Intentionally 80's

Post by **Silent Fantasy** » 30 Jul 2009

its a tv. not everyone tries to keep up with the times friend.

Post by **KiramidHead** » 30 Jul 2009

Not everyone is 45 years behind the times either, friend.

Post by **stopped_clock** » 30 Jul 2009

It's just there for atmosphere, everyone knows that the older the technology is, the creepier.

For instance, i-pod: not creepy, gramophone: highly creepy.

Casio keyboard: not creepy, Grand piano: quite creepy, Clavichord: highly creepy.

Post by **KiramidHead** » 30 Jul 2009

stopped_clock wrote: ...everyone knows that the older the technology is, the creepier.

Have you seen Ring? The tech in that movie was pretty state of the art for the time and it was damn creepy.

Post by **Lemex** » 30 Jul 2009

KiramidHead wrote:Not everyone is 45 years behind the times either, friend.

Yeah - but judging by the other stuff in his apartment and his personality, I think Henry is something of a recluse and antiquarian. He even has what looks like a tune in radio.

Post by **stopped_clock** » 30 Jul 2009

It's an ordinary CRT television, Ringu came out after the introduction of 42" plasma badassery in '97. So no, it wasn't state of the art. Also, they used VHS to spread the video when dvd had been available in Japan for 2 years prior to release.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qbj-Ihy3ncQ

Also, the creepyness factor of just about anything is bumped up several notches when dead people start climbing out of it.

Post by **KiramidHead** » 30 Jul 2009

Well, images of dead people.

Post by **alone in the town** » 30 Jul 2009

KiramidHead wrote:Not everyone is 45 years behind the times either, friend.

Neither is Harry. I'm old enough to remember my parents having a set like that until I was a teenager. Harry's TV looks to be from the late 70s, but since Silent Hill 3 takes place in 1997, it's only a slight anachronism.

This is Harry's TV:

This is a series of Magnavox TVs from 1978:

So, as you can see, Harry's TV was certainly old, even in 1997, but it wasn't ancient. Bear in mind, TVs are vastly cheaper now than they were even ten years ago. You didn't replace your TV every five years because, when you adjust for inflation and all that, a 19 inch TV cost about ten times in 1997 what it does today.

TVs from the 1950s looked nothing like that.

Post by **KiramidHead** » 30 Jul 2009

Sorry I tend to exaggerate, but the 1978 date suggests that maybe harry has has the same TV from before SH1.

Post by **Lemex** » 30 Jul 2009

^ Nothing strange about that. My parents have kept a lot of things from the 1970s and they still work fine. My dad even has a Record Player from the 60s that still works.

Post by **alone in the town** » 30 Jul 2009

KiramidHead wrote:Sorry I tend to exaggerate, but the 1978 date suggests that maybe harry has has the same TV from before SH1.

We live in a time where electronics are extremely cheap and almost disposable. You simply couldn't afford to do that until very recently.

Post by **DamienPales** » 31 Jul 2009

My grandparents have a black-and-white TV from the 1950's, and it still works. The kind that have a pull-lever to turn on, and you have to change the dial on the TV itself to surf through all seven channels it picks up.

Post by **Silent Fantasy** » 31 Jul 2009

^dreadful. im not sure if that can be considered technology anymore.

Post by **neonblack** » 31 Jul 2009

lolwut? My tv is from the mid-80s. I wasn't even alive. Some people can't afford state of the art electronics, and especially given Harry's situation, I wouldn't expect him to be concerned with getting the latest lcd display.

Post by **Weyoun** » 01 Aug 2009

Harry is a writer, what do you expect? Plus he has a teenager who probably hits him up for cash every time she goes to the mall.

Post by **BlueMushroom** » 04 Aug 2009

My TV is pretty old . At least the kitchen one. It's yellow and tunes 9 channels I think.

But we have it - because - it's old. Maybe Harry likes old stuff too! Or maybe it's a new TV with some retro look - no. Or it's not the only one he has... who cares? Anyways, I didn't realize the 80's look of the town, but I thought it was placed some time before the game was made.

Post by **Disfigurator** » 11 Aug 2009

If you examine the references, car models and everything else mentioned here, especially those references (movie posters, references to electronic band (PTV drug inspired by them), books, etc.), you'll see, that lots ot them are from 80s/90s and earlyer. I don't see any reason why they wouldn't want to create a specific time period. Designing is not a row of accidents, you know. They have specific ideas to design. Purpose. Story to tell.

Post by **alone in the town** » 11 Aug 2009

I'm pretty sure that the first game wasn't designed with a specific time period in mind, though many of the car models are boxy like the 80s.

I think the reason you don't see all those neat references in later games is because continuity only became an issue after the fact.

Post by **neonblack** » 11 Aug 2009

Well, if they intended to evoke an 80s feel, perhaps the 80s references they used shouldn't have been so obscure? How many people have listened to Psychic TV, especially in the 80s? I don't consider Mr. Genesis P-Orridge a part of pop culture history. Likewise, there are plenty of references that predate or postdate the 80s. Portishead, Psycho, all of the streets, Sonic Youth, etc. The references, I take it, are simply an homage to the influences of the development.

I agree, the game is simply 'modern'.