Japanese Composers Say Western Game Music is "Dry"

[eduardoflores5]

Four letters: SF IV!!!

 

[Gunner_Guardian]

I think Japanese and American composers aren't necessary better then one another but there are extremely different.

The best way to compare both styles I think is to look at Sonic CD. For those of you who don't know the story. When Sega of America heard the Sonic CD soundtrack, they didn't think they it would fit to an American audience (except for the past themes). So they made a different soundtrack for the American version which is also pretty cool.

Listen to this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vVnosEIIF0w

Your ear can easily see how both soundtracks are GOOD but extremely different and have strengths and weakness.

The Japanese soundtrack is extremely catchy, energetic and cool while the American soundtrack tries to create atmosphere of a "Metallic Madness" rather then creating a catchy toon. One could argue that each soundtrack is better then the other. Either way it shows what each soundtrack is aiming for.

The Japanese soundtrack is aiming for a good song while the American soundtrack is trying to stick to the theme it's given.

 

[Cowabungaa]

The bad will always outnumber the good

Obviously that will count for the Japanese as well. But I see your point: even though the West in general has much bigger budgets, there is still a lot of crap, but I doubt you'll ever root that out no matter how big budgets get. Creativity, afterall, cannot be bought. I mean, just look (or listen) to World of Goo. That game is made by a handfull of people, I doubt that budget will be of MGS/CoD-like levels, and yet the music is ab-so-lute-ly fantastic (just listen to this [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=01Ohnhakw3w]). Creative gems will be found everywhere, crap will be found everywhere.

That said, they should really play the following games:
Fable 2 [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KGLThm0XeYI]
World of Warcraft [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GEY8WlMN4V4&feature=PlayList&p=6FE892C35C4D403D&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=17](hate the game all you want, but that soundtrack...beautifull)
Team Fortress 2 [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQVSW9KlIhc]
Halo [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFOJ13sw8o4] (3 in this case, that song is so my favorite, no song got me ready to kick some serious ass as that one)
Half Life 2 [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=82Xo3u-HUoY]
Age of Conan [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7GVMEdIfaJQ&feature=related] (the game was craptastic at launch, but hell...that soundtrack)
Braid [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vTy6E17-yMU]
Bioshock [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEFIZh_Zscc&feature=related]
Oblivion [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1gszfeS2B-U&feature=PlayList&p=9FCE5E1C6D56521A&index=28]
Rayman 3: Hoodlum Havoc [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ePtpgfe-7Sg] (I just hád to include this, can't help it, best minigame EVER)
World of Goo [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NoUSnDryaN8] (already mentioned, but different song, godly)
Gears of War 1/2 [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dysuLG8QOrY&feature=related] (this song starts kinda slow, but is epic)
God of War [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_mQWFhFgGc&feature=PlayList&p=06B32CEA479EAE5D&index=1]
Portal [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6ljFaKRTrI] (duh?)
Fallout 3 [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34ivDW_BU94] (not originally composed for the game, but heck, this song says enough about the awesomeness)

That's just a small list, obviously, but says enough in my book. Japan, you're just jealous.

 

[Gormers1]

That was a great list. Rayman 3 ftw.

 

[shintakie10]

Snip

That's just a small list, obviously, but says enough in my book. Japan, you're just jealous.

thats the point though, they even state that in the article. The point is, they're jealous of american developers for havin massive budgets, but at the same time those massive budgets get squandered on useless drivel instead of usin some of it to actually make a memorable soundtrack.

No one is denyin that there are wonderful soundtracks in western fps games. What is bein stated is that with the amount of money that gets thrown at a lot of western games there should be more of them.

 

[A Pious Cultist]

Team Fortress 2 [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQVSW9KlIhc]
Half Life 2 [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=82Xo3u-HUoY]
Portal [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6ljFaKRTrI] (duh?)

You fail. TF2 has NO music except for the main menu.
Portal and HL2 have extremely generic techno music in my opinion (I can't remember a single tune from them apart from the ending themes).

 

[Cowabungaa]

thats the point though, they even state that in the article. The point is, they're jealous of american developers for havin massive budgets, but at the same time those massive budgets get squandered on useless drivel instead of usin some of it to actually make a memorable soundtrack.

No one is denyin that there are wonderful soundtracks in western fps games. What is bein stated is that with the amount of money that gets thrown at a lot of western games there should be more of them.

I noted that, and included that in the top of my post (read: "Creativity, afterall, cannot be bought"). That little list was just something I felt like doing, plus I included some low budget games like Braid and World of Goo.

You fail. TF2 has NO music except for the main menu.
Portal and HL2 have extremely generic techno music in my opinion (I can't remember a single tune from them apart from the ending themes).

And since when can main menu music not be included? Or credit songs or whatever? I don't see why not, and that's a TF2 song no matter what, so I included it.
As for the latter: a matter of taste I think, I think the techno (and some of the more relaxed songs) fitted really well with the dystopic world of the Half Life series. That song, Apprehension and Evasion, really got me pumped. It's also important to not just see videogame music as a completely seperate entity, but you have to picture it inside the game. In HL's case, I felt like it fitted extremely well with the actual game, helped me feel much more immersed. That, to me, is a sign of a great videogame soundtrack.

 

[Incredible Bullshitting Man]

I think, I have to agree with the guys of the round table. I´m not sure what it is (maybe the soul of the Japanese music strikes a chord with my Finnish mentality, or something), but I find Japanese game music more memorable and emotional than western game music. When thinking about video game composers, I think about Uematsu, Yamaoka, Sakuraba, Mitsuda et al. Not a single western composer comes to mind. Maybe I´m just missing out on something.

