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Nobuo Uematsu Splitting With Square Enix
FreyarHunter writes "According to Gamespot, Nobuo Uematsu and Square will be separating. Nobuo was the person responsible for the mostly awe-inspiring music for the Final Fantasy games.
The report indicates that he will be moving to a company called "Smile Please". While this was first thought to be a rumor it was later announced on Uematsu 's fansite that it is true.
He states that it isn't "quitting", but more of a graduation. There are hints in this article saying he will still do work for Square, but at his own pace. The good news is that he still plans to write more music for video games, perform more concerts, and produce the second Black Mages Album."
I'm glad to hear they're making a second album. I bought the first album, and have to say that most of the music doesn't get old. Of course, it takes a Final Fantasy addict to say that...
If I have been able to see further than others, it is because I bought a pair of binