent Hill^[8]
• Masahiro Ito: Background and creature designer of Silent Hill, art director and creature designer of Silent Hill 2 and Silent Hill 3
• Akira Yamaoka: Series sound director; producer of Silent Hill 3 and Silent Hill 4. Left Konami to join Grasshopper Manufacture
• Gozo Kitao: Executive producer of Silent Hill, Silent Hill 2, Silent Hill 3
• Akihiro Imamura: Producer of Silent Hill 2,^[9] sub-producer of Silent Hill 4
• Takayoshi Sato: CGI Creator of Silent Hill and Silent Hill 2.^[10] Left to join Virtual Heroes, Inc..

Akira Yamaoka played a major role in the Silent Hill film adaptation by overseeing and approving specific aspects of the movie throughout its production. Team Silent members are now working on separate projects. Some of the original members (as led by Toyama, director of the first Silent Hill game) went on to create the Siren series, which has a similar atmosphere to the Silent Hill franchise.

References

1. "E3 2001: Silent Hill 2 Interview". IGN.com. IGN Entertainment, Inc. May 17, 2001. Retrieved December 26, 2010.
2. "IGN Top 100 Games 2007: 97 Silent Hill 2". IGN.com. IGN Entertainment, Inc. 2007. Retrieved December 26, 2010.
3. "Silent Hill: Så skapade Konami skräckhistoria". Level (in Swedish). Reset Media AB (23). March 2008.
4. Tom Goldman (2011-01-18). "Silent Hill Artist Claims Konami Disbanded Team Silent | The Escapist". Escapistmagazine.com. Retrieved 2016-06-12.
5. "Notification of Business Conducted at the Extraordinary General Meeting of Shareholders" (PDF). Konami Digital Entertainment Co., Ltd. February 22, 2005. Retrieved December 26, 2010.
6. "Silent Hill creator discusses how he joined the game biz and why AAA horror is 'difficult' to fund". Polygon.com. Retrieved 2016-06-12.
7. "E3 2002: Interview with Hiroyuki Owaku, Akira Yamaoka and Kazuhide Nakazawa (IGN)". Silent Hill Memories. Retrieved 2016-06-12.
8. Ito, Masahiro (June 14, 2010). "Nobu bbs: scenario writers". GMO Media, Inc. Archived from the original on August 16, 2010. Retrieved June 14, 2010.
9. "Q&A: Konami's Akihiro Imamura". GameSpot. 2006-05-17. Retrieved 2016-06-12.
10. "Silence Is Golden: Takayoshi Sato's Occidental Journey". Gamasutra. 2005-08-25. Retrieved 2016-06-12.