Dementium: The Ward was originally pitched as a Silent Hill spin-off, which Konami shot down
What could have been, if only Konami listened
Dementium: The Ward originally released back in 2007 for the Nintendo DS, and it was one of the titles that really put developer Renegade Kid on the map. The title was a technical showcase for what was possible on the DS, and it also focused on a market many thought wouldn’t exist, the mature audience that wanted a portable FPS.
16+ years after its initial release, Dementium: The Ward is getting a revamp to release on Switch. This version of the game includes a fresh coat of paint and some quality of life enhancements, but the core experience remains the same as the DS original. Ahead of that launch, developer Jools Watsham has shared some comments with Nintendo Life on all things Dementium, including the game’s Silent Hill origins.
I attended GDC in March 2007 and scheduled a bunch of meetings with different publishers in San Francisco. Konami was one of the publishers I met with. It was a fairly brief meeting in a hotel lobby near the convention center. The person I met with from Konami was rather dismissive and said something to the effect of, “We wouldn’t give the Silent Hill IP to a team like yours”. It was quite surprising and very disheartening.
I imagine the game could have been quite different with the Silent Hill IP influencing it, but that would have depended on the budget given to development. Fortunately, soon after GDC we met up with Gamecock in Austin, Texas, and signed the game with them. I must admit, being able to continue to develop our own creations was much more satisfying than creating someone else’s brand.
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