Abandoned
On 21 and 22 June there will be Amazon Prime Day, two days full of offers and limited-time discounts! To not miss a single one, take a look at our dedicated page.The mysterious game Abandoned, which we talked about yesterday in a dedicated article may not be a PlayStation 5 exclusive. The mysterious title, which many attribute to Hideo Kojima and not to a small independent Dutch studio should also arrive on PC. And this is a very important detail, which could cause the entire castle built by users to collapse, based on the foundations of a crazy (but intriguing) conspiracy theory.
Let's go in order: many think that Abandoned is behind the hand of Hideo Kojima, but above all that the game is actually a remake / reboot of Silent Hill. The Japanese game designer was working on the new title of the series (which should have been called Silent Hills) and was announced with a "playable teaser", also in that case launched under a fictional development studio. The theory obviously dusts off much of that marketing maneuver but according to the tweet launched on the Italian night, where the development team talks about "joy coming to PC players" regarding the project, it leaves little hope for the idea that the mysterious game is nothing more than a new iteration of Konami's historic horror IP.
Why a simple twitter (and the arrival on another platform) should make us think that Abandoned is not only not Silent Hill but not even a project by Hideo Kojima? For several reasons: first of all the PlayStation Studios logo that appears at the beginning of the trailer, reserved for the original PlayStation productions that are only available on Sony platforms. Then we also have the "exclusivity" factor: apart from being an exclusive console, if the game really were Silent Hill at this time it would have been announced by Konami and not by PlayStation. It seems really difficult that Sony could not only have bought the IP but decide to release everything on two platforms at the same time.
As for Hideo Kojima, we already know that the game designer is working on a version Death Stranding special. And we also know the work cycle very well: Kojima Productions can count on a hundred employees and no longer has the strength of when he was internally at Konami. The simultaneous arrival of Abandoned on PC and PlayStation 5 is really something that goes beyond any possible effort if we talk about an independent team grappling with a really great game. Norman Reedus' adventure, on the other hand, arrived on PC almost a year later than its PlayStation 4 counterpart.
The PC community shall rejoice.
- BLUE BOX Game Studios (@BBGameStudios) June 19, 2021
Sure it's all very, very fascinating. From an anonymous announcement, Abandoned has become one of the most talked about games of the last few days. Waiting for the reveal of the project, scheduled for Tuesday 22 June through a dedicated application on PlayStation 5, we wonder which side you belong to: new Silent Hill (Team Real) or gigantic misunderstanding fueled by the most conspiratorial fans (Team Fake)?
Abandoned may still be light years away, but the Silent Hill PS3 collection exists and awaits you on Amazon.
Future of abandoned Hamden middle school in limbo; state seeks 'significant progress,' official says
HAMDEN — As the clock runs out on a developer’s contract with the town, the future of the long-abandoned Newhall Street middles school site hangs in limbo.
Hamden five years ago selected the Mutual Housing Association of South Central Connecticut, which operates under the name NeighborWorks New Horizons, as the preferred developer of the former middle school at 560 Newhall St.
The town approved a contract setting aside land for the nonprofit organization, according to Dale Kroop, Hamden’s former economic development director. Their plan was to convert an old gymnasium into a community center and construct 87 apartments, including market-rate and affordable housing units.
But unless the town grants NeighborWorks New Horizon an extension, the agreement will expire July 22, Town Planner Erik Johnson said.
The long abandoned middle school complex at 560 Newhall St. in Hamden June 18, 2021.
Meghan Friedmann / Hearst Connecticut MediaTom Cruess, president and CEO of the nonprofit, said he “absolutely” hopes to renew the contract.
But Councilman Justin Farmer, D-5, whose district includes the site, feels the town should solicit new proposals and engage in a “community conversation” about what southern Hamden residents want for the site.
He’s not opposed to giving NeighborWorks New Horizons another chance, he said, but believes a month is not enough time for the public to review materials.
The site and surrounding neighborhood, which were constructed atop the contaminated soil of an industrial landfill, have been the subject of a decade-long remediation effort.
Part of the middle school complex was portioned off and transformed into Hamden’s business incubator, while the remaining land was slated for the NeighborWorks New Horizons project.
The long abandoned middle school complex at 560 Newhall St. in Hamden June 18, 2021.
Meghan Friedmann / Hearst Connecticut MediaWhile the organization has expressed interest in renewing the contract, it has not yet submitted materials laying out a revised site plan, according to Johnson, who said an extension would require Legislative Council approval.
Cruess said the organization submitted a letter expressing the nonprofit’s wish to extend the contract.
He was not aware of outstanding application materials but said his organization would “get back to (Johnson) and get him whatever it is that he needs.”
