“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!”

Source: Guy Cihi

“Guys I loathe to chime in on all this business but in the interest in keeping the fragile progress we have made I would like to. It is my belief that the GOAL here is to get you guys the original voices on the game that you love. I wanted more information at the onset of all this and I went out and got it…from professionals who understand the talent business. At the time the game was made and released, I was considered a “professional” actor. I was on TV, on the radio, in games (many) and I had done work in the US and abroad (namely Japan). My voice has been used hundreds and hundreds of times. Here is what I DO know about royalties and residuals. Not once have I ever been paid any residuals for video games (or any voice work for that matter). And since the new HD game is now Konami US property, it is important to realize how it works in the US. I now live in LA and I have spoken (due to all this “controversy”) with 2 BIG agents (who specialize in video games) and the bottom line is that GAMES do NOT receive residuals. To quote a VIDEO GAME TALENT REP (agent): “IT IS NOT DONE.” Even famous, big-name Hollywood actors are paid once—no “back-end” deals. That aside, and to lend credit to claims that residuals have been earned for some people; Japan is like “The Old West” and deals can be made between agents, talent and companies that are off the grid and often are. Pay scales were radically different for different talent, there is NO UNION in Japan for VAs (called narrators there). If you had a smart, fast-thinking agent, you could have been paid more, or over time potentially. NO ONE knew SH2 would go on to its success. It is SO common to have something get big and then have all this squabbling about credit, compensation, motives, etc. But PLEASE…this whole business about discussing getting paid is putting a SERIOUSLY bad taste in my mouth.

Here it is folks: I would LOVE to have the old voices on SH2 as an option for fans. I will be at Konami to sign off on this as a reality tomorrow. My experience with them thus far has been totally relaxed, pleasant and light-hearted. And I am sure if I suggested “pizza and beer” they would be game for that too. I realize I am just one voice: but It was my understanding that this is what the fans would like so let’s make it happen!”

Source: Monica Taylor Horgan

Since the beginning of the Silent Hill HD controversy we have basically only heard from the actors side of the argument which seems to hold a pretty strong argument against Konami when it comes to public relations, business ethics and VA’s rights to residuals. However, we have not heard anything from Konami other than the little of what Tomm Hulett said in the SHE interview and little from a couple of the new VAs involved in the HD Collection who hadn’t even spoken to the Cihi or the original cast on the issue prior. The strange silence from Konami seems to be a bit questionable and hasn’t seemed to help their argument (assuming they have one) especially after Guy Cihi’s open letter to Konami, which ultimately put the ball in Konami’s court when he submitted his rights and requested Konami to send him the proper documents to sign and even asked that the original voices still be used in the Collection as a service for the fans and for the honor of Silent Hill.

It was only a few days ago that we heard from someone who was also around during that time and was heavily involved in the production of Silent Hill 2, the VO/MoCap director and Translator, Jeremy Blaustein. The first time I spoke with Jeremy he gave us a little insight on the HD Collection controversy, but since then he has been very vocal with the community answering any questions the Silent Hill fans threw at him giving his honest, personal opinions of the controversy and Guy Cihi. I got in touch with Jeremy on a follow up interview to get a little more insight as his comments have raised a series of questions. Although Jeremy doesn’t represent Konami or anyone other than himself, he still has connections with key figures from Konami and he, of course, was there from the start and was involved in both SH2 and SH3 (both in the HD Collection) making him a reliable source. So here is my interview with Jeremy Blaustein’s who shares his thoughts and opinions on his side of the controversy:

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