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[Glowsquid]

There's ton of great "videogamey" soundtracks on old computer platforms like the C64 and Amiga,but the library of those are not very well known to modern retrogamers for whatever reason, so

Eastern devs.
Western devs.

The answer: Venezuela.

 

[Go_Ly_Dow]

And I also fine Japanese games that I overall found very disappointing (Example: FFXIII series) tend to not drop the quality of their soundtracks as much. They also tend to provide a fond memory of the game in reflection, even tho so many other areas about the game were lacking.

XIII

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQSr2Qq30mM

XIII-2

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mpsgk7b3R3w

Lightning Returns

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-OVnpiSGUw0

 

[PillarEN]

Why doesn't anyone ever mention that Shimomura composed the Street Fighter II soundtrack

But not everything. I forget who the other contributor was.

 

[jesu]

Racing games and sports games have the best soundtracks.
Made for video game music is a bit meh, especially that Japanese stuff with some guy pretending it was him but he went deaf years ago.
Halo is good though and Mass Effect.

 

[Blobbers]

Sometimes I forget how weaboo GAF can be.

Both Japan and the West makes some good videogame soundtracks - and a lot of crappy ones.

Only if you consider this crappy https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0kcF7E69C6Q

 

[entremet]

Sometimes I forget how weaboo GAF can be.

Both Japan and the West makes some good videogame soundtracks - and a lot of crappy ones.

Console gaming tendency as well. PC gaming soundtracks, most which are Western from the 90s to now are great, (Doom, Deux Ex, WoW, Neverwinter Nights) but I could imagine many haven't been played by these youngsters.

 

[Dio]

Neither,

VG OSTs are the most conservative, generic form of music around.

Not to say there aren't some good-to-listen-to pieces, but that's very different from actually innovating in composition.

I'd love to hear a game scored by someone like Unsuk Chin.

If you want a Japanese game soundtrack that's experimental as fuck, listen to the Drakengard 1 soundtrack. That shit is insane. It's thematically perfect but it also messes with your mind at the same time, as your murderous crazy-ass protagonist mows down hundreds of people and children.

 

[PillarEN]

Racing games and sports games have the best soundtracks.
Made for video game music is a bit meh, especially that Japanese stuff with some guy pretending it was him but he went deaf years ago.
Halo is good though and Mass Effect.

Oh you. Hahaha. Pretty good troll.

 

[Kurt Angle]

Cod blops2 had avenged sevenfold

west won

 

[More Fun To Compute]

One thing that I have never really been a fan of is stuff like Jeremy Soule. I liked game music more when it was stuff like some crazy guy trying to plagiarise a tangerine dream song on the c64.

 

[jesu]

Oh you. Hahaha. Pretty good troll.

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1120010

 

[Parfait]

Japan has better music
West has much better atmospheric music

This is it

The few western game soundtracks/artists i listen to are really good and tend to be from wrpgs. The Elder Scrolls, Divinity, etc are what i tend to listen to the most on the west side of things. But almost everything from the east i pick out tends to be great no matter the genre. They're also way more memorable. I can remember the original Halo theme, and it was great, but i don't really remember much of the rest of the game's music. But I still remember loads of Xenogears music and remember them fondly.

 

[Dio]

This is it

There's a reason for this, actually, and it's a general philosophy I find colors a lot of soundtrack making in the West.

It's that you should never actually actively think about the song playing in the background - music should augment the experience, but never be so prominent as to distract the viewer/player from what's going on onscreen. I've worked with a soundtrack guy who is innately familiar with following this guideline.

I don't think it's something people should follow at all times, but it's where all the 'atmospheric' style western soundtracks come from.

 

[Barajas_201]

Japan, hands down, just because of the sheer quantity and quality but the West has David Wise so I'm kinda torn on this...

 

[Seraphis Cain]

I'd like to point out this amazing Shoji Meguro track from Trauma Team. I mean, a game about medical procedures and it's got music THIS good?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g-xbLswGuhs

 

[entremet]

The Halo series had some amazing music. Never cared for the games, but I loved the soundtracks.

 

[Primethius]

It's all preference of course.

I have tons of favorites from both regions but Japan edges it out for me.

 

[gloriousd]

Poland.

The only correct answer.

 

[Chariot]

Hands down, Japan. Even bad games tend to have a decent soundtrack.
Not to say that the west don't has some cool soundtracks. I adore the Fable one.

 

[DaciaJC]

I prefer orchestral scores, so the West is easily my favorite when it comes to music. Composers like Michael Giacchino, Jeremy Soule, Stephen Rippy, Harry Gregson-Williams, and Jeff Van Dyck are all top-notch.

 

[Elitist1945]

I prefer orchestral scores, so the West is easily my favorite when it comes to music. Composers like Michael Giacchino, Jeremy Soule, Stephen Rippy, Harry Gregson-Williams, and Jeff Van Dyck are all top-notch.

This is me.

 

[NSESN]

I think Yoko Shimomura alone composed more than half of my favourite songs.

 

[SoundPulse]

The Halo series had some amazing music. Never cared for the games, but I loved the soundtracks.

More than just that, it was great at knowing when to use them. For instance, this track starts up on Silent Cartographer as you start to push your way back through the Covenant that came in after you.

 

[magwizsorc]

If you were talking original music I would say Japan, but sports games, racing games, and urban open world games really take the soundtrack cake. Feel like SSX and Jet Set Radio really need to be mentioned.

 

[Astral Dog]

Japan, its not reeeeeeaaallyyy a contest. countless examples.
although the West can make some great orchestrated tracks.

