Akira Yamaoka Jumps Konami Ship?

According to gaming site Aeropause, and followed up on Resident Evil/Silent Hill fansite The Horror is Alive, word has it that long-time Konami composer Akira Yamaoka has left the big-name game publisher after 16 years of dedicated duty.

Yamaoka is most well known for his work done for the Silent Hill series of games, having almost single-handedly worked on everything from the first game right up to the yet-released re-make ‘Shattered Memories’. Combining haunting ambient melodies with soft rock tunes, Yamaoka has been praised for helping make the survival-horror series what it is today. He is also credited with having worked on the soundtracks to Gradius III & IV, Contra: Shattered Solider, and Rumble Roses.

One can only hope that this is just heavy rumor, as no official word from Konami has been released thus far, though this could be in an attempt to smooth things over. Speaking as a avid fan of the Silent Hill series, I can say with certainty that if these rumor do indeed prove true, then Konami has lost one of their pinnacle members, as well as the last remaining key of Team Silent. That is a truly devastating thing to think about for this little fan.