So, who do you think is the all-time best video game composer? Why? And what is your favorite song? Obviously there isn't enough room for that many composers in the poll, so I put in the first I could think of.
I would probably have to go with Grant Kirkhope. Banjo Kazooie, Tooie, DK64, Goldeneye, Viva Pinata. Fantastic soundtracks.. and they bring so many damn feels! But I can't really say for sure. It's a tough choice.
Who ever composed this is the greatest. Thats how beautiful it is p.s The best composers are almost always Japenese. American compositions are so bland and emotionless by comparison Listen to a good Japanese composer or good Japanese composition. Its a night and day difference You can sense all the heart poured into the music shining through So much more feeling. You can feel the inspiration in Japanese compositions. Asians are really in tune with music, and are much more creative and soulful composersepicgameplayer
I actually sent Grant Kirkhope an email about me and my brothers' experience with all of Rare's games as kids. He actually replied. Here's a portion of the mail:
I had great fun making those games at Rare back then and I really miss those times. I was very lucky to be there and to be part of that team, I couldn't fail to be inspired by the fantastic worlds and characters that they made.
Viva Piñata was probably my favourite game that I've worked on, I really poured my heart into that music. A lot of those tunes can still make me cry .... I'm a bit of a softie really .... Heh!
Thanks for taking the time to mail me!!! All the best and happy new year!
Cheers, Grant.Grant Kirkhope
Japanese music is fantastic, but saying that western composers (I know you specifically mentioned American) make bland and emotionless music is just plain wrong. Jeremy Soule's soundtrack for Morrowind, Oblivion and Skyrim are some of the best in the industry, and Paul Romero's melodies from Heroes of Might and Magic really are stunning.
Who ever composed this is the greatest. Thats how beautiful this piece is lol p.s The best composers are almost always Japanese. Many American compositions are so bland by comparison. They just dont have that same spark. Listen to a good Japanese composer or good Japanese composition. Its a night and day difference You can sense all the heart poured into the music shining through So much more feeling. You can feel the emotion in Japanese compositions. Its inspiring. They are much better put together as well. Thats why Sony (and maybe even Nintendo) is much more creative then M$ is. For sure Sony is much better and more creative then Micro$oft is. The Japenese are very pasionate about what they do. Sony is very passionate about gaming and its fanbase. You see that shinning through in the PS4 brighter then ever and you saw it in the PS3 as well .... Where as Microsoft is just your average big shady amurikkkan corp out to make as much profit as possible and at any expense possible I cant say this enough, f^ck you Microsoft, and f^ck your lackluster Gears/Halo/Forza games too lol Anyway, Asians are really in tune with music, and IMO are much more creative and soulful composers on average
Who ever composed this is the greatest. Thats how beautiful this piece is.
p.s The best composers are almost always Japanese. American compositions are so bland and emotionless by comparison Listen to a good Japanese composer or good Japanese composition. Its a night and day difference You can sense all the heart poured into the music shining through So much more feeling. You can feel the emotions and inspirations in Japanese compositions. Much better put together as well. Thats why Sony and Nintendo are much more creative then M$ is and are much better then M$ is The Japenese are very pasionate about what they do. Sony is very passionate about gaming and its fanbase. You see that shinning through in the PS4 brighter then ever and you saw it in the PS3 as well .... Where as Microsoft is just your average big shady aMURRican corp out to make as much profit as possible and at any expense possible I cant say this enough, f^ck you Microsoft, and f^ck your lackluster Gears/Halo/Forza games too lol Anyway, Asians are really in tune with music, and are much more creative and soulful composersepicgameplayer
Lol are you trying to quote yourself? Or did you just post the same crap twice but changed it a little?
[QUOTE="epicgameplayer"]Who ever composed this is the greatest. Thats how beautiful it is p.s The best composers are almost always Japenese. American compositions are so bland and emotionless by comparison Listen to a good Japanese composer or good Japanese composition. Its a night and day difference You can sense all the heart poured into the music shining through So much more feeling. You can feel the inspiration in Japanese compositions. Asians are really in tune with music, and are much more creative and soulful composerswapahala
I actually sent Grant Kirkhope an email about me and my brothers' experience with all of Rare's games as kids. He actually replied. Here's a portion of the mail:
I had great fun making those games at Rare back then and I really miss those times. I was very lucky to be there and to be part of that team, I couldn't fail to be inspired by the fantastic worlds and characters that they made.