Video game music primarily exist in a game´s context; It´s enjoyed together with the game. Music enhances, or creates, the mood of the game, and in a way carries the story. It requires a certain kind of strength for a video game music to rise from the background, and stand alone. In my opinion, many songs from different JRPGs manage to pull this off, whereas Hollywood style game music makes hardly any impression at all. As they say, money doesn´t equal quality.

The Japanese soundtrack is aiming for a good song while the American soundtrack is trying to stick to the theme it's given.

The difference between Japanese and western game music is basically here. By nature Japanese VG soundtrack can work alone, out of context, while western soundtrack doesn´t even try to be anything else than a part of the whole. Nothing wrong with, of course.

 

[cainx10a]

And yet, MGS had an awesome soundtrack done by a Western composer, no?

MGS is a Japanese game made with an American budget. The best of both worlds.

And a producer who wished he was American ...

 

[shintakie10]

I noted that, and included that in the top of my post (read: "Creativity, afterall, cannot be bought"). That little list was just something I felt like doing, plus I included some low budget games like Braid and World of Goo.

Not to be a jerk...but braid was anythin but low budget >.>

And its not so much that creativity cant be bought, its more that they're unwillin to buy it. I have trouble believin that the same people who created Halo sat in a room somewhere and also created the entire musical score for the game. What probably happened was they saw they had a lot of cash and needed a soundtrack. Instead of goin for generic song A they went to an orchestra and told them they needed music that fit (insert generic word here) and someone else did the rest for them.

 

[JC175]

Well there are obviously good and bad examples from either culture. Akira Yamaoka's work on the Silent Hill series are amazing for one, in addition to Koji Kondo's scores for pretty much everything. That man came up with the Super Mario Brothers Theme, and most of the memorable pieces from the Legend of Zelda games. And then on the other side of the coin you have Peter McConnell's soundtrack for Psychonauts, or Eric Brosius's soundtrack for System Shock 2. Who could forget the spiralling electronic theme for the Engineering floor, or the dread inspiring pound present throughout the Med Sci level?

But I see where they're coming from, I'd probably say on the whole that Eastern soundtracks are usually of a better quality. It's a bit of generalisation though; to dismiss an entire culture's musical soundtrack output is quite a large statement.

If only Yoko Kanno composed for more game soundtracks...

 

[Cowabungaa]

Not to be a jerk...but braid was anythin but low budget >.>

Really? I read on Wikipedia:

During the game's three years of development, Blow put about US$200,000 of his own money into its development, most going towards hiring of David Hellman for artwork and for living expenses.[18][19]

That's pretty lowbudget, compared to blockbusters ala CoD.

 

[A Pious Cultist]

And since when can main menu music not be included? Or credit songs or whatever? I don't see why not, and that's a TF2 song no matter what, so I included it.
As for the latter: a matter of taste I think, I think the techno (and some of the more relaxed

You're shouting from the rooftops about the music for a game that has no actual music during gameplay. That's silly as hell man.

As for HL2, it's not about disliking it, they never said western music was BAD. They said it wasn't MEMORABLE, which given that I can't remember very much from hl2's music (and NONE from portal) I would have to agree with them.

 

[GloatingSwine]

There's another thing that's often overlooked in the difference between Japanese and Western game music.

Japanese game BGM is usually based on a short melody, frequently no more than 1:30 long, on continuous repeat, whereas western game BGM is usually more ambient background stuff.

The Japanese style can become incredibly wearing after a short time, no matter how catchy the actual melody. Especially JRPG battle music. Western style ambient BGM just kinda fades into, well, the background of the soundscape though.

 

[Charli]

No no japan you have it all wrong, its just you actually give two shits about it enough to have a 'composer' discussion, we just enjoy what we get and get on with it.

I'm sure nearly every epic Western game music has been listed so I won't beat around the bush anymore as to say:

Bull.crap. As much as I love what comes out of Japan, this is just a bit too self important for words.

 

[shintakie10]

During the game's three years of development, Blow put about US$200,000 of his own money into its development, most going towards hiring of David Hellman for artwork and for living expenses.[18][19]

That's pretty lowbudget, compared to blockbusters ala CoD.

Hmmm...I'll have to do a bitta research methinks, but I seem to remember the actual full budget bein much higher than simply what he himself put in. Dont quote me on that till I have actual data though.

 

[Slash Dementia]

Sonic Mayhem and Rob Zombie collaborating for the soundtrack of Quake 2 remains one of the most enduringly brilliant examples of game music to this day.

And if by "dry" they mean "less of a tendency to launch into a tedious Jansen/Ming music video in the middle of the game", then yes, I suppose thet are correct.

I hated that part.

 

[Stabby Joe]

As good as these guys know their stuff, they need to play more as theres plenty of great western music everyone remembers off the bat (some people know despite not playing the game).

And using Monster Hunter as an example isn't very good since sales between east and west seem to highlight its viewed differently... kind of Japan blowing its own trumpet.

BTW anyone ever read the GamesRadar article on rip-off music for games? *cough*Earthbound*cough*

 

[Lord Krunk]

Funny, I actually agree with their last comment.

If anyone can find more memorable and famous game music than that of Final Fantasy and Pokemon, I'll eat my hat.

EDIT: Well, Halo gets close.