Based on a true story?

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When Fatal Frame was first released in the US, the game arrived to the States with the never-before-seen promotional tagline 'Based on a True Story'. This claim inspired immense curiosity and debate among fans, which continues to this day. While rumours about a "real Himuro Mansion" have circulated ever since, the only information on the subject that can be considered official is the following press release.[1][2]

Tecmo released an online game trailer and revealed details about the true story behind its underground cult-classic video game Fatal Frame for the PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system. Fatal Frame is a thrilling survival horror game which has been critically acclaimed for its psychological scares by many of the top gaming press, as detailed in this gritty, terrifying promotional trailer: http://www.orangemarketing.com/tecmo/fatal/. The game’s frightening story is based upon two Japanese folk tales, both originating from the rural mountainous regions of the country.

Makoto Shibata, Chief Producer of Fatal Frame, described the inspiration for the game’s haunted house, "In an area outside Tokyo, there lies a mansion in which it’s said seven people were murdered in a grisly manner. On the same property, there lie three detached residences that surround the mansion, all of which are rumored to have ties to the mansion’s troubled past. It’s said there is an underground network of tunnels that lay beneath the premises, but nobody knows who made these tunnels or what purpose they served. Many inexplicable phenomenon have been reported occurring on the property. Bloody handprints have been found splattered all over the walls. Spirits have been spotted on the premises even in broad daylight. A narrow stairway leads to an attic where a spirit-sealed talisman is rumored to be locked away. Men have sought this talisman, only to be found later with their bodies broken and rope marks around their wrists. There’s a crumbling old statue of a woman in a kimono, but its head is missing. If you take a photo of a certain window, a young girl can be seen in the developed picture. These incidents have provoked fear in the people of Tokyo, and many believe that those who live near this area will become cursed. The deaths of those seven people are unexplained to this day."

As the player progresses through Fatal Frame, details about the Himuro Mansion’s disturbing past are revealed. One of the game’s subplots is directly based off of another folk tale. Shibata recounted the details. "In the same region, there’s a tree that is said to weep like a young woman. Many traffic accidents have occurred near this tree, and there have been many accounts of people seeing a young woman’s ghost. Two lovers used to meet at this tree every night. Although they loved each other very much, they were not allowed to see each other because of the difference in social standings. The young girl couldn’t stand the pain, so she hung herself from the tree. Ever since then, it’s said the tree weeps in sorrow. One day, a young man chopped down the tree, hoping that he could rid the area of the ghost and its cursed past. The youth shared the firewood from the tree with families in the area. Since then, those people are reported to have died with no medical explanation why. The young man who chopped down the tree has also disappeared without a trace."

Fatal Frame is a survival horror game which strives to break the mold by preying on the player’s fragile psyche. This is accomplished by grabbing the gamer’s undivided attention with a chillingly dark atmosphere, and then constantly pounding away with psychological waves of fear-inducing terror. Fatal Frame features a revolutionary new sound technology called ARNIS which simulates 5.1 surround sound, even if the player doesn’t own a surround sound system. Eerie floorboard creaks, muffled spirit moans, and unsettling background music are the instruments in this orchestra of terror, culminating in an unforgettable performance that still has people talking.[Note 1]

Makoto Shibata does not appear to have discussed these specific sources of inspiration in any Japanese interviews or supplemental material, which could lend further support to the idea that the tagline was just a marketing ploy to create buzz about the game among foreign audiences. It is also notable that the stories included in the press release have only slight similarities to the plot of Fatal Frame. They could be compared to the legends and ghostly experiences that inspired the other games in the series, none of which have ever claimed to be based on a true story.

References

  1. Tecmo unveils Fatal Frame's true story, PS2 Fantasy, 10 April 2002.
  2. TECMO® REVEALS THE TWO TERRIFYING TRUE TALES BEHIND FATAL FRAME, GameZone, 5 April 2002.

Notes

  1. While the archive links present this as a Tecmo press release, the article quoted does not appear in the archive of press releases from the former Tecmo official website. The reason for this is not known; possibly the release was sent directly to gaming news websites and not added to the official archive. This would also explain why the two articles quote different dates for the press release.
Characters
Player Characters
Miku Hinasaki - Mafuyu Hinasaki
Major Characters/Ghosts
Kirie Himuro - White Kimono - Himuro Family Master - Kirie's Lover - Junsei Takamine - Koji Ogata - Tomoe Hirasaka - Ryozo Munakata - Yae Munakata - Mikoto Munakata
Minor Characters/Ghosts
Mr. Hinasaki - Masato Hinasaki - Miyuki Hinasaki - Tokitada Kyuki - Blinded Maiden - Bound Man - Broken Neck - Boy Hiding - Crawling Girl - Female Head - Floating Face - Floating Woman - Former Rope Shrine Maiden - Girl in the Well - Hands from Floor - Headless Priests - Long Arms - Long Hair Woman - People Killed - Wandering Man - Wandering Monk
Terms
Blinding Ritual - Calamity - Camera Obscura - Ceremony of the Ropes - Demon Tag - Demon Tag Children - Demon Tag Ritual - Flashlight - Folklorist - Himuro Family - Hinasaki Family - Holy Mirror - Kagome, Kagome - Laceration Rope - Malice - Munakata Family - Overexposure - Rope Curse - Rope Shrine Maiden - Spirited Aways - Strangling Ritual
Locations
Abyss - Backyard - Blinding Room - Buddha Room - Burial Room - Cherry Atrium - Demon Mouth - Doll Room - Dungeon - Entrance - Fireplace Room - Fish Tank Room - Five Gods Shrines - Grand Hall - Hell Gate - Himuro Mansion - Koto Room - Library - Mask Room - Moon Shrine - Narukami Shrine - Rope Altar - Rope Hallway - Square Garden
Gameplay
Camera - Save points - Films - Flashlight - Lenses - Functions - Fatal Frame Spirit List - Health items
More Pages
Items - Nights - Notes - Photographs - Costumes - Endings - Based on a true story? - Zero Novel - Pachislot Zero