If the contract were to lapse, the town likely would “conduct a reevaluation of the existing site conditions,” gather community feedback and issue a new Request for Proposals, Johnson said.
“What they proposed five years ago might not necessarily be the same thing that makes sense to propose today,” he said.
For example, while Neighborworks New Horizons originally intended to convert the former school into housing units, that option might be cost-prohibitive due to environmental issues and the deterioration of the building, Johnson said, noting that demolition may be the best course of action.
The plan also should address a parking shortage in the neighborhood that stems from the popularity of nearby parks, he said.
Development delaysIt’s been six years since NeighborWorks came to an agreement with Hamden, and the site remains in disuse. But remediation efforts, including the demolition of two buildings, remained ongoing.
“The site was contaminated and required quite a bit of remediation, so I think the delay is really around that process taking quite a bit longer than anyone expected,” Cruess said. “It was not anticipated that it would take upwards of five, six years. … In order to really secure funding, we needed that remediation to be completed.”
According to Kroop, NeighborWorks New Horizons did not cause the delay. Under former Gov. Dannel Malloy’s administration, he said, the state declined to consider applications for funding until the land remediation was finished.
In this file photo, then Hamden Director of Economic and Community Development Dale Kroop, left, and State Rep. Michael C. D'Agostino, D-Hamden, at the former Hamden Middle School building on Newhall Street in Hamden in 2017.
Peter Hvizdak / Hearst Connecticut Media“That completely kiboshed them for at least three of the years,” he went on, adding that the project would have cost $750,000 less if site work had been allowed to occur at the same time as the remediation.
While a point-based application process makes it challenging to secure funding on sites with pending remediation, “from our point of view, we had this really important project that they weren’t being flexible (on),” Kroop said. “This was a consent order that the state of Connecticut initiated, so there was no doubt that that remediation was gonna happen.”
The Regional Water Authority, responsible for cleaning up the land around the buildings, completed the physical work last year, according to Kroop, who said the remediation officially will be completed once the state issues an Environmental Land Use Restriction.
An ELUR acts as a public disclosure to future property owners. Kroop said an ELUR is being prepared for the Newhall complex.
When asked about Kroop’s statement on the delay in obtaining funds, state Department of Housing spokesman Aaron Turner said in emails the need for remediation had prevented the transfer of the property by the town.
He confirmed the ELUR was pending and said NeighborWorks New Horizons received a letter indicating the RWA had completed the work.
Delays on the project were compounded by the coronavirus pandemic, according to Turner’s statement.
“Our hope is that significant progress will be accomplished and an application for the development of the project will be forth coming in the next Fiscal Year,” he wrote.
Neighborworks New Horizons has received a $300,000 pre-development loan for the site, according to Turner, who indicated no other state money has yet been approved.
Cruess said the organization has used the loan for architectural planning and site surveys.
Under the town’s current arrangement, NeighborWorks New Horizons would be responsible for remediation of the buildings themselves, according to Kroop, who said said the nonprofit needs to obtain funding to support those efforts.
Going forwardWhile Farmer expressed a desire to reassess site options, Turner’s statement suggests the DOH is expecting an application to be filed for the site. .
“The Department of Housing hopes that a mutually beneficial resolution will be achieved between the municipality and (NeighborWorks New Horizons/Mutual Housing Association of South Central Connecticut),” it said. “We all share a common goal - as this project has (experienced) delays, in part due to COVID, the department will continue to be available to provide technical assistance to move it forward.”
Meanwhile, Farmer worried that his constituents’ voices go unheard in matters of development.
The town should set high standards for the site, Farmer said, contending the land is valuable because of limited space in the area.
“We should not be expecting less. We should be expecting more,” Farmer said. “My biggest concern … is because we are in a financial crisis … we’re going to sell ourselves short.”
In the past, residents have expressed an interest in building single- or multifamily homes on the site, according to the councilman, who said he wants a development plan that will help build generational wealth and ensure the land remains a long-term asset to the community.
One building he wants to see in that plan is a community center. Farmer said the former gymnasium NeighborWorks New Horizons proposed converting into a community center would need additions to meet community needs.
A plan for the community center was never formalized, according to Cruess, who said NeighborWorks New Horizons intended to seek input as the process unfolded.
“We would work closely with the town to meet the needs of the neighborhood,” he said.
The long abandoned middle school complex at 560 Newhall St. in Hamden June 18, 2021.
Meghan Friedmann / Hearst Connecticut MediaGenerally, Cruess said the organization engaged the community at the start of the process and would do so going forward.
“We’re a mission-based organization,” he said. “Building communities is really part of our mission, so we always want to make sure that whatever developments we undertake are in keeping with really the goals of the community.”
meghan.friedmann@hearstmediact.com