Ask me anything --Jeremy Blaustein

[AuraTwilight]

And, again, what the hell does having sex with the monsters, consensually or otherwise, have to do with ANYTHING? And how is it not a heavyhanded way of making a point?

[jblaustein]

Jeremy (I hope that's not being too informal), how involved are you with any of the series at this point? Is it all behind you now (in terms of work), or are you still connected in some way with the Silent Hill games or Konami?

Not too informal at all. I am still involved but prefer not to say how at the moment.

Are you bothered at all by the prospect of mixing the previous motion captured performance with the new voice acting? Do you think it will be a rather painless transition (technically speaking), or do you think the work could potentially suffer as a result of the mix?

I think it just depends on the situation. Could be okay handled right. Could be crappy.

Were there ever any cases of tension among the original actors and the suits or other workers there at konami when you were working on SH2/3? I don't need or want names or examples, I'm just curious if you could tell me whether this has been an on-going thing from the start between the actors/actresses and konami or if these things people have been talking about have come up more in recent years with konami's handling of the property and relationships with the actors?

I don't really want to comment on that, sorry.

[jblaustein]

I have a question for you, sir, which is completely unrelated to the Great Silent Hill Uprising of 2011:

In the second game, is Pyramid Head really engaging in full-on, monster vagina-destroying rape? There are arguments about this made by examining the positions and stuff, which is really an aside as far as I'm concerned (I understand that there's no way a straightforward rape scene would ever be permitted). The reason I've always found the idea questionable is that I can't figure out what thematic purpose is served by having him rape things (and, if he was, why he only does it early in the game). Rape merely for rape's sake is usually frowned upon given the touchiness of the subject, so I have come to believe we're seeing an exotic expression of violence which is freaky enough to evoke sexuality, but that it is only an evocation, and not an actual instance of sexual violence.

Can you clarify this? Is he a rapist, and if so, why? I've been curious about it for a long time.

In my opinion, Konami only wanted to evoke images that were disturbing in their violence and that hinted at sexuality. I don't think they ever wanted to concretely and squarely face the question "Is PH a rapist?". I just think it is intended to be evocative so the less said the better. As in SH in general, people see different things and that is how it should be. That is how art is, imo.

[Typographenia]

That's understandable, and thank you for responding, regardless.

I will say I'm interested in finding out just how you're still tied in with everything, at some future time. Best wishes for you!

[nur_ein_tier]

And, again, what the hell does having sex with the monsters, consensually or otherwise, have to do with ANYTHING? And how is it not a heavyhanded way of making a point?

I was responding to aitt saying it's sexual, but not rape. I don't think it necessarily has to do with sexing up monsters, but rather, the emotions evoked by the scene and the eros/thanatos themes. I don't think it matters if PH has a dong or what he's doing with it; just that the mixture of sex and violence is disturbing to the player.

I have argued it's sexual in the past, only because many people seemed to be saying there was absolutely no sexual aspect, which I disagreed with, which is why I originally asked JB about it. That is, my stance was always that it involved sex and violence, not specifically rape.

As for making a heavy handed point:

In my opinion, Konami only wanted to evoke images that were disturbing in their violence and that hinted at sexuality.

Which I take to mean that you shouldn't read any points into it, you should just be disturbed.

[Kenji]

Which I take to mean that you shouldn't read any points into it, you should just be disturbed.

I wouldn't. All it means, to me, is that there's no hidden truth to be gained, no master plan that the authors of SH2 had. They weren't creating the next Great Japanese Epic: They were just making a scary game that paid tribute to various American horror films and books.

That doesn't mean we must take it as meaningless. For my part, I believe in "Death of the Author." This isn't a matter of ideal, but reality: Art is by nature participatory, and there is nothing an artist can do to keep his audience from (however subtly or explicitly) forming their own unique interpretations. Those interpretations will almost always be viewed by the individual audience members as the best interpretation possible, especially for a work they like.

The flipside is that anything the artist says to correct their personal interpretation will, almost invariably, be disappointing. Another facet of that is when the artist provides very little wiggle room, invariably due to ego ("My vision is better than yours," "I am a creative angel descending to bestow my greatness upon thee"), dissatisfaction follows.

