E For All: Talking With Akira Yamaoka
My biggest mid-western tourist moment of E For All of course was the interviews. While I was trying to tell myself not to be an excited little fan boy it was hard not to be a little star struck. After Flynn and I had our chat with Koji Igarashi, we were allowed to talk with musical genius Akira Yamaoka. Akira Yamaoka is of course most famous for his work and music and sound producer for the Silent Hill series.
Akira Yamaoka was of course a fantastic person. He was very friendly as we talked up to the Silent Hill: Origins demo station. Akira asked us if we had played the new PSP title, allowing me to play while we talked to him. The game of course looked fantastic. We talked a little bit about his creative process and what it was like working on this title. He laughingly called the PSP a "Playstation 1.7", saying that the system was not limiting at all. Several of the sound effects from the first Silent Hill video game are being reused, since this will be a direct prequel to the title. It will be out early November, and will be approximately the same length as the prior games in the series.
Talking to Akira about his process was of course the most fantastic part of the interview. He said he and the script writers work closely on all the games. He tries to write music for the scenes, but also with the scenes in a collaboration with the designers. The storyline of course affects the music he produces, and he claims to draw heavily from 1980's European goth music.
Of course we would be amiss if we didn't ask him about what Akira listened to. He almost seemed apprehensive answering the question directly, laughing as we tried to work it out of him. Eventually he confessed that he is a fan of American rock, like Metallica. He also enjoys the music of Ennio Morricone, who produced the soundtracks for such movies as The Untouchables and The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.
Wrapping up his conversation he said that he enjoyed the Silent Hill movie. I personally didn't care the liberties they took with the story, but it was definitely a audio \ visual experience. He also mentioned that the 10 year anniversary is coming up shortly, and he is not entirely sure what they will be doing something special. I'm thinking limited edition box set.
Asterick
Posted to Hot Stuff, Video Games on 19 October 2007
· Comments (7)
Other stuff like this: akira, e for all, omg celebrity, silent hill, yamaoka
I have that shirt, Fruit Brute! :-)
Asterick, you're my new crush! ^_~
Sorry 'Lectric, I called it first.
I think that Akira Yamaoka is my new crush. ^-^
oh Asterick, how fun you are to look at.
Of course FB isn't excatly slacking in the looks department either.
Then pictures of both of you, TWICE, fun times to be had by all.
Fruit Brute is the sexiness!
i love how everyone is fighting over who gets who...i'll take the zombie in the background.
although i'm jealous. i want to be touched by the scariest man in video game music. :(