Silent Hill 2 Remake’s Success Shows Horror Games are Still Profitable

Horror games were once a staple in the games industry. Clock Tower, Fatal Frame, Resident Evil, Silent Hill. These were all notable franchises that went on to inspire the likes of Dead Space, and other seminal horror titles that would pop up over the years. But as the industry shifted, embracing the trend that Resident Evil 4 set into motion, survival horror as it once was died. In it's place was action horror, which veered further and further from what was previously associated with the genre. Even Silent Hill was affected by this, with Silent Hill: Homecoming being the series' first foray into "smoother," action oriented combat. And as interest in horror waned, franchises began to disappear. Fatal Frame vanished, Clock Tower was long since gone, and Silent Hill was no more. All that remained was Resident Evil. But as remakes began to appear, and shown to be highly successful, Konami finally announced a reimagining of Silent Hill 2. Which has since become a critically acclaimed hit — whether longtime fans want to agree with that.

While the Silent Hill 2 remake may not be the best selling Silent Hill title as of writing this feature, it is the fastest selling. The best selling Silent Hill title is still the first, which capped at around 2 million units sold worldwide. But it seems like this new interpretation of Silent Hill 2 could take that spot.

I don't enjoy writing about the "profitability" of games, but unfortunately, this is what drives the market and trends. The Resident Evil 2 remake more or less paved the way for where we are now. Remakes are hot, they're popular, and they're a winning formula. Resident Evil 2 remake is one of Capcom's best selling titles, with the Resident Evil 3 and Resident Evil 4 remakes up there as well. So it's natural the other developers and publishers have followed suit. It more or less guarantees sales, as it banks on nostalgia while also pulling in a new audience from a generation of consumers that otherwise do not have immediate access to the originals. (Capcom has more or less catered to both audiences at this point by releasing the original versions of the first three Resident Evil games on GOG.) The long and short of it, is that Capcom established a trend that other developers are following.

And with the Silent Hill 2 remake selling as well as it is, I wouldn't be surprised if we see more Silent Hill remakes on the horizon. If you read my review then you know I enjoyed it quite a bit, even if it did fumble in some places. I also wouldn't be opposed to other remakes of previous Silent Hill games, specifically Silent Hill 4: The Room, which remains my favorite. Even if it is deeply flawed and feels like half of a game at times due to all of the backtracking. (Which I have no problem with, personally.) I also don't feel like it's strange to expect or even ask of these things.

There's been a debate in the community for quite sometime about the artistic integrity of remakes. Some view them as abhorrent, soulless recreations of a title or franchise they loved. Others are happy to experience something they may have otherwise missed, or is no longer accessible due to not owning the required hardware. Emulation does exist, of course, but is not a viable option for everyone. Some are stuck in the middle, agreeing that remakes lack the artist vision or intention of the original, but are interested to see new interpretations of something they love. Despite these debates, I don't see remakes going anywhere for the foreseeable future.

Because while the Silent Hill 2 remake is an indication that horror games are still capable of generating profit, it's another example of how remakes are a sure fire way for developers to make their money back. Or even allow funding for new IPs in some cases. Not ever developer or publisher will pump that money into new IPs, of course, but it is a consistent way to keep making money. Which is ultimately what this industry boils down to. And honestly has boiled down to for a long time.

It's all about profit. And I don't think it's wrong to make that observation or state it as fact. Production and budgets have ballooned to the point of absurdity. Shareholders and investors are key factors into what does and doesn't get made. It's why one genre can dominate an entire market for a handful of years, as developers are forced to chase trends. Obviously, I should clarify that I work in game development, I had a brief stint in Public Relations (for AA and AAA titles), and moonlight as a market analyst. This more or less intersects with every facet of my career. Understanding a market, profitability, and so forth.

Does this mean Konami will return to game development full swing with the success of this remake? Who knows. Honestly, I couldn't speculate. While it does have several Silent Hill projects in the works, including Silent Hill f, and Townsend, that doesn't mean that Konami will continue to spit out Silent Hill games once development on f has wrapped. Konami as a developer and publisher has made some very strange business decisions in the past, at least when it comes to video games, that make it somewhat hard to predict what it will end up doing with this success.

But I can see this continuing to bolster the resurgence of survival horror, and by extension action horror, because let's be honest; that's what a lot of these remakes are. Remakes and horror go hand in hand. It makes these titles approachable, accessible, and in the end a profitable venture for studios with established IPs. A part of me hopes Koei Tecmo follows suit and makes a new Fatal Frame game, or that Capcom decides to make a new horror IP entirely. (This is purely optimistic thinking on my end.) Overall, I can't see this trend ending any time soon, especially with the success of the Silent Hill 2 remake. And in the end, I fully expect this trend to run itself into the ground, even if I don't want it to.

The Silent Hill 2 remake is available for PC and PlayStation 5.

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