Japanese Composers Say Western Game Music is "Dry"
- Thread starter Andy Chalk
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You know that article title is a lot more combative than there comments seem to be. I know "Japanese composers wish they had the budgets of their western counter parts" is not as good a title but still it seems a little more true to what is said in the article its self. other than that they can have their opinions and they might be right in general too, not true in every case but not much is.
They do sort of have a point. I mean generic FPS no.587 probably has a very 'dry' soundtrack, but actual decent western games usually have a good soundtrack. Just to add to the list we have going here, I've always liked Frank Klepacki and Jeremy Soule.
Some of my favorite soundtracks were from FF and Shadow of the Colossus (even though there wasn't many songs in the latter one), and they're both Japanese. I've always liked them, cause they do orchestral soundtracks extremely beautiful, the synth soundtracks are well done, and the little blip-blop soundtracks have a fun childish tone. The western soundtracks do actually sound a bit dry. Japanese game music is either more fun, childish or epic. Or all at once.
Personally, I find almost all modern video game music to be "dry", east or west. For me, the move to CD-audio killed it. Before that, you had bleeps and bloops, and you had to work within the limitations to make something genuinely catchy. Then alluvasudden you can just hire an orchestra to drone on and on, and for the most part that's what's been done since the ps1 generation. Of course, I like poppy, overt melodies, so I'm biased. Just my opinion.
He's also massively more expensive to hire than most other composers that do videogames. Well beyond the budget of most games. Also, not all the music in MGS is done by Harry Gregson Williams.sheic99 said:
MGS is a Japanese game made with an American budget. The best of both worlds.CantFaketheFunk said:
More importantly, this isn't a criticism of American composers. it's a criticism of big-budget American developers who have all their music done on the cheap. That Konami went and got Harry Gregson-Williams is beside the point; the point is that a lot of Western companies wouldn't have bothered.GloatingSwine said:
DrunkWithPower said:
Cogito said:What about the orange box. Portal in patiqular... tell me Still Alive isnt lodged in your brain
Guys, guys, guys this is not the point. I am not going into the specific games as no one will agree all the time on any of these but they are talking about a general feel from the western fps. They are against the idea of going the hollywood direction in for game music, they are not saying all western game music is bad though.minarri said:
Edit. Really is it just me that finds the article title needly combative?
Pretty fair point from those composers, barely any music from Western games I consider truly memorable. In fact the first that comes to mind is Rareware's work.
This is why Graeme Norgate is Godlike, thanks to him the Timesplitters and Goldeneye soundtracks are anything but "dry". YouTube examples in the spoilers, top one Goldenye bottom Timesplitters.
Heh, no...its akin to staring a question "your momma..."Worsle said:DrunkWithPower said:Cogito said:What about the orange box. Portal in patiqular... tell me Still Alive isnt lodged in your brainGuys, guys, guys this is not the point. I am not going into the specific games as no one will agree all the time on any of these but they are talking about a general feel from the western fps. They are against the idea of going the hollywood direction in for game music, they are not saying all western game music is bad though.minarri said:
Edit. Really is it just me that finds the article title needly combative?
but i see your point...in general music in Western games is just a way to tell you when combat is happening or to build atmosphere...rarely memorable.
But if i did want music i wouldent buy a game, i would buy music. Mabey that kind of mindset is why?
Err, was they talking about western game music, or north american game music 8D ?
I dont really think that this statement from them really say much though. It depends on what type of game, whose publishing it etc. There are lots of japanese games with not so memorable tunes too, though I agree that, say lost odyssey and games like that tend to have a memorable score.
I dont really think that this statement from them really say much though. It depends on what type of game, whose publishing it etc. There are lots of japanese games with not so memorable tunes too, though I agree that, say lost odyssey and games like that tend to have a memorable score.