Viva Piñata was probably my favourite game that I've worked on, I really poured my heart into that music. A lot of those tunes can still make me cry .... I'm a bit of a softie really .... Heh!
Thanks for taking the time to mail me!!! All the best and happy new year!
Cheers, Grant.Grant Kirkhope
Japanese music is fantastic, but saying that western composers (I know you specifically mentioned American) make bland and emotionless music is just plain wrong. Jeremy Soule's soundtrack for Morrowind, Oblivion and Skyrim are some of the best in the industry, and Paul Romero's melodies from Heroes of Might and Magic really are stunning.
Listen to the video i posted They arent any heartful compositions like that in Viva Pinata... Use your own ears and listen... I dont care what this Grant Kirkhope says. By the way, who the hell is he and why should i care about him lol ....actions speak louder then words,his music was bland Odd of you to post what you did. (Not to mention that Rare is a complete shell of their former selfes and were ruined by Microsoft long ago) Also, there may be some decent to great American composers here and there, but there are far better Japanese composers Take the best American composition and compare it to the best Japanese composition too. It will be a night and day differnece. The Japanese composition more times then not blows the best American ones out of the water etc
Listen to the video i posted They arent any heartful compositions like that in Viva Pinata... jg4xchamp
Because it would make no sense in a game like Viva Pinata.
That's like expecting Seinfeld to have the same level of emotional resonance as Six Feet Under. What you say is true and i already know that But regardless, Its STILL much better music then any thing i heard in Viva Pinata. Much better put together, more fitting for the game it is was used in,, more melodic etc As much of a terribly average game Viva Pinata was, its soundtrack was decent for an American Soundtrack, but it still doenst compare to many of the great Japanese compositions ive heard. Thats all......
I don't know...I honestly, don't really care "much" for the music in games. A lot of the music in the video games I've played have been freaking awesome and while there may have been a few that weren't up to par with the others they all still were great to listen to no matter what but it's not like I'm balls deep in the gaming music scene or anything. I just like the tunes that play, after that I don't do much else with it.
Anyways, I have to say, I've been listening to the Halo theme a lot recently and....god damn. It is on another f*cking level for a first person shooter; I mean, RPGs usually have fun with the awesome ochestral numbers and big sweeping epic scopes that just immerse you into the world but Halo? Damn...
I'd even give props to the Halo 2 Mjolnir Mix; might not be Ochestral but, honestly, imo, it kicks major ass.
When you wrote that Japanese composers pour their hearts into their music, it just reminded me of that email. I just felt like sharing it. I wasn't comparing his music to the music of Shadow of the Colossus. No need to be an utter ASS. Christ.. I truly feel sorry for you if don't know who he is and why you should care about him.
wapahala
Thanks for sharing then. .. I wasnt trying to come off as an ass lol My bad. And no you shouldnt feel sorry for me. Ive heard many beautiful compositions from better composers. Maybe i will go look up more of his work and give him another shot though. Any other games hes worked on?
Ok. Now I feel bad. Sorry, bro.
Anyway, he made the music for ,Goldeneye 64, Banjo Kazooie, Banjo Tooie, Donkey Kong 64, Perfect Dark, Viva Pinata, Banjo Kazooie Nuts & Bolts, and most recently Kingdoms of Amalur.
As you probably can tell by the titles, his music is completely different compared to SotC and other "epic" games.
[QUOTE="epicgameplayer"][QUOTE="jg4xchamp"] Because it would make no sense in a game like Viva Pinata.