 

[gelf]

Console gaming tendency as well. PC gaming soundtracks, most which are Western from the 90s to now are great, (Doom, Deux Ex, WoW, Neverwinter Nights) but I could imagine many haven't been played by these youngsters.

Been playing PC games since windows 95 (and earlier if you consider the Atari ST and Commodore Amiga "PCs"), I still prefer mostly Japanese soundtracks. Frank Klepacki being the biggest western exception I can think of for his excellent C&C stuff.

 

[Thanatos451]

For me it's Japan.

 

[Durrzerker]

Alright it's time for me to show the West's teeth.

First off, it's CRIMINAL that Blizzard hasn't gotten any love here.


I mean, come on!

From old:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2evIg-aYw8

https://youtu.be/xlSbPlKQ_dc?t=4m1s


To new:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mpyInx0ldfo


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WXxy3Y8daks


TO UNRELEASED, EVEN:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DwUP87kxUyU


Blizzard kills it every time. Meanwhile, the West also has so much more. People have covered The Elder Scrolls and Bastion/Transistor, but what about LISA's awesomeness?


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZuI3ZkCHfs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JXJwllEL7Sg

And here's a brand new soundtrack that just kills it from Rivals of Aether:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-JdYXDgAro


I could go on and on, but I'll wrap it up with one last one. Croatia is west, right?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6j5EEfDA8bE


Anyways, I vote West. Obviously.

 

[Sgt.Pepper]

Pimpin' Dustforce
https://youtu.be/KXH5G_bqrlc
https://youtu.be/TS3lNhmFKk4
https://youtu.be/4fBQDzRvCTs

 

[Linkark07]

Eastern easily.

That said, there are some western composers that I like, for example, Frank Klepacki, Jesper Kyd, David Arkenstone and Inon Zur.

 

[Dad]

The answer: Venezuela.

Venezuela got nothin on the US

 

[SuperAngelo64]

East. This isn't even a goddamn contest.

I said 'east' because I'm not limiting it to Japan, Korea puts out some of the best soundtracks around (even if they're tied to some pretty mediocre games).

 

[Granjinha]

I think it's a pretty even match.

It depends on my mood. Right now, west wins.

These 'it's not really a contest' posts are really silly lol

Japanese composers tend to be more experimental I think.

Not if you include indie devs.

 

[zeopower6]

lNot if you include indie devs.

I was counting Japanese doujin stuff too tbh.

 

[Varna]

Stuff Like the Legend of Mana soundtrack really skew the debate at least in terms of what is better music in general.

Overall I do prefer western video game soundtracks even though they definitely are not as memorable. I'm just more a fan of ambient soundtrack for my games. For example I hate battle themes since they are so overbearing and get old incredibly fast. In western rpgs this is hardly a problem because they aren't as noticeable and often just fit in with the action.

 

[Modest Mauser]

I tend to enjoy how eclectic the soundtracks in Japanese games are

 

[ffdgh]

Well japan has yo-

Yoko Shimomura is in Japan so...Japan lol

Oh beaten. DKC2/Tropical freeze are still top tier though.

 

[Kieli]

Lifeformed (West).

Goddamn, I need more music like this.

 

[Phocks]

Japan because they've been doing it a lot more. A lot of the western indie dev's music posted in this thread are heavily influenced by Japanese composers. There are some pretty great western composers like Tim Follin, Japan just has more.

 

[Mr-Joker]

Japan hands down, I can easily think of a music that I like whereas with Western music I am just drawing a blank.

 

[Htown]

Japan, easily. Outside of some indie stuff, Western games seem too preoccupied with trying to make movie soundtracks instead of game soundtracks. I don't know if that makes sense.

 

[PandaPedinte]

Both can produce great musics tracks, there are some western composers making good music for indie games though they aren't talked a lot.

Chris Christodoulou did the Risk of Rain soundtrack
Ben Prunty did FTL soundtrack
Leila Wilson worked on Freedom Planet

 

[Nowhere Man]

Japan by FAR. They focus on strongly melodic pieces and wailing buttrock! With few exceptions western OSTs are primarily boring atmospheric orchestral white noise that I just tune out. I want music I can listen to in or outside of the game. Same reason I almost never notice film scores.

 

[Perfect Cha0s]

I find Japanese video game music a lot more melodically interesting, so Japan.

 

[V-Faction]

I can't decide. I've given up trying to pick.

 

[Bolivar687]

Western composers mostly try to imitate Hollywood and little of it reaches the mark.

The history of Japanese composers in gaming is just untouchable.

 

[cyber_ninja]

Team East for me, easily.

 

[Rebel Leader]

Japan

 

[Baleoce]

There's a reason for this, actually, and it's a general philosophy I find colors a lot of soundtrack making in the West.

It's that you should never actually actively think about the song playing in the background - music should augment the experience, but never be so prominent as to distract the viewer/player from what's going on onscreen. I've worked with a soundtrack guy who is innately familiar with following this guideline.

I don't think it's something people should follow at all times, but it's where all the 'atmospheric' style western soundtracks come from.

I agree with this concept, and I think it's interesting how different composers go about achieving it, either consciously or subconsciously. Another thing I find super interesting is how soundtracks are always augmented when hearing them in context in game (or at least good ones are) , or when you're able to listen to them by itself and think about the context (ie. Both of these things being someone who has actually played the game). Then compare that to someone listening to the music whose never played it. Or try it yourself . Pick a new game. Listen to the OST before and after you've played the game, and try to compare the impact the music had on you. I find a similar thing extends to me as a musician as well. Listening to something I've previously played myself, I get a different perspective of enjoyment from it.

 

[Lord Panda]

Japan for me.

This fine gentlemen brings it home.

Space Harrier Theme Vocals