According to Silent Hill 5 producer and composer Akira Yamaoka, the differences between Japanese and Western development are really starting to show. Yamaoka is currently working with The Collective (part of Foundation 9 Entertainment) on the next Silent Hill and he's found himself a bit awestruck by their development talent.

"It's completely different working with an American team," he said in the latest issue of Game Developer. "There are of course advantages and disadvantages, but overall, I'm really impressed with the American staff and their technology. Their graphical and technical ability is amazing. There's a huge leap, actually. They're very advanced," he said.

Yamaoka doesn't believe it's limited to The Collective either. "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," he added.

It's an interesting take, but there are certainly plenty of Japanese developed games that are inspiring as well (e.g. Devil May Cry 4, Metal Gear Solid 4, Gran Turismo 5, to name a few).

Source: Neo-Gaf via QJ.net