The answer is what it has always been: Participate in the work and allow your imagination to fill in the gaps to your satisfaction. Fans tend to hate that, because they want something authoritative and "real," but the fact of the matter is that we've been doing this for ten years and were perfectly happy with it.

The difference here, though, is that we've now seen the man behind the curtain. We can choose to continue participating with our imaginations, as we've always done, or we can be inflexible and decide it's all meaningless.

[nur_ein_tier]

...All it means, to me, is that there's no hidden truth to be gained, no master plan that the authors of SH2 had. They weren't creating the next Great Japanese Epic: They were just making a scary game that paid tribute to various American horror films and books.

That doesn't mean we must take it as meaningless. ..

The difference here, though, is that we've now seen the man behind the curtain. We can choose to continue participating with our imaginations, as we've always done, or we can be inflexible and decide it's all meaningless.

Why are people insisting that, because there is not a great meaning behind the scene, that's it's totally worthless/meaningless? It sets the mood, in any case. Just like Yamaoka's music, it may not bestow hidden meanings upon us, but it's still crucial to the feel of the games. I don't think the details of any genital congress that may or may not take place are important, but rather, the way the scene makes us respond.

How does JB's comments on this particular scene negate any "master plan" of the devs creating a great work of art, a good story filled with symbolism in many places? Though I personally see other symbolism in this scene. even if I didn't, that doesn't mean the devs were just churning out meaningless crap filled with a mishmash of horror references.

One scene having less significance than some may have thought is not the same as "it's all meaningless." I think this discussion stemmed from Yuki's thread containing a poll asking if the RPT kitchen scene was sexual or nonsexual. Those words. Not "rape" or "not rape," though I admit I've used "rape" and "sexual violence" interchangeably when talking about that scene. But if there weren't sexuality implied there, how would that impact things? As I see it, some are suggesting that by having sexual overtones in that scene, the whole game is somehow ruined, or as Kenji just seemed to say, that the only way to make the game meaningful is by way of Death of the Author. I think there is a middle ground, that's all.

[Kenji]

or as Kenji just seemed to say, that the only way to make the game meaningful is by way of Death of the Author.

I use "Death of the Author" differently than most people do. I refer to it as something "organic" that will always evolve when an artistic work meets the mind of an audience member. Even when that audience member strives to shape his/her interpretation solely on the facts, that interpretation is still contributed to and colored by that person's mind.

Perhaps I shouldn't have mentioned it. It's akin to talking about the sleight of hand behind card tricks, when the "magic" is in the illusion the trick creates and the wonder it inspires in the minds of a consenting audience.

However, when you said,

Which I take to mean that you shouldn't read any points into it, you should just be disturbed.

I took that to mean, "It's meaningless," which is usually what people here mean when they say "It's meant to be disturbing (and nothing more)."

[jblaustein]

It's an honor, thanks for gracing us with your presence again!

1. I've always wondered if there was any special meaning or significance to the odd, jerky dance Pyramid Head does during the mannequin cutscene.

2. Also, how was his voice recorded? I can hear what sounds like a low groan and some breathing... I'm sure Akira handled it, but was there an actual actor responsible for that, or just random noises from multiple sources?

3. Finally, was James intentionally written as being oblivious to the fact that Brookhaven Hospital was where Mary stayed? As I'm sure you know there has been a lot of back-and-forth about whether she stayed there, Alchemilla or elsewhere. I'm convinced she was at least in a hospital in Silent Hill, if not Brookhaven... which is why it always bothered me that James makes no mention of that while he's there, not even recognizing the handwriting of the diary on the rooftop (written by Mary in the Japanese script, according to Adversary). What are your thoughts on this from working on the American release?

Again, thank you!

1. I have no idea about the dance.

2. I don't think we had an actor specifically do P-Head's voice. It was likely an amalgam of several things and played with by Akira. He is a wizard.

