Video game music blog Original Sound Version cites a forthcoming interview with Yamaoka that confirms his departure from the Japanese publisher. OSV doesn't offer much in the way of specifics, but with Silent Hill development shifting outside of Japan, perhaps Yamaoka is interested in working on something else.

Confirmed: Akira Yamaoka Resigns from Konami [Original Sound Version]

Yamaoka's trademark music and sounds are very much part of the Silent Hill experience. He has been producer of the series since Silent Hill 3. If this is in fact true, no word why Yamaoka has left the company, but Kotaku is following up with Konami.

Akira Yamaoka Leaves Konami After 16 Years [Aeropause Games via GoNintendo] [Pic]

Silent Hill's identity is that Japanese teams create the kind of horror that takes place in the U.S. I'm not saying this in a negative way, but Japanese people creating a story taking place in the U.S. was part of Silent Hill's identity. This time we worked with a Western development team, with Japanese members also involved, so it's not just Western developers making this by themselves. We are involved, too. So it's different from the past iterations of Silent Hill, but I think it is something new and very interesting.

Yamaoka goes on to say that half the Japanese team members are really into David Lynch (pictured) movies like The Elephant Man. The other half are into other movies, it seems. Good for them.

Yamaoka Interview [Gamasutra] [Pic]

There's a huge gap, actually. They're very advanced. I'm Japanese, and I think this is not just with Silent Hill but with the whole of the industry — I look at what American developers are doing and I think wow... Japan is in trouble."

Later he explains why he thinks his country is falling behind on the game development front, explaining that the nature of the publisher / developer relationship in Japan as well as low salaries contribute to games that need to be created fast and cheap, stifling innovation in the industry - much like we've feared would happen here for years.

So you've got pressure on these people to perform like they did when they were 20, and it's just not possible. I look at a game magazine, and I see interviews with the "important creators," like Mr. Sakaguchi. He's a great game creator, but he's not young. And I don't see many young game creators in Japan. Then I look at the west, and I see all these young guys coming up so fast, it's just amazing.

On top of that, Yamaoka explains that a lot of the tools and drivers they need to create more technologically advanced games are in English, adding translation problems even to games that are only seeing release in Japan.

Aside from shattering my ill-founded illusions about the state of Japanese game development, the interview also touches on working on the Silent Hill move, interactive music in video games, Yamaoka's CD iFuturelist, and his own musical tastes (woo PJ Harvey!)

Yamaoka Talks Silent Hill 5, Japanese Game Development 'In Trouble' [Gamasutra]

Our first hint about the content and style of the game is this:

I cannot say much about the development of the game but i can say we are working on a new unique idea of fear in daylight and the game will play like Silent Hill 2's psychological roots.

And what console or consoles will the game appear? Akira dodges the question:

We cannot say yet but we are hoping to carry on the plans of the earlier silent hill platforms.

Well, that sounds like it will hit the PlayStation 3, but who knows? Only Konami. Yamaoka also speaks briefly about the music and his involvement in the PSP prequel, also named Silent Hill Origins. Michael McWhertor

Japanese Magazine Famitsu interview Akira Yamaoka on Silent Hill 5 [Silent Hill Origins]