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Deleted member 2793

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However, this does not surprise me because of his age, and that it is Japan. I always worry that other favorite composers in his age group will be the same way (Koroku Reijoro).
I mean, there are bigots everywhere and in every age. Of course I know what you mean, but better to not assume this for other people. Sugiyama is the one actually exposing his terrible views and investing a lot of time and money in this stuff.
 

Deleted member 5535

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13,656
This struck me as, in all probability, more of an ATLUS thing than Shoji Meguro himself. I mean, we're talking about a company that disallow PS4 screenshot features for Persona 5 out of some backward ass reasons of "people spoilering their games." Not to mention region-locking their PS3 games.

They're control freaks.

Unless there are any other occasion of him acting like a jerk?

I mean, music companies are notably known to do that in every part of the world including in Japan, so I don't doubt it.
 

Marukoban

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Oct 29, 2017
2,298
For the longest time, most composers in the Japanese game industry worked as company employees instead of freelancers. It is true that for those who have made a name for themselves, they have increasingly opted to go freelance for the reason that it allows them the opportunity to negotiate ownership of their own music. But for all the composers who worked on games while in the employ of a company, that work belongs to the company, not the individual. Sugiyama is in a unique position because he was never in the employ of Enix from the very start. Uematsu and Meguro do not fully own their own music at all. Meguro is in fact still an employee of Atlus, and is the head of their sound division now. So when he issues a takedown, he is doing it on behalf of Atlus. If he were to ever leave Atlus, his prior work does not entirely belong to him by default. That's not how it works.

Sugiyama had also been a famous musician since way before DQ.
I even remember reading somewhere that other game composer, like Uematsu, look up to Sugiyama as inspiration in composing game music.
Other well-known video game music composer got their fame from doing video game music.
Sugiyama is the only one who has bargaining power to keep ownership of his music.
To be honest, I think even after he retire from composing, his company will still have hold on DQ music.
I don't see SE dropping the classic DQ theme which was composed by him.
 

dragonlife

One Winged Slayer
Member
Oct 25, 2017
872
He's a piece of human shit, and this just proves the point.

The worst part is that he's not just some rando. He's a fuck head with a whole lot of money and a VERY powerful voice in a country that is struggling heavily with these issues because of people like him making it a worse place to live for them. The fact that he has the gall to laugh over the concept of kids killing themselves tells you everything you need to know about his "humanity."

SE should do the world a solid and bring on Manami Matsumae to compose for the main Dragon Quest games. Her work on Dragon Quest Swords is woefully under-appreciated IMO.

Wow, this was great!

Also, this was a shitty video to watch as a gay dude. Scummy people with even more scummy ideals.
 

Kenzodielocke

Member
Oct 25, 2017
12,837
Even if they do, they have the good sense not to make it a massive part of their public and fiscal lives in an effort to spread toxic propaganda in order to muddy the waters of progressive thought. However, in this case, we have a creative laughing at the concept of fellow human beings committing suicide under this preposterous pretense of being unable to grow the population. This is just absurd.
I wasn't going to defend this fucker.
 

Dizagaox

Banned
Feb 26, 2018
1,076
London
For the longest time, most composers in the Japanese game industry worked as company employees instead of freelancers. It is true that for those who have made a name for themselves, they have increasingly opted to go freelance for the reason that it allows them the opportunity to negotiate ownership of their own music. But for all the composers who worked on games while in the employ of a company, that work belongs to the company, not the individual. Sugiyama is in a unique position because he was never in the employ of Enix from the very start. Uematsu and Meguro do not fully own their own music at all. Meguro is in fact still an employee of Atlus, and is the head of their sound division now. So when he issues a takedown, he is doing it on behalf of Atlus. If he were to ever leave Atlus, his prior work does not entirely belong to him by default. That's not how it works.
I'd be very surprised by that. Even under Japanese copyright laws (modelled after US laws), ironically enforced by Sugiyama as the face of Japanese copyright, the most ownership anyone beyond the composer can have is of the production itself. The composition should belong 100% to the composer. Even if a composer decided to waiver their ownership, it's not legally allowed.

I mean that's how Uematsu was able to do his recent tour without Square Enix's involvement.
 

