Ben-DutkaWell, considering that with every passing day consumers become more desensitized and more jaded, his statement is true in more ways than one.
In speaking to Edge , Resident Evil creator Shinji Mikami says it's harder than ever to scare gamers. His reasoning is that for the most part, most of us have become accustomed to the common fear-causing tactics:
"Not much has changed when it comes to instilling terror in the player. But people have got used to the tropes of horror and they know what’s coming next, so in that sense it is harder to make them afraid.”
Mikami is currently working on The Evil Within , which is supposed to return to the roots of the survival/horror genre. Basically, it's designed to make the player feel powerless. Ammo won't be plentiful, the environments will be restrictive and foreboding, and some of the enemies can't even be killed with a gun. You might have to be inventive and that's very difficult when you're scared sh**less.
Fans of the niche category, who say the horror genre has shifted to become more action than anything else, are counting on Mikami to bring back the fear. But as he said, it's getting tougher to scare us, so he's gonna have to dip into his bag of tricks… The Evil Within will release for current- and next-gen consoles some time next year.