Just a thought on Harry Mason

[lucifero]

would anybody else actually want a SH 1 remake/spinoff...... detailing more on Harry's background
i always thought Harry could be an interesting character, single parent, unsuccesful fiction writer......

wouldn't it be fun to look at silent hill through the eyes of a distressed artist?

the theme of Harry's journal - saving points, and his last will for Heather stroke a deep sense of nostalgia in me, and thinking that the plot of SH 1 was in a way more confusing than it is complex, it deserves more room for further exploring

given the detective, mystery elements of Harry, (and Douglas).......... I'd like to see what legacy they left behind for future protagonists

[alone in the town]

I think we know all about Harry Mason that is worth knowing by this point, without doing something really stupid like retconning his background to make it more artificially tragic--which would be necessary for him to be the focus of another game.

[SilentWren]

I'd appreciate a supplementary novel or short story along these lines. I'm not sure what the chances of it happening are, but it would be interesting, wouldn't it?
I (for some messed up reason) actually thought they'd release a more serious graphic novel detailing Heather and Harry's life together in between the events of Sh1 and SH3, but it just wasn't in the cards. Kinda pissed me off, too, because Star Wars fanatics always get their fix with that sort of thing.
Fuck me running: They even made that little anime for Riddick. Wake up Konami!
Um.....but I digress....

It seems they're "moving on" with the series now. At best, it's a mixed blessing imo.

[VIVIsect]

The original games have already been thoroughly milked to death. I wish they could just be left to rest in peace (Fucking Silent Hill: Revelation ~*IN MIND BLOWING 3D!*~).

[Tillerman]

While I'd love to see a remake of the original game that is a real remake, just to see how it would look with today's graphics... it's probably not a good idea anymore. They've gone to that well one too many times. Besides which, remakes have a funny way of not living up to the original, especially as none of the original team is likely to work on it.

I think they're better off just trying new stuff. Harry will always have his original game, you can't take that away from him.

[Soulless-Shadow]

While I'd love to see a remake of the original game that is a real remake, just to see how it would look with today's graphics... it's probably not a good idea anymore. They've gone to that well one too many times. Besides which, remakes have a funny way of not living up to the original, especially as none of the original team is likely to work on it.

Remakes can turn out alright. For example, I love both the original Wild Arms on PS1 and the remake on PS2. My only gripe with the remake was the lack of voice acting. >_< That, and I think (been a little while since I played) the camera was still that annoying top down thingo, just like with the original, rather than something like third person/over the shoulder view (I like to get a good view of my surroundings ). If done right a remake can be just as good, if not better, than the original. But such things are rare. Very rare...

As for the original question... I agree with AITT. If something is released focusing more on Harry and his background, then suddenly he's going to have major problems from his past that are still haunting him. Probably something really important that he did/caused that he simply "forgot" due to mental instability....

[AuraTwilight]

What more do we need to know about him? He adopted a child with his wife, who died when that child was young, but otherwise he had a totally normal, happy life he wouldn't trade for the world.

[Zeraylph]

I agree with Aura already.
We know enough about Harry that fits with storyline.

I'm pretty sure when they make a remake that changes how Harry looks, it would probably change the way Alessa looks too.
There's lots of remakes I've seen where the original character resembles nothing like he originally was.

[Mephisto]

What's with all this "remake fixation" everyone haves?

Every year, every month, every day a thread like this is born. We have more than 20 threads with the subject "SH1 Remake!". . .

Please, for the love of God/Satan/what you believe/what you don't believe. . . Stop it. . .

[SilentWren]

^In a series where a great majority of the fandom idolizes "the beginning," does it honestly surprise you?

It gets annoying to me every now and then, but it's pretty obvious that the powers-that-be aren't going to entertain the idea anymore. Why not let him dream? I agree that an actual game along these lines would flop (for several reasons,) but a graphic novel might work out. I doubt they'd ever do that either, but it'd be nice for the freaks like me. (Errr....Us. freaks like us.)

It seems only natural to me that in the midst of all these prequels/remakes/reimaginings/reinventings for other series that Silent Hill fans would desire the same treatment for SH. The only problem is that it's been done already, and it didn't pan out quite as hoped. Time to move on.

[Mephisto]

What bothers me isn't only the idea of a remake.

It's that strange need, the desire for it (and the thousand threads that we have for the same subject).

Why change something that don't need any changes? That question is always asked but unfortunately doesn't get many answers.

[Typographenia]

Why change something that don't need any changes? That question is always asked but unfortunately doesn't get many answers.