ASaiyan

Member
Oct 25, 2017
7,228
This shows a real lack of understanding over music ownership. The composer owns the music. This guy is a prick, but don't equate retaining copyright as being "an ass".
Wow, you're right, I had no idea that the person who creates and copyrights a work legally owns it! /s

And the reason he vehemently refuses to let audiences outside Japan hear the orchestrated versions of his works, instead of shitty MIDIs, when he would only be financially benefiting by licensing them, is?
 

Opa-Pa

One Winged Slayer
Member
Oct 25, 2017
8,810
Nature sure is taking its sweet time with this guy, ugh.

I really thought he couldn't get any worse, but yeah.
 

Deleted member 5535

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13,656
Sugiyama had also been a famous musician since way before DQ.
I even remember reading somewhere that other game composer, like Uematsu, look up to Sugiyama as inspiration in composing game music.
Other well-known video game music composer got their fame from doing video game music.
Sugiyama is the only one who has bargaining power to keep ownership of his music.
To be honest, I think even after he retire from composing, his company will still have hold on DQ music.
I don't see SE dropping the classic DQ theme which was composed by him.

You're right, Sugiyama already was extremely famous before DQ as a musician and composer.

And yeah, that's what I was thinking. Even after his death or if somehow he retires, the copyright still will exist there. If by death, probably the family will retain it? Or maybe people that work on his company? Thinking about that now, it'll be very difficult.
 

Slime Stack

One Winged Slayer
Member
Oct 25, 2017
1,189
Puerto Rico
How can such an awful person make such beautiful music? That shouldn't happen!

Could we pressure Square Enix to disassociate itself from this man?

DQ has no clout in the west and Sugiyama is an integral part of DQ's identity. SE should seperate from him as SE is a global company ( and it's the right thing to do) but I don't see it happening unfortunately.
 

Dizagaox

Banned
Feb 26, 2018
1,076
London
And the reason he vehemently refuses to let audiences outside Japan hear the orchestrated versions of his works, instead of shitty MIDIs, when he would only be financially benefiting from doing so, is?
Perhaps he doesn't want other people reinterpreting his music. He's not alone. It's not rare for Japanese composers to be precious.

Your comment however comes off as him having copyright makes him an ass. So "/s" all you want, I don't regret scolding you.
 

Nanashrew

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
6,328
Sugiyama had also been a famous musician since way before DQ.
I even remember reading somewhere that other game composer, like Uematsu, look up to Sugiyama as inspiration in composing game music.
Other well-known video game music composer got their fame from doing video game music.
Sugiyama is the only one who has bargaining power to keep ownership of his music.
To be honest, I think even after he retire from composing, his company will still have hold on DQ music.
I don't see SE dropping the classic DQ theme which was composed by him.
Yeah. He has worked on a number of things like the opening theme to The Return for Ultraman, a Godzilla movie, arrangements for Cyborg 009 in the 70's and 80's. He's a very big name, and has influenced many composers with his works.
 

Deleted member 5535

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13,656
How can such an awful person make such beautiful music? That shouldn't happen!



DQ has no clout in the west and Sugiyama is an integral part of DQ's identity. SE should seperate from him as SE is a global company ( and it's the right thing to do) but I don't see it happening unfortunately.

SE is a global company, yeah. But DQ isn't. Sugiyama music is extremely iconic and part of the franchise in Japan at a level that is very different. Imagine Dragon Quest without it's main theme in Japan. Even if SE could do something about him without considering the copyright itself, I doubt that they would considering the consequence that it could get for the franchise which is the second biggest cashcow for the company.
 

ASaiyan

Member
Oct 25, 2017
7,228
Perhaps he doesn't want other people reinterpreting his music. He's not alone. It's not rare for Japanese composers to be precious.
There's no "reinterpretation" necessary. The orchestrated versions already exist, conducted by him, in a version of the game he sanctions existing in one place, but literally nowhere else in the world.

Unless by interpret you mean he literally does not want non-Japanese people to hear his music. In which case, how is someone withholding licensing for a purely racist motive not "being an ass" with their rights? Just because copyright law makes someone the god of their own work doesn't mean we can't hold their actions up to a different form of scrutiny.
 

Rotobit

Editor at Nintendo Wire
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Oct 27, 2017
10,196
The fact he'll almost assuredly keep his job, and all his power, after this is really depressing. I really hope it affects Square Enix's bottom line - I know I'm probably going to wind up getting DQXI used now, if I bother to play through it at all. I know that's not fair on the other, decent people who worked on it but I have to draw the line somewhere.

