Silent Hill® Experience (working title)
Release date: Spring 2006
Genre: Multimedia
Platform: PSP system

Metal Gear® Digital Comic
Release Date: ?
Genre: Multimedia
Platform: PSP system

The Breakdown:
I recognize that I've presented you with an odd coupling, but these two franchises now have more than just Konami in common. They are the first of a perspective new genre called "digital comics", a bridge between the game and the printed comic, where the comic evolves into interactive entertainment while maintaining its integrity, a la Sin City. Basically, we're getting caught up with the comics, and in a nifty neat-o way too!

Silent Hill Experience (Working title):
This is actually quite a bit more than just a digital comic. Konami is preparing to release this special edition UMD disc at around the same time that the movie is popping up in the theatres. Features include: Music from the games, digital interactive comics, an interview with the director of the film, a featurette on the film, a theatrical trailer and the opening cinematics from all four of the Silent Hill games.

Metal Gear Digital Comic (Working title):
Well, Konami isn't being very forthcoming about this one. Even speaking with producer William Oertel, during which he was very willing to speak at length about Silent Hill, garnered no special info on the Metal Gear comic other than, "there is a lot of thought going into that". Perhaps they threw out a few crumbs to start a frenzy, or perhaps they just didn't have that much to tell just yet, but either way we end up with the same results. There will be a Metal Gear digital comic. We should be able to learn about the characters in the franchise through the comic, and it should give us an overview of the history complete with neat pictures and word bubbles. Oh, and it will be interactive to some degree with a potentially changing storyline – through we're not going to commit to that – heh, and neither would Konami.

Why You Ought to be Interested:
First, relating to Silent Hill, if there has ever been a time to rope the series together to create a background for the franchise, it is right now. This movie coming out soon could be terrible, but risking my pride and possible relentless neener-neener comments in my near future, I think it looks promising. If the transition works as well as I hope it does (for the sake of my ego) then we might be seeing more people interested in the series as a whole.

Second, relating to Metal Gear...am I the only one who has had difficulty following the story? The series has jumped around quite a bit in its history, placing us in various decades and in no particular order. For me, random jingles and cartoon songs use up most of my brain space, and though it's possible that none of you can relate to that, I, for one, need some clarification.

Last, the whole enchilada. Because it's an interactive comic book. How cool is that?

What Might Not Be "Oh So Right" About the Idea:
I don't think that it's wise to limit this new genre to the PSP. Sure, the PSP could use this sort of thing, I certainly can't deny that, but to neglect the possibilities that a DVD release would allow seems unfortunate, and not only for us. Especially with regard to Silent Hill, when releasing all of this bonus content along with a movie, spurring curiosity in movie lovers isn't going to do a lot of good for the sale of this item if said movie lover isn't also a gamer.

-Saria

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