That's like expecting Seinfeld to have the same level of emotional resonance as Six Feet Under. jg4xchamp
Yep, thats exactly why i told him its odd that he would post what he did and use Viva Pinatat as an example etc What you say is true and i already know that! But regardless, Its STILL much better music then any thing i heard in Viva Pinata. Much better put together, more fitting for the games they are in, more melodic etc As much of a terribly average game Viva Pinata was, its soundtrack was decent for an American Soundtrack, but it still doenst compare to many of the great Japanese compositions ive heard. Thats all...... Him talking about how Viva Pinata felt to him emotionally had more to do with what making that music was like to him, and that time period in his life, and less to do with the musical score itself. How did that concept go right over your head? Plus while my own personal favorites in gaming maybe Japanese, there are plenty of great western composers. Especially outside of gaming in the realm of television and film. Go back and re read his reply, then my reply. You interjected out of no where and then i replied to you. What you say is kind of stupid too, no offence.... Because even a rain drop can mean something emotional to someone by reminding them of something or triggering a past memory. All sounds can do that etc even a smell But that doesnt mean that that rain drop sounds better then a good song i like. Yeah it all comes down to prefrence etc But its pretty easy to spot when something just sounds better etc All im doing is pointing out that Japanese compositions on average sound much better then most American compositions Im not even Asian. Im just making observations And yeah, i agree with you that there are great American composers too. I just like and enjoy Japnese compositions MUCH better.
No I read it fine, you're example of taking what he wrote about his music entirely missed what he was talking about.
It wasn't the music itself he thought he created as something powerful, it was how it reminded him of all the effort he put into that soundtrack to match the game. It had nothing to do with emotional resonance through the music as much as it was entirely personal to him. The notion that the western composers haven't put any soul or their heart into their music is a ridiculous notion, and there are plenty of western gaming soundtracks that have powerful pieces of music.
And again once you step outside of this medium you have even more exceptional music on the western front. Don't know what nonsense you are going on about.
When you wrote that Japanese composers pour their hearts into their music, it just reminded me of that email. I just felt like sharing it. I wasn't comparing his music to the music of Shadow of the Colossus. No need to be an utter ASS. Christ.. I truly feel sorry for you if don't know who he is and why you should care about him.
wapahala
Thanks for sharing then. .. I wasnt trying to come off as an ass lol My bad. And no you shouldnt feel sorry for me. Ive heard many beautiful compositions from better composers. Maybe i will go look up more of his work and give him another shot though. Any other games hes worked on?
Ok. Now I feel bad. Sorry, bro.
Anyway, he made the music for ,Goldeneye 64, Banjo Kazooie, Banjo Tooie, Donkey Kong 64, Perfect Dark, Viva Pinata, Banjo Kazooie Nuts & Bolts, and most recently Kingdoms of Amalur.
As you probably can tell by the titles, his music is completely different compared to SotC and other "epic" games.
No, dont feel bad Cheer up:) I feel bad for being such an ass to you though. Ive been arguing on this forum for a good hour lol, so i was already in a very defensive mood. Im really sorry. You seem like a good guy, and i will definently check out more of his work Any other great American composers you's like to reccomend me haha. I feel like listening to some music
Him talking about how Viva Pinata felt to him emotionally had more to do with what making that music was like to him, and that time period in his life, and less to do with the musical score itself. How did that concept go right over your head? Plus while my own personal favorites in gaming maybe Japanese, there are plenty of great western composers. Especially outside of gaming in the realm of television and film. jg4xchamp
Tan Dun, Gian-Carlo Menotti, Stephen Sondheim, John Adams, Samuel Barber, George Gershwin, Terry Riley, Steve Reich, Phillip Glass, Leonard Bernstein...
No I read it fine, you're example of taking what he wrote about his music entirely missed what he was talking about.
It wasn't the music itself he thought he created as something powerful, it was how it reminded him of all the effort he put into that soundtrack to match the game. It had nothing to do with emotional resonance through the music as much as it was entirely personal to him. The notion that the western composers haven't put any soul or their heart into their music is a ridiculous notion, and there are plenty of western gaming soundtracks that have powerful pieces of music.
And again once you step outside of this medium you have even more exceptional music on the western front. Don't know what nonsense you are going on about. I dont care about WHAT that composer said and it has NOTHING to do with that. Read this It all comes down to prefrence at the end of the day etc But its pretty easy to spot when something just sounds better etc All im doing is pointing out that Japanese compositions on average sound much better then most American compositions Im not even Asian. Im just making observations. Again this has NOTHING to do with that composer. Im talking about ME and why I LIKE what i like etc. Thats what i was talking about and then you rudley interjected yourself into the convo Look, I understand why his work on Viva Pinata meant a lot to him etc I dont care .Why does that matter to me? Thats not going to make me enjoy his music in that game more all of the sudden when i didnt already enjoy it before. What i said earlier is that Japanese compositions sound more heart felt to me. Again, I DONT CARE ABOUT words or what a composer says. I go by their music i can hear I just call it like it is
Anyway, he made the music for ,Goldeneye 64, Banjo Kazooie, Banjo Tooie, Donkey Kong 64, Perfect Dark, Viva Pinata, Banjo Kazooie Nuts & Bolts, and most recently Kingdoms of Amalur.