His music is iconic, sure, but honestly it's overdone. Literally every Dragon Quest trailer I've seen uses the same main theme and it's incredibly stale now. I know DQ is a series all about tradition but eventually you have to get rid of the old to make way for the new, especially when the old is vile and leaves a stain on anything it touches.

I know Japan is making some strides in LGBT rights but those in power need to show their support soon or they're going to look incredibly awkward on the global stage.
 

Zaeia

Member
Jan 3, 2018
1,091
I mean, there are bigots everywhere and in every age. Of course I know what you mean, but better to not assume this for other people. Sugiyama is the one actually exposing his terrible views and investing a lot of time and money in this stuff.

You are right. I should not generalize.

However, I do want to emphasize the level of organization of the Anti-LGBT+ efforts in Japan. They very effectively tie together social ignorance and Japan's population with the existence of the LGBT+ community and friendly spaces. Sugita (and Sugiyama more-so) is not some rogue Trump-like figures, she is an extension of a conservative LDP ruled Japan and a Japanese feminist movement of the last 60 years that absolutely abhors the LGBT+ community and has organized politically (often successfully) to marginalize the community even further. From this thread and even the youtube clip it would seem Sugiyama is an outlier, but he is very much the norm.
 

Hecht

Too damn tired
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Oct 24, 2017
9,730
Let's cool it with the death wishes, all right? I mean, yes there's a slight difference between "I hope he gets murdered on the way home" and "I hope he dies of old age, in his bed, surrounded by his loved ones," but let's just...not.
 

Deleted member 5535

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The fact he'll almost assuredly keep his job, and all his power, after this is really depressing. I really hope it affects Square Enix's bottom line - I know I'm probably going to wind up getting DQXI used now, if I bother to play through it at all. I know that's not fair on the other, decent people who worked on it but I have to draw the line somewhere.

His music is iconic, sure, but honestly it's overdone. Literally every Dragon Quest trailer I've seen uses the same main theme and it's incredibly stale now. I know DQ is a series all about tradition but eventually you have to get rid of the old to make way for the new, especially when the old is vile and leaves a stain on anything it touches.

I know Japan is making some strides in LGBT rights but those in power need to show their support soon or they're going to look incredibly awkward on the global stage.

Sugiyama is known for this for more than 10 years, I doubt it'll do anything. Even more in a franchise with no presence in the west (hell, even the ones with presence in the west almost always don't abide be it from western or japanese companies). That without counting that Sugiyama has copyright on Dragon Quest so it's not like SE can simply dismiss him if they wanted and is extremely famous in the country for his work in DQ and many other series, along with plenty of power as well. And he's not a employee either, never was, with makes it more difficult.

And in no way the main theme of the franchise will ever change, it's part of the franchise. There's 0 chance of it happening even if someday he's not part of the franchise anymore.

But TL;DR It's not simple in any way for different motives.
 

Jimrpg

Member
Oct 26, 2017
3,280
Before I picked up DQVIII on 3DS, I was thinking, how bad could the MIDI be? I even listened to the difference on youtube and didn't really mind (maybe I wasn't even listening carefully). But once I started the game and head the music through earphones, I was definitely disappointed. If I was playing on the gameboy, maybe not so much, but the MIDI music definitely feels like it doesn't suit it at all.

And are they really going through with DQXI on the PS4 with MIDI music. That's just straight up laughable. At least there's a chance there'll be a workaround with the PC version, but with denuvo who knows. Will definitely sit it out until a solution is clear.

As for Sugiyama, don't know the guy, but will definitely wait for a deep sale on DQXI. You gotta vote with your wallet these days.
 

Deleted member 19218

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Everyone is wishing death on this guy and I'm just sitting here hoping he goes into retirement and quietly removes himself from society.
 

How About No

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Oct 25, 2017
5,785
The Great Dairy State
we should separate art from the artist
you can

but it shouldn't always be expected or encouraged

I mean, Sugiyama uses that money from DQ to spread his views.

He tried to take out an ad in New York Times and Washington Post about how China spreads lies about Rape of Nanking and comfort women because they're jealous of Japan and want to take it down and both newspapers denied him until he admitted the Rape of Nanking happened. His reply was to up the bid.

