Silent Hill creator Keiichiro Toyama leaves Sony to form new studio
Toyama is joined by Gravity Rush and The Last Guardian devs in forming Bokeh Game Studio
Silent Hill creator and director Keiichiro Toyama has left PlayStation after 20 years to form Bokeh Game Studio with some former colleagues. The new studio released a video of the developers sharing some of their reasons for going independent, which might give you some vague idea of what they aim to create together.
Some of the developers collaborating with Toyama on Bokeh Game Studio include The Last Guardian producer Kazunobu Sato and Gravity Rush lead designer Junya Okura. "Until now, there was a company providing us with a work environment, where we would decide what to do from there," says Okura, who's taken on the role of Game Director at Bokeh. "As we turn independent, we have to prepare everything ourselves. It is hard, there are responsibilities, but we have our freedom. This is the most important. I want to enjoy creating from now on."
Along with creating the Silent Hill series, Toyama has director credits on Siren and Gravity Rush. "First, I want to fulfill our fans' expectations," explains Toyama, now Bokeh creative director. "But at the same time, I want to go back and enjoy how fun it is to make games. I want to share that feeling with the players."
Bokeh has yet to tease any future projects, but from what we've heard so far, it sounds like the developers are looking to make games without the boundaries sometimes imposed by a larger parent company. The former colleagues look like good friends in the video, sharing drinks and reminiscing about their early careers when they would make games "on a whim."
The latest news from the rumor mill is that a Silent Hill reboot could be revealed at The Game Awards 2020.
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After scoring a degree in English from ASU, I worked as a copy editor while freelancing for places like SFX Magazine, Screen Rant, Game Revolution, and MMORPG on the side. Now, as GamesRadar's west coast Staff Writer, I'm responsible for managing the site's western regional executive branch, AKA my apartment, and writing about whatever horror game I'm too afraid to finish.