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#1
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Japanese Soundtracks More Complete...
How come Japanese soundtracks aren't afraid to be 2, even 3 or 4 disc soundtracks while American released soundtracks are usually only 1 disc and often incomplete. Is there a reason why Japan takes the extra effort to include ALL of a soundtrack and America does not?
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#2
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I'm not sure there is an answer to that question
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#3
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Because for the longest time, VGM was a complete afterthought to most Americans. For Japanese releases, there is a longstanding tradition of releases (both original soundtracks and arranges...check the calender and see how many American releases you see near the beginning) and the medium is given much more respect. Over the past decade or so, this has changed somewhat and the idea of listening to music from videogames is not such a foreign concept to American gamers. So it is more common to see complete releases nowadays for non-Japanese releases (although many times, they are in digital format).
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#4
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I also think that for Western games, many soundtracks were treated akin to film and television score: as musical cues, etc.
So for small, 45-second "variation on the main theme" tracks that exist, they don't get published. But in Japan they do. Recurring motifs of all shapes and sizes get their time in the spotlight, but in American soundtracks we tend to just get the big main version, and not all the tiny variances. We also tend not to get music that's *too* ambient, doesn't strike enough of a chord that the publisher thinks it's worth publishing. The same has been true of Western film soundtracks (not as egregiously, but certainly it happens!). But ultimately, even Japanese soundtracks are rarely *100% complete*. Compare the published soundtracks of any 8bit, 16bit, or 32bit RPG with a gamerip of all the audio (or from an in-game soundtest) and things will be missed. Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't it true that when Capcom made up for the laughably incomplete Breath of Fire III OST (one disc) with the *three disc* version found in the BoF box set ... even THAT three disc set is missing a few songs? (I could be wrong, but I swear someone told me that...) Okay, those are my two cents. |
#5
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I was trying to avoid saying this, but I also felt like there was (is) a number of composers that really tried to run with the idea of VGM as being more akin to a film score, when the technology became available. As if being "game like" was a negative trait. The Japanese have never really cared, they published chiptunes on CD early on and continued with the technological advances of various consoles/computers throughout the years. It's that idealogy why I have a greater degree of respect for Japanese composers, they've just been plugging away at it longer and most of my favorite VGM came early on from them, when most US VGM composers and/or the game developers weren't taking the medium seriously.
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#6
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Agreed on everything! I've always thought that Western soundtracks select the "best" songs to release on soundtrack, the songs that people will be "most interested" in hearing (as if we don't want to hear it all, folks!).
Yeah, that's true! I think it was missing some weird variation of Escape and... something else... but I'm pretty sure it was still missing a couple songs. |
#7
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The most notable example that comes to mind where the West clearly outdid the East was the Perfect Dark soundtrack (N64 version). It was going to be released in Japan, but was cancelled. Not only was it released in the U.S., but it was complete.
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#8
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Not only composers and producers. How many people do you know who are willing to buy a game music CD? It makes little sense to spend thousands of dollars on a product which will be bought by maybe 100 people worldwide.
For some reason such people are much more common in Japan. That's a mystery I'd like to see solved. |
#9
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Quote:
To me, is simple marketing. Add-on sales for complimentary goods. |
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