not necessarily. DQXI in Japan also had MIDI tracks, because withholding the orchestrated versions of the tracks means more concert ticket sales for the composer.
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Dragon Quest's (US) lack of orchestrated soundtracks is my #1 most disappointing thing in gaming.
- Thread starter Deleted member 3534
- Start date
not necessarily. DQXI in Japan also had MIDI tracks, because withholding the orchestrated versions of the tracks means more concert ticket sales for the composer.
It is really weird and dumb that this is still a thing. It doesn't help that seemingly every single Dragon Quest trailer uses the exact same main theme to the extent it feels like self-parody, either.
Also if it is for concert sales, has Square Enix not told him that literally every Distant Worlds, Eorzean Symphony etc. sells out pretty quickly??
Seems like the franchise is only bound to improve once the composer steps down. Sure he's a visionary (even if he denies war crimes yikes) but variety is necessary, especially for such a long running franchise. If Final Fantasy still had Nobuo Uematsu for every game I'd be just as disappointed.
Also if it is for concert sales, has Square Enix not told him that literally every Distant Worlds, Eorzean Symphony etc. sells out pretty quickly??
Seems like the franchise is only bound to improve once the composer steps down. Sure he's a visionary (even if he denies war crimes yikes) but variety is necessary, especially for such a long running franchise. If Final Fantasy still had Nobuo Uematsu for every game I'd be just as disappointed.
Well, at least we have some hope on PC. I am going to wait and see what happens there and will grab the game if/when music mods arrive.
I dont think so. IIRC dragon quest 8 got an orchestral score specifically for it when it was released in the west.
Well, it's far from being my #1 disappointment with gaming, but it's outrageous all the same. It doesn't make any sense, it's simply a ridiculous thing to happen in 2018 and in DQXI's case it will arguably hurt the game's chances (I can see it having a visible impact on reviews...). Why Square-Enix is doing nothing to address this is just... bonkers. (Also, just fire the damn guy already, I have no pity for war crime deniers.)
I will play the steam version if someone mods the orchestral soundtrack, no way im playing the game with that horrible midi music, it sounds awful and feels so out of place with the wonderful visuals of the game.
The music was really bad in the E3 demo I played. I couldn't believe my ears. Even putting his politics aside, Sugiyama is a liability to the series.
Is there any actual evidence it's due to concert sales and whatnot, though? Not that I wouldn't be surprised, but still.
Is there any actual evidence it's due to concert sales and whatnot, though? Not that I wouldn't be surprised, but still.
I only recently found out about the music thing and holy hell I can't believe SE thought it was okay to put that garbage midi in the game. Just replace that piece of shit. Ill buy the Steam version and mod it.
I sank like 100 hours into the Japanese release of DQXI and the music never took me out of the game. It just sounds/reminds me of the DS games. The new compositions themselves are nothing to write home about, and Sugiyama is indeed a scummy individual, but I always thought the cartoony music fit the charming and cartoony visuals. It's a bummer it's going to cause people to miss out on this game, because it's really wonderful.
Its disappointing for sure considering DQ VIII has one of the most beautiful combinations of art and orchestrated music I've ever seen but I'll take a localized DQ game where I can get it.
I imagine the same thing happening
*Sugiyama sipping some tea*: I hope those Americans are grateful I was gracious enough to allow one of my CDs to be included in their copy of the game after daring to defy me before. As if I'd let them hear my glorious orchestra music while playing.
"Sir! The Americans have found a way to put your live music IN the game themselves!
*Sugiyama spits out tea*: WHAAAAAT?!
That's all well and good, but Dragon Quest will NEVER get out of its niche with such archaic sound design. Potential newcomers, something the series REALLY NEEDS, will be turned away.
I appreciate MIDI. MIDI playback is like a tiny orchestra playing live just for you. Very lightweight too. I hope it makes a comeback in the industry.
What?
Srs, even the non orchestral music is still better than in most games.
The "archaic sound design" is not the reason why DQ didn't take of in the West.
It's a ridiculous situation that effectively removed it entirely from my radar, completely ignoring it.
Sure, for the record, I thought games like Builders sound fine, I'm not completely against synth or anything, it just sounds particularly awful in XI.
Also, I'm not saying the music is the SOLE reason DQ hasn't taken off, I'm just saying it really doesn't help the series get new fans.
Considering the response to the awful sounding music right now, I'm going to say it's gonna hurt. Games in the SNES and PSX era sound far better. I mean, at least hire a good synth operator. Ryo Yamazaki isn't retired.
This whole soundtrack was purely MIDI and the instruments that sound so real are Ryo Yamazaki's work as synth operator. Same for Unlimited SaGa.
Great example. Wish we knew exactly what went on in XI's development that made the soundtrack sound the way it does. Was it just a really bad Synth programmer, was Sugiyama just really desperate for concert ticket sales, or maybe SE just wanted to really add incentive for a Switch version with voice acting and Orchestra music?
Just watching this video makes it hurt even more, I was really interested in DQXI but the midi soundtrack sounds so cheap, to the point it turns me off pretty hard
I don't know if I'd say well made but out of the original tracks my favorite was probably
Though context helps I guess.
Public Service Bumping this thread in case anyone in it gave up on the game because of the music. The mod for the PC version is now out and works PERFECTLY. Literally changes the game from disappointment to BEST GAME OF THE YEAR.
Mod Information: https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1521444556
Mod Information: https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1521444556