While I can't speak for others, I would love to have the first and second games remade. Not changing anything, but just a graphical update to something more current. There really is a certain charm to how they already look, and I wouldn't be upset if they never were updated. I just think it would be nice if a team that really knew what they were doing were given the task of updating the visuals.

I don't know that I would want an entire game devoted to Harry' back story, but I wouldn't be averse to seeing it explored in another medium.

[NeoRanger]

Not changing anything, but just a graphical update to something more current.

There is never just a graphical update, not unless there is an engine they can directly port the game into. Inevitably when remakes come along, more things change, both from a marketing perspective (you have to have something to sell a title on except new graphics) and from a developer's standpoint-- let's not kid ourselves, as much as everyone likes/loves the earlier Silent Hill titles, the gameplay is riddled with issues. I've been replaying Silent Hill 2 for the last couple of days and the camera makes me want to kill something. What I'm saying is that the prospect of a remake is a slippery slope. Now, if they can give it a post-production, pseudo-HD update and put it up on PSN and XBLA, that may be preferrable.

As for the topic at hand... I always found that the less we know about Silent Hill protagonists, the better. They shouldn't be entirely blank, but their motive/drive is enough to carry them about, as the game in general tends to flesh them out via the story/atmosphere/symbolism etc.

[Typographenia]

There is never just a graphical update, not unless there is an engine they can directly port the game into. Inevitably when remakes come along, more things change, both from a marketing perspective (you have to have something to sell a title on except new graphics) and from a developer's standpoint--

http://beyond-good-and-evil.ubi.com/bey ... n-US/home/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Classics_HD

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I understand what you're saying, but I never demanded it or anything. I was just saying what I would personally enjoy having from a "remake."

[Don, Aman]

Revisiting the story of the real Harry Mason will always be an intriguing idea to me, but I doubt the implementation would match up to what fans have in mind. This is a big reason for that...

I always found that the less we know about Silent Hill protagonists, the better. They shouldn't be entirely blank, but their motive/drive is enough to carry them about, as the game in general tends to flesh them out via the story/atmosphere/symbolism etc.

Silent Hill seems to work better when we know less going in and questions are left after the end. Over-explaining it kind of kills it.

[alone in the town]

As for the topic at hand... I always found that the less we know about Silent Hill protagonists, the better. They shouldn't be entirely blank, but their motive/drive is enough to carry them about, as the game in general tends to flesh them out via the story/atmosphere/symbolism etc.

It depends on how much the story focuses on the character. Characters such as James, Travis, and to a lesser extent, Heather, are integral to the story being told, and as such, we learn more about these people. Harry and Henry, as opposite examples, are really just unlucky fellows dragged into someone else's nightmare. Their respective games are not focused on the lives of the protagonists. We learn less about them and their histories, because such details are not important to their situations.

[NeoRanger]

~ pic snip~

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I understand what you're saying, but I never demanded it or anything. I was just saying what I would personally enjoy having from a "remake."

Yeah, I'm just saying the games in the pictures haven't been remade. They've been 'remastered'. Another one that pops to mind is Super Street Fighter II Turbo Remix HD. As I said myself, that's a different thing and I'm on-board for that. To put it into better perspective, a remake is "The Twin Snakes", which not only received a graphical update, but most of its mechanics, music, voice acting etc. were built again from the ground up, not unchanged from the original "Metal Gear Solid".

It depends on how much the story focuses on the character. Characters such as James, Travis, and to a lesser extent, Heather, are integral to the story being told, and as such, we learn more about these people. Harry and Henry, as opposite examples, are really just unlucky fellows dragged into someone else's nightmare. Their respective games are not focused on the lives of the protagonists. We learn less about them and their histories, because such details are not important to their situations.

I don't disagree. What I was getting at is that we get a better picture of these people's character and personality throughout the games (Gans may have chosen motherhood for the theme of the movie, but parenthood is indeed present in SH1) and we're better off with that. Actual details of their history would paint the picture by default and detract from what makes them interesting.

[Uyrikeustek]

Personally, I think Harry is kind of a boring guy to have his own spinoff. Don't get me wrong, I think he's cool and Silent Hill 1 wouldn't have been the same without him, but there's nothing really special about him that would make me want to see him in any other games.

[Yuki]

I wouldn't really want to know more about Harry, but... either a short story about Harry and Heather on the run, or perhaps an example of Harry's writing, since he was an author. That would be kinda cool.

[Zeraylph]

I wouldn't really want to know more about Harry, but... either a short story about Harry and Heather on the run, or perhaps an example of Harry's writing, since he was an author. That would be kinda cool.

I would actually like it, if there was a book/diary of something about Harry's books.

Even if he's just a run-of-the-mill writer, would be interesting.