Keiichiro Toyama is best known for creating Konami’s genre-defining Silent Hill franchise, but he has spent the last 20-plus years at Sony’s Japan Studio, which he’s now departing to open his own studio. Toyama’s tenure at the Sony-owned company wasn’t without its own noteworthy merits, though. Thus, his departure is simultaneously exciting and a blow to PlayStation fans.
In 1999, after serving as the first Silent Hill entry’s director and writer, Keiichiro Toyama exited Team Silent to explore new ventures at Sony’s Japan Studio. Early on in his career with the development house, he directed Siren and both of its sequels. Toyama later assumed the role of director and co-writer on the too often forgotten PS Vita gem, Gravity Rush, (or Gravity Daze in Japan). He similarly served as one of the creative forces behind the title’s 2017 follow up on PS4, Gravity Rush 2.
Now Toyama plans to explore greener pastures, forming a new studio of his own called Bokeh Game Studio, according to a report from Eurogamer. He isn’t exploring this new venture alone, either. Joining Toyama are a few other Sony veterans, including Gravity Rush’s lead designer Junya Okura. Also on board is Team Ico and Japan Studio alum Kazunobu Sato, who worked as a designer on Puppeteer and is credited as a producer on The Last Guardian. As of writing, there exists no word on what Bokeh Game Studio’s future projects entail.
Keiichiro Toyama’s departure certainly seems like a major loss for the crew at SIE Japan Studio. And not just because of his history with Konami’s Silent Hill series. The developer’s work at the Sony-owned company warrants plenty of recognition as well, from the compelling premise that powered the survival horror in Siren to the inventive navigation mechanics that made Gravity Rush a blast to traverse on both PS Vita and PS4. Though these two properties aren’t particularly well-known, they’ve definitely left an indelible mark on the hardware manufacturer’s catalogue of first-party games.
His exit also means that if the rumors about Sony and Konami partnering on a Silent Hill reboot are true, the series’ original creative mind wouldn’t take part in its production. Regardless of the validity, or lack thereof, of such claims, perhaps this is for the best. Who knows what Toyama can now accomplish by striking out on his own with an impressive team of creators by his side?