As you probably can tell by the titles, his music is completely different compared to SotC and other "epic" games.
wapahala
No, dont feel bad :( Cheer up:) I feel bad for being such an ass to you though. Ive been arguing on this forum for a good hour lol, so i was already in a very defensive mood. Im really sorry. You seem like a good guy, and i will definently check out more of his work :) Any other great American composers you's like to reccomend me haha. I feel like listening to some music
Nothing like a good ol' System Wars "patch things up after a discussion"-moment!
Well, anything by Jeremy Soule.
And Russell Shaw aswell.
Don't know how much of a fan you are of the Might and Magic franchise, but Paul Romero has made some great melodies throughout the last twenty years or so.
Cool, i will be watching them right now :) p.s Actually, the Uncharted theme is very iconic and is very good. Id put that on par with Japan's best haha I like Uncharted's sound track a lot. IMO Uncharted has one of the best American sound tracks in games. Have you seen the movie Gladiator? That had an epic soundtrack too! Anyway, Thanks for posting the vids! Now all we need is some good Japanese soudtracks. Lets share all the love and rock our heads to the music together haha
I actually love the Infamous soundtrack too This piece especially from 0:44 to 0:57 is just amazing. So melodic That part that starts at around 0:50-55 and which alternates for a little while is what makes this piece amazing Hearing this song in Infamous 2 while you fought the beast in a final showdown was just so epic and really added to the already epic ass climax of the game. So memorable. Infamous 2 is so under rated!
Also this is one of my favorite all time video game compositions ever From 0:39 on to 1:15 is magical. It reminds me of like a beautiful triumph after over coming adversity When i hear that part i can think of it being played in the Hunch back of Notre Dame or in Beauty of the Beast etc Just a very powerful piece of music
[QUOTE="CanYouDiglt"]I think Marty O'donnell did the first 3 Halo ones. I pick him ODST Soundtrack is him kicking all kinds of ass in the soundtrack department. Dude was on point with that one.
I voted for Uematsu, probably 15% of time time I hum any song in my head it's from Final Fantasy. Although Kirkhope is in a close second, Goldeneye has some of my favouritevideo gamemusic ever.
Michiru Yamane, Kinuyo Yamashita, Sota Fujimori, Sotaro Tojima, Souji Taro and Masanori Adachi all deserve praise for their work in the Castlevania series.
[QUOTE="ImJESUS-PROam"]Too much japanese in poll lol.ImJESUS-PROam
2 people being Japanese is too much?
No other country has to. For a poll like this, one in each region would be fair.
USA: Jeremy Soule (Morrowind, Oblivion, Skyrim), Martin O'Donnell (Halo series), Paul Romero (Heroes-, Might and Magic series), Matt Uelmen (Diablo, StarCraft, WoW).
England: Harry Gregson-Williams (Metal Gear Solid), Russell Shaw (Fable series).
[QUOTE="epicgameplayer"]Who ever composed this is the greatest. Thats how beautiful it is p.s The best composers are almost always Japenese. American compositions are so bland and emotionless by comparison Listen to a good Japanese composer or good Japanese composition. Its a night and day difference You can sense all the heart poured into the music shining through So much more feeling. You can feel the inspiration in Japanese compositions. Asians are really in tune with music, and are much more creative and soulful composers Lol? The most famous musicians do not come from japan for a reason outside a few. Remember, technical music and ear candy are two different things.
[QUOTE="ImJESUS-PROam"]Too much japanese in poll lol.wapahala
What? How? Two eastern and two western composers. Some posters would probably want more Japanese composers in the poll. :P
No, it's 2 japanese composers and 2 western composers at different countries. Int he West, music taste changes where you go, in the East, music sounds a lot similar(traditionally.) Listen to some of the greatest.
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