3. I am as oblivious to this issue as James was. Sorry I could be of no help on ANY of those questions... better than me making something up, I guess.

[Mephisto]

Hey again Mr. Blaustein. I'd like to thank you for working on such cool games like the SH series, MGS, SotN and Shadow of Rome.

Speaking of which, if you still have contacts with Capcom can you ask them about a Shadow of Rome sequel?

Anyway, I have one question. Pyramid's tongue and "eye". Who came up with such idea? It was Masahiro Ito or someone else? And why such things were "hidden"?

[SHF]

I have a question for you, sir, which is completely unrelated to the Great Silent Hill Uprising of 2011:

In the second game, is Pyramid Head really engaging in full-on, monster vagina-destroying rape? There are arguments about this made by examining the positions and stuff, which is really an aside as far as I'm concerned (I understand that there's no way a straightforward rape scene would ever be permitted). The reason I've always found the idea questionable is that I can't figure out what thematic purpose is served by having him rape things (and, if he was, why he only does it early in the game). Rape merely for rape's sake is usually frowned upon given the touchiness of the subject, so I have come to believe we're seeing an exotic expression of violence which is freaky enough to evoke sexuality, but that it is only an evocation, and not an actual instance of sexual violence.

^
I always figured Pyramid Head was simulating James' sexual frustrations, not that he ever raped anything, or anyone.

Can you clarify this? Is he a rapist, and if so, why? I've been curious about it for a long time.

In my opinion, Konami only wanted to evoke images that were disturbing in their violence and that hinted at sexuality. I don't think they ever wanted to concretely and squarely face the question "Is PH a rapist?". I just think it is intended to be evocative so the less said the better. As in SH in general, people see different things and that is how it should be. That is how art is, imo.

[SolidGear3]

You're the genius that did translation work on the brilliant Snatcher for Sega CD right? Been my favorite game since 1995. Damn, I want that and Policenauts (localized) on the NA PSN! Make it happen!


Edit: It would be best to use the PC Engine ports since they're uncensored.

[jblaustein]

You're the genius that did translation work on the brilliant Snatcher for Sega CD right? Been my favorite game since 1995. Damn, I want that and Policenauts (localized) on the NA PSN! Make it happen!


Edit: It would be best to use the PC Engine ports since they're uncensored.

Well the translation was actually done brilliantly by a guy named Scott Hards. I added small things only. My biggest contribution was to supervise his style and to direct the English voice recordings. If you enjoyed it, please look for the photo that I posted online of the Snatcher recording sessions. You should be able to find them.

Yeah, it would have been nice to do Policenauts...

[Mephisto]

Where's my answer?

[simeonalo]

^ Uh...he's a translator and localization coordinator. I don't think he has much to do with the design of Pyramid Head (which wasn't really featured in any dialogue or text) or sequels to games.

[Mephisto]

^ Yeah but he worked at Konami USA. I believe they have contacts with Konami JP. . .

And he answered a few things regarding Pyramid Head in this thread. Plus, the title is "ask me anything". Why not?

[Kenji]

I'm pretty sure the answer is "Ito."

Though, that does segue into the question of who was the oddest duck working on Silent Hill...

The answer might still be "Ito," though.

[nur_ein_tier]

Anyway, I have one question. Pyramid's tongue and "eye". Who came up with such idea? It was Masahiro Ito or someone else? And why such things were "hidden"?

Cant speak for Ito, but I'm pretty sure it was Ito... He did the concept arts and he modeled the character, so I'd imagine he is responsible for all details of his anatomy. If you're on Twitter, you can ask him yourself.

[Loveless_Dogg]

This is very interesting. Being in Jail must have really kept me completely out of the loop. I had no Idea there was an HD collection, let alone and issue with the original voice actors.

...I cant wait until I wind up in my own personal Silent Hill.. :S

[PoemOfTheLastMoment]

This is very interesting. Being in Jail must have really kept me completely out of the loop. I had no Idea there was an HD collection, let alone and issue with the original voice actors.

...I cant wait until I wind up in my own personal Silent Hill.. :S

Wow..that was just awkward on so many levels...