"Separate the art from the artist" isn't high-minded neutrality, it's "I don't care and it bothers me that you do so stop."

oh GOD i forgot about this
 

A Dog

Banned
May 17, 2018
166
As much as I absolutely dislike the man, I need to separate him from his work. He does compose beautiful music.
 

Imran

Member
Oct 24, 2017
6,552
we should separate art from the artist
I mean, Sugiyama uses that money from DQ to spread his views.

He tried to take out an ad in New York Times and Washington Post about how China spreads lies about Rape of Nanking and comfort women because they're jealous of Japan and want to take it down and both newspapers denied him until he admitted the Rape of Nanking happened. His reply was to up the bid.

"Separate the art from the artist" isn't high-minded neutrality, it's "I don't care and it bothers me that you do so stop."
 

Alucrid

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Oct 25, 2017
11,409
can anyone suggest a good lgbtq organization in japan that takes donations so i can tell sugiyama to shove it up his old ass
 

Deleted member 19218

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I mean, Sugiyama uses that money from DQ to spread his views.

He tried to take out an ad in New York Times and Washington Post about how China spreads lies about Rape of Nanking and comfort women because they're jealous of Japan and want to take it down and both newspapers denied him until he admitted the Rape of Nanking happened. His reply was to up the bid.

"Separate the art from the artist" isn't high-minded neutrality, it's "I don't care and it bothers me that you do so stop."

I'm just trying to better understand your post. So he was denied until he admitted it? Are you implying the papers then ran the ad after? I would be quite shocked if so.
 

Imran

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Oct 24, 2017
6,552
I'm just trying to better understand your post. So he was denied until he admitted it? Are you implying the papers then ran the ad after? I would be quite shocked if so.
No, he basically wrote a big thing about how it never happened and China is the enemy and blah blah blah. Both newspapers said "We can't run a thing that says Rape of Nanking never happened, change it to admit it or no deal." He offered to pay more to run it as-is. Then he wrote a big whiny thing complaining about how it was impossible to admit it happened because it didn't happen.

The papers never ran it. Sugiyama never stopped believing it.
 

Dracon

Member
Oct 27, 2017
348
On one hand, you have this old man with hate and prejudice against people, on the other you have people saying that he should die.

I dont belong in this world anymore.
 

Deleted member 19218

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No, he basically wrote a big thing about how it never happened and China is the enemy and blah blah blah. Both newspapers said "We can't run a thing that says Rape of Nanking happened, change it to admit it or no deal." He offered to pay more to run it as-is. Then he wrote a big whiny thing complaining about how it was impossible to admit it happened because it didn't happen.

The papers never ran it. Sugiyama never stopped believing it.


Ah okay, I understand now. I'm glad in the end this stuff never ran in the papers. I'm kind of surprised at how determined he was to try and run these ads though.
 

Imran

Member
Oct 24, 2017
6,552
Ah okay, I understand now. I'm glad in the end this stuff never ran in the papers. I'm kind of surprised at how determined he was to try and run these ads though.
He is a hardcore nationalist. Once you tell someone something they desperately want to believe, they'll never be convinced otherwise.
 

Just_a_Mouse

Member
Oct 27, 2017
2,030
Fuck this piece of shit. I had wanted to play the new DQ, but I don't think I'll be able to do so in good conscience now. I know I'd be thinking about this disgusting waste of life whenever I hear the music.
 
Oct 25, 2017
2,259
Don't really care about Morrissey being a cunt, I still like his music fine.

But, wow. I should find a dude and fuck to the Dragon Quest main theme in the background, then hack into his computer and bomb all his personal social with the video attached.

/s... though it's a nice thought anyways
 

wonzo

Member
Oct 25, 2017
1,568
sugiyamas an irredeemable garbage person and i hope this gains enough traction to finally see him no longer stain dq with is awful music
 

Elven_Star

Member
Oct 27, 2017
3,953
Let's cool it with the death wishes, all right? I mean, yes there's a slight difference between "I hope he gets murdered on the way home" and "I hope he dies of old age, in his bed, surrounded by his loved ones," but let's just...not.
OK. I hope he lives for another century, after a stroke in a vegetative state.
 

Redstreak

Member
Jan 17, 2018
590
On one hand, you have this old man with hate and prejudice against people, on the other you have people saying that he should die.

I dont belong in this world anymore.
"On one hand you have someone who openly laughs at the suffering of a minority group and uses his influence to deny war crimes and on the other you have people who don't like him for that.

Guess they're the same"
 
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