Konami's Silent Hill To Haunt Arcades, Namco Unveils Tekken 6

While Konami has kept the next installment in the company's popular Silent Hill franchise largely under wraps, the publisher/developer surprisingly announced that it is bringing the serires to Japanese arcades with Silent Hill: Arcade, a new light gun arcade game set within the survival horror series. Japanese news site Impress Watch has released images from the game, taken during the 2007 Amusement Machine Operators' Union (AOU) show in Japan. The arcade cabinet is immediately identifiable by its large overhanging apparatus and tattered curtain that hangs above and surrounds the play area. Little else is known about the game at this point, as well as if Konami plans to make the game available outside of Japan at all. Silent Hill Origins, the previously announced PSP prequel to the series, is still expected to ship in North America in 2007, though no confirmed release date has yet been announced. In addition to Konami's presence at the annual arcade convention, Namco also made itself known by unveiling its latest entry in the company's long running 3D fighting game series, Tekken 6. In addition to the refined graphics and gameplay that have become hallmarks found in each new edition of the series, the latest game, which has an official Japanese website, will also feature a pair of new fighters named Leo and Zafina. While non-arcade versions are yet to be officially announced, it is assumed that Tekken 6 will also see a release on home consoles. Namco and Sony recently released Tekken 5: Dark Resurrection, an HD-enhanced version of the series' PSP entry, for download over the PS3 download service earlier this month. Further information on other AOU arcade game debuts is expected in the near future.