Editorials
‘Silent Hills’ is Gone but Not Forgotten
Remember when Konami decided they no longer needed one of their top designers, so they turned him into a contract worker and swallowed his studio whole? Then, when going full Borg wasn’t enough, Konami proved they have absolutely no idea what they’re doing anymore when they murdered the incredibly promising Silent Hills before going of their way to do the same to P.T..
We may have just witnessed a fire sale, because all that’s left of Konami is the charred husk of the once respected publisher and a lot of angry fans who would really like to know what’s going on.
There was a whole lot of bad in those sentences. Sorry about that. I don’t mean to bum you out — in fact, I’d like to do the opposite. I’ve gathered a handful of articles from around the Internet that might offer a different perspective on this situation, and maybe some closure. A few even helped me vent some of my lingering frustration, so if you could use some of that, I highly recommend scrolling down to the very bottom where you’ll find an excellent video from the mad genius, Jim Sterling.
“Why Silent Hill Mattered”, by Leigh Alexander
Leigh Alexander is a games journalist you should all be following, if you don’t already. In this trip down memory lane, which may even be the name of a street in that foggy town, Alexander gives us a guided tour of the series’ storied past that shows us exactly how wonderful Silent Hill once was.
I dig deep into my memory: The soft-crunching rhythm of men’s bodies jogging languidly through fog. The fog sometimes gently drifted aside to reveal off-putting silhouettes on crumbling street corners, holding so still, as only the way things that are about to move will hold themselves. Mellow, mournful music. The awkwardly-typeset, ash-colored information: I G O T A H E A L T H D R I N K.
It almost reads like poetry, doesn’t it? You can find the rest of it over here.
“Konami Sucks”, by Patrick Klepek
Kotaku’s Patrick Klepek gets right to the point in his piece, fittingly titled “Konami Sucks”. Klepek brings up an important point here, when he brings up how awful the video games industry is at handling the preservation of all these video games. Now that P.T. has a finite number of copies, Konami should be working to preserve it, not eradicate it.
“The games industry is not good at preserving its own history. We have to rely on people in the darker corners of the Internet fighting the good fight, even as the industry tears them down,” Klepek writes. “It’s fine that Konami doesn’t want to make Silent Hills. Games are cancelled all the time, and we’re forced to wonder “what if?” over beers. It happens. There’s no way to know whether Silent Hills would have been any good. P.T. did exist, though, and it was absolutely horrifying.”
Fans Petition Konami to Revive Silent Hills
I’ve written about this fan petition to try and get Konami to revive Silent Hills before. It might not accomplish anything, but signing it can’t hurt. This is one of the few weapons we have for change, aside from angry letters, boycotts and hilarious assaults on social media. Even if it’s not effective, it’s still nice to see so many fans coming together to try to do something.
“Konami is Konami”, by Jim Sterling
Jim Sterling has a bit of fun at Konami’s expense, not just because of Silent Hills, but because he and the publisher have been engaging in PR and social media fisticuffs for a long time now. Recent events only gave him a reason to give them a few good kicks to the ribcage. I thoroughly enjoyed watching him tear them down in this Jimquisition video, and I think you will too.
Jon and I wrote about Silent Hills, too. You can find Jon’s list of reasons why cancelling the game was a terrible idea over here, then you can chase it with my frustrated rant.
Editorials
‘The Vampire Lestat’ Concert Event Launches New Season With The Ultimate Expression Of Fandom
There are thousands of passionate fans decked out in gothic chic and champing at the bit like feral creatures. They’re screaming for Lestat, a legendary vampire-turned-rock star, as if the entire crowd has been glamored into submission.
The entire experience is magic, but not because some supernatural thrall has been activated. What’s going on is even more special. It’s the power of the effusive fandom that’s been authentically assembled by AMC’s sublime Immortal Universe, namely Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire, now, The Vampire Lestat.
The Vampire Lestat is far from the first Anne Rice adaptation, and it’s not as if there’s been a lack of erotic vampire material for audiences to sink their teeth into. On June 2nd, during a one-night-only spectacle, New York City’s prestigious Beacon Theatre shook from Sam Reid’s bravado performance and an audience full of adoring fans who had already memorized Lestat’s songs.
It’s clear that The Vampire Lestat just hits differently than its predecessors. It’s become more than just a TV series at this point, and this opulent display of ego, swagger, and pure sex is the perfect way to premiere the new season and give back to the fans who helped make Interview with the Vampire/The Vampire Lestat such a breakout success. It’s exactly the sort of hyperbolized hedonism that would make Lestat cackle.
For all intents and purposes, AMC has successfully created the illusion that this concert/premiere is just one of the many destinations on Lestat and his band’s 54-stop tour that is simultaneously playing out on this season of television. It’s such a sophisticated and thorough level of interactive fan engagement that the audience doesn’t just understand, but also manages to accentuate through its involvement.
It’s a level of seamless synergy that’s not unlike the give-and-take relationship of vampire and victim.
Before the concert started, “LeStans” were sitting in the Beacon and flipping through a fake Rolling Stone issue with Lestat emblazoned on the cover, complete with interviews with the undead frontman inside. Other fans were admiring the vinyl pressing of Lestat’s EP as they walked past a section of undead band merch. Fandom and fantasy blur together, and it all becomes this elaborate, immersive experience. Fan celebration, erotic gothic fantasy, and a lavish rock concert transform into one beautiful thing.
To this point, AMC Global Media’s Chief Content Officer and President of AMC Studios, Dan McDermott, introduced the event by reiterating to fans, “You are the heartbeat of the series.” That’s abundantly clear on nights like this as that heartbeat collectively pulses to this performance. In terms of how AMC engages with The Vampire Lestat’s fans, it’s as bold a reinvention as the season itself.
This intuitive gamble speaks to AMC’s creativity in this department and a fandom that is eager to seize such opportunities. It’s the same innovation that led to zombie walks for The Walking Dead and real-life Los Pollos Hermanos restaurant pop-ups from Breaking Bad. It’s a great way to pump up the audience for The Vampire Lestat and then maintain that enthusiasm for the whole season.
For most series, a rock ‘n’ roll concert just doesn’t make any sense as a promotional tool. The Vampire Lestat finds itself in a very unique position where it can deliver an excellent concert at an iconic theater, but also use it to showcase The Vampire Lestat’s music by Daniel Hart (who was shredding on stage alongside Reid and the rest of their band) and, more than anything, Sam Reid’s endless charisma.
The way in which Reid feeds off of the crowd’s energy, modulating his performance and giving different sections of the Beacon life, is a perfect distillation of the series’ thoughtful relationship with its audience and how it’s become such a breakout success for AMC. AMC Studios President Dan McDermott emphasized that the fans are the reason that the show is still here and why an event like this is even possible. It’s rare to see a series in which every single cog in the machine is so perfectly attuned to its fans. Reid’s fans already cheer whenever they see him, so why not translate that to a concert setting?
It’s clear in this season of television that Reid was born to be a rock star, but it’s surreal to see him effortlessly command the stage — and the audience — at every step of the concert. He recites Shakespeare monologues and bitches out Armand between songs, all while the audience screams in support. For the duration of this concert, Reid is Lestat, and he’s given thousands of fans a memory that’s as immortal as any vampire.
Now bring on the encore and get this show on the road!
You must be logged in to post a comment.