Introduction to P.T.

It has been over a decade since Kojima Productions released P.T., an interactive PlayStation 4 demo intended to introduce the studio’s next project, Silent Hills. Although the demo was pulled from the market after the game’s cancellation, it has found a new purpose in Japan as a tool for learning English.

P.T. as an Educational Tool

According to Automaton, the Niigata Prefecture’s Tsunan Secondary School has started using P.T. as a teaching aid for a fifth-year class, equivalent to high school sophomores in the West. The students play through the demo entirely in English, including dialogue and menu text. After certain sections, the teacher pauses the demo to ask students for directions, and they must respond in English using phrases like "walk around the room" or "answer the phone." The students then dictate the player’s next action.

Student Reactions and Legacy

In a translated school blog post, the teacher noted that the demo’s jump scares startled the students several times, but the class ultimately created "an atmosphere that was a mixture of excitement and excitement" as they learned the new language. The use of P.T. in the Niigata Prefecture adds an interesting twist to the demo’s ongoing legacy.

Influence and Inspirations

After its release and delisting, several games, including Layers of Fear and Resident Evil 7, referenced or took clear inspiration from P.T. Additionally, there have been several fan-made remakes released for free on PC and VR. Christophe Gans, the director and writer of the upcoming Return to Silent Hill movie, used the demo as a reference point during production. Even Kojima hasn’t fully left P.T. behind, as his next title, the horror game OD, has drawn comparisons to his formerly playable teaser. Although the demo and game are lost to time, they are preserved in various ways.

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