HD Collection PS3 Exclusive (Hah! 360 too) /New VAs

[Beanovsky Durst]

I'm starting to think that this might be an advertising stunt... But hell yeah, we got the original voices back!

[Gradon]

Gave Monica a suggestion to allow what Marvel vs Capcom 3 had, allowed you to pick different voices for each individual character.
She said she's going to RAGE Release tomorrow and she'd have a word with them about it haha.
I'm quite happy over this whole ordeal now, but she confirmed they WILL include BOTH the original and re-recorded vocals.

[Smiley]

Update from Guy Cihi

Here is an update about the dinner in L.A. with Tomm and Devin of Konami.

At the dinner: Tomm and Devin were circumspect and reserved. Monica was mysterious and beautiful. Dave and I had been partying for two days so we were already in sync and tight. We talked about our families and other personal goings on. We had a good time! At some point I got the feeling that if I didn't ask, they weren't going to volunteer information. So I asked Tomm about the HD Collection voices and release date. Here is what he said:

The HD Collection is on schedule for Jan 2012 release. The deadline for releasing the masters to the duplicators is like, this week. All major actors for SH2 have signed releases and so the SH2 game will offer players both voices - original and new. One SH2 actor was unwilling to sign, or had unreasonably delayed signing, but he has only two lines in SH2, so Devin and Tomm decided to use the new voice for those two lines. SH3, however, is a problem. Konami people have been unable to locate/contact Heather Morris so they cannot get her to sign a rights release. I have tried to find Heather but I was unable. If you know her contact information, please tell me ASAP otherwise SH3 will not have the original voices.

I plan to do a podcast with Dena Natali at the end of this month. I will also do an interview with Luis Ricardo de Barros later this month for Brazilian fans. Please look forward to those. My next SH2 related project will be to record a Let's Play. Wish me luck!

THANK YOU ALL (even haters) for causing such a big stir about the SH2 voice actors. Twin Perfect's Rosseter and Twin Perfect's Fungo, you guys rock and deserve a special shout out. The voice comparison video definitely helped tip the scales! (Plus, my kids love it - they mimic it often.)

SH2 Fans, you have touched our hearts (Me, Dave, Monica and Donna.) You make us feel special and very happy.

We all did it together!

The effort to find Heather Morris will have to step up if we are to have the original cast in SH3 HD.

[GuardhouseMusic]

Crap. I dunno where to start, this for me is actually more crucial as SH3 is my favorite.

Still, wow! Guy Cihi's going to do a podcast with Dena. I'm looking forward to that

[Canas Renvall]

Someone has to find Heather Morris! D: It just won't be the same when she puts Claudia in her place...

"Shut your stinkin' mouth, bitch!!"

[Smiley]

Well I'd hire Douglas to go find her, but you know.....

[GuardhouseMusic]

Someone has to find Heather Morris! D: It just won't be the same when she puts Claudia in her place...

"Shut your stinkin' mouth, bitch!!"

Canas, I can count on both hands the amount of times you've quoted that line in these forums

[Canas Renvall]

I... uh...

Shut your stinkin' mouth, bitch!

[Smiley]

Well Hulett confirmed now. Only SH2 will have the original voices as an option. Because they couldn't find Heather Morris they won't do the same with SH3. A shame for the other SH3 actors that did sign waivers. Now there's only half a reason to support this collection. So I'll just stick with the originals for now. I'd rather they worry about a potential lawsuit from one voice actress and pay residuals than recast entirely. Assuming Heather would even do that and not sign a waiver herself were she found.

EDIT: Wonder what Tomm Hulett means by this:

One more tidbit of industry knowledge
Posted on November 22, 2011
by Tomm

Petitions have never, and will never, change anything. The numbers just aren’t high enough. If something happens that there was also a petition for, it’s because people were already hard at work on it. Sorry guys.
If petitions worked, we’d be knee deep in Mythri and Mother 3.
(And ridiculous, caustic complaint videos never help either)

Posted after Guy gives those Twin Perfect guys cred for their comparison video.

I don't know if he's trying to undermine the fan's efforts or what. But at any point during this fiasco did he give off any indication that he was looking for the original actors when he was trying to sell us on the replacement performances? I don't think a comment like this does him any favors when the original cast are giving the fans the proper credit for their efforts to get the original voices in the HD collection.

[GuardhouseMusic]

Yes, this is also a pass for me, a respectful one though considering Hulett at least got the original SH2 actors.

[Scream]

Huge disappointment for me.. SH3 was one of the few games with damn near perfect voice over work.. the way the original cast delivered the lines can't simply be replaced. Tomm doesn't come across very well in that post either, comparing it to Mother 3.. like its so difficult to include the original voice overs in a game. I'm pretty sure there will be a patch either way by the true fans..

[Darkmoon]

Such a shame. So much work to get the right voices, dropped at the very last hurdle. Of course, I was never buying it in the first place, but I can't help but think this will cost sales. Of course, since the old actors have waived there rights and the new ones will no doubt have been paid the single sum there water tight contracts allow, only Konami will suffer for that. Which doesn't make me sad at all...given they were lying through there fucking teeth about this. Remember all those comments about Guy was nuts, knew nothing, never happened, it was his fault it wasn't happening, etc, etc? I think we can safely put those to rest now. Since Silent Hill 2 has the voices thanks in no small part to his effort and SH3 doesn't because they can't get the legal consent of one actor.

[Dracarys]

I don't see anything that absolves Guy from creating these issues in the first place.

[Gradon]

There was a reason Mother 3 wasn't released everywhere, Itoi said he wanted to release it worldwide but because the GBA had just about died, there was absolutely no point.
Even Mother 1 was going to be released world wide, why it wasn't? Because again, the NES was about to die in America, hence why Earthbound was released.
Ugh, he just sound like a major knob, sorry to say... And about patching the original voices in, that is completely possible for both versions, the only problem is there wouldn't be any legal way to do it.

[Darkmoon]

I don't see anything that absolves Guy from creating these issues in the first place.

By going, 'Uhh, guys, you don't actually have legal permission to do any of this?' I suppose he probably shouldn't have mentioned suing them, but I believe that was mostly before this all happened.

[Smiley]

More from Guy:

I regret to say it, but even if Heather turns up tomorrow, at this point I think it is too late for SH3. Tomm’s official announcement made that clear (at least to me). He gave two reasons for not having the original voices in SH3: logistical, and technical.

The logistical reason has to do with issuing master discs to the duplicator/packager so that they can physically duplicate, package produce and deliver the games in time to for a January 2012 distribution. These discs must be shipped by ocean container, otherwise the costs would be too high. Publishers routinely allow six weeks for ocean shipping from port to port. After clearing customs, most likely in L.A., it requires another two to three weeks for distribution to the various retailer outlets across the USA.

I believe the technical reason is that integrating the two-voices option would take time to re-program. According to what Tomm told me, the original masters were encoded without accurate notes. That means a spaghetti-like mess of somebody else’s code would need to be sorted through before any new options could be added.

With enough time, these problems could be sorted out. Unfortunately, there isn’t any more time.

I feel bad for the fans of SH3.

Recently though it seems as though Jeremy finally found Heather though he says rather bluntly that at this point it's too late.




When I asked him about it he had this to say:

I only asked her once and her initial response was to ask for some compensation. But after I reported that to Tomm at Konami, he said it wouldn't matter anyway because they can't put her voice in. So the point is moot. She maybe could have been convinced to do it for no compensation, probably even, but it would not have made a difference. End of story.

That's a bummer. Sounds to me like the issue is more in tune with their release date. They're getting this out by January and so Konami is pushing forward. If there was any problem with the code or technical aspect then I'm sure these could have been resolved with more time.

[Rombie]

Blaustein needs to back the fuck off from this. He's speaking as if he's an official mouth piece but he's not. I don't doubt it'll change the outcome especially if it is to late due to the game going to duplication, but blasting people for doing EXACTLY the same sort of stuff that got the other original actors from SH2 back in the game doesn't need such a heavy handed response.

[GuardhouseMusic]

Blaustein needs to back the fuck off from this. He's speaking as if he's an official mouth piece but he's not. I don't doubt it'll change the outcome especially if it is to late due to the game going to duplication, but blasting people for doing EXACTLY the same sort of stuff that got the other original actors from SH2 back in the game doesn't need such a heavy handed response.

Are you referring to the comment about petitions? That was Hulett.

[Smiley]

No I think he means Jeremy's replies to leave Heather alone when fans have been making a viral campaign to track her down. As I recall he had asked if anyone had any contact information on her or Clifford Rippel. Sure enough Clifford had been found and signed his waiver. This is only my opinion here, but I think that because it's too late Jeremy doesn't want anymore drama centered on Tomm or Heather.

There's people out there already ridiculing Guy for originally seeking compensation. If Heather is trying to then imagine how some rabid fans would react to Heather and blame her for the original voices not in SH3 HD. I don't like that the HD collection is moving forward with half a game's worth of original voices, but it sounds like even if they could get Heather's waiver it's still out of Tomm's hands. All he can do is promote his new cast of replacements and sell as many copies of this collection as he can. Jeremy is also working on 'Book of Memories' so he too is in a difficult position to back Konami's decisions even though it's clear to everyone including them that they would prefer the fans get what they want out of this.

So I'm just going to cling on to my original copy. I mean this is not only my favorite Silent Hill in the series, but it also came included with Akira Yamaoka's soundtrack when it was released. This is certainly a collector's item for any Silent Hill fan at this point.

And even though I personally am not happy with using replacement actors I know newcomers to the series will probably not know or care either way and might even prefer them.

I just know that it was a miracle to get as far as we did and get most of the original cast back in SH2. No disrespect to Troy Baker, but Guy Cihi will always be James Sunderland to me. And Heather Morris is Heather Morris. No replacement actress can take that from her in my book.

[Rombie]

Are you referring to the comment about petitions? That was Hulett.

No, as Smiley said it's in regards to the Heather stuff before (cheers Smiley). I think Jeremy just gets too involved and the like because he's passionate, which would be great except he also flip-flops constantly on everything and so what he once said he then later says something completely the opposite.

In this case he acted at first like he didn't want to be dragged into the original debate, then he had an opinion, and then he did fully jump in and - as was mentioned - even tried to put his hand in to being a mediator for fixing the voice acting debacle by reaching out to the various actors - and now he's turning around and telling people in fairly strong wording that doing it like it was done before with the fans trying to find the actors is wrong. Because he can't make up his frickin mind, he just shouldn't even be talking about it anymore and just let it be. The rest of the team actually involved in the franchise seemingly worked this out recently.

While I also agree with Smiley's comments that it's reached a point of being late in the game for this, you would however think if they (and this is Konami staff and management in general) would understand the fans were obviously passionate enough to create such a fuss to get them to consider putting the original voices in, and then managing to help do it, that delaying the HD release another month or two just to get the last of the major original VA's for 3 in to please everyone would kinda be worth the extra bit of time and effort on all accounts. I mean it's one thing if Heather doesn't want to, whatever, but they might as well try at this point. It's like making the effort to fixing this for the people buying it to like 85% but instead of spending a few extra weeks to bring it up to 100%, just leaving it there and hoping it doesn't impact on the people buying it. Just seems a little silly to me.