Akira Yamaoka Departs Konami After 16 Years

For those who hadn’t heard, it seems that after close to two decades of employment, Akira Yamaoka is leaving Konami for as-yet unknown pastures; game music blog Original Sound Version posted last week that they had received confirmation of the rumor from the man himself. I realize this is technically last week’s news, but I would be remiss if I let this go without posting for those who may have missed it the first time around.

In case you’ve been living under a rock (or hiding in a closet to escape the monsters that have been pursuing you, perhaps) Yamaoka is the composer responsible for the dark, tension-laden industrial/ambient/rock hybrid that has served as the soundtrack for all of the Silent Hill games. He has also served as the series’ producer from Silent Hill 3 onward.

What this bodes for the future of the franchise, which just saw the release of Silent Hill: Shattered Memories on Wii, has yet to be determined. The chances are pretty high that Yamaoka will likely join the ranks of other Japanese video game luminaries like Nobuo Uematsu in the realm of the freelance composer, which could mean that his particular brand of unsettling, nervous soundscapes could well grace future Silent Hill releases – to be perfectly honest, I can’t really imagine the games without them.

Original Sound Version claims to have an exclusive interview coming soon with Yamaoka where I’m sure they’ll be inquiring as to his future plans. We’ll try to keep you updated when it happens.

[Via: Original Sound Version]

Tags: Akira Yamaoka composer departure Konami quit Silent Hill soundtrack