The Silent Hill IP's recently updated trademark could hint at a hopeful revival and VR title of some kind. Silent Hill has lain dormant since Hideo Kojima's beloved P.T. demo was summarily removed from the PlayStation Network in 2015 following the cancellation of Silent Hills. And despite the countless rumors that claim otherwise, there's very little to suggest the groundbreaking horror property will see the light of day anytime soon.
One such rumor comes courtesy of VGC, whose publishing sources alleged last year that Konami plans to revive three of its most important video game properties - Castlevania, Metal Gear Solid, and, of course, Silent Hill. Reportedly, this shift in the future of the business stems from the publisher's internal restructuring in early 2021. Should these uncorroborated claims prove accurate, fans could eventually receive confirmation that more than one Silent Hill title is in development, according to another VGC report. The above remains unfounded, though, with Konami itself offering not even the slightest of hints as to whether hope sits on the horizon. However, it's possible that a glimmer of hope may have recently risen from the cracks of Silent Hill's ongoing dormancy.
Reddit user LongJonSiIver (via DualShockers) recently spotted a Silent Hill trademark update via chizai-watch. Interestingly, Konami Digital Entertainment applied for the changes this month. Clicking through to the Silent Hill page on chizai-watch reveals several listings under the "Product Service" section, one of which includes "virtual reality headset." This could point to Silent Hill possibly receiving the VR treatment, yet it's worth noting that additional listings range from "simulator for vehicle driving skill training" to "automatic photo sticker creation machine." Simply put, the VR mention may amount to nothing in the grand scheme of things.
As always, fans shouldn't get their hopes up for a Silent Hill revival as of yet. Konami's trademark update could constitute little more than a routine move as far as IP ownership is concerned. A revival has been a long time coming, though, so perhaps there's more to the update than meets the eye? If so, the wait to know for sure could persist for a while longer.
The last Silent Hill installment hit store shelves nearly a decade ago in the form of Silent Hill: Book of Memories for the PS Vita. This critically panned entry left a lot to be desired, which serves as just one of the reasons why series faithful were so eager to see how Kojima would reimagine the brand with Silent Hills. Hopefully, whatever comes next makes the wait worthwhile.
Source: chizai-watch (1, 2) (via LongJonSiIver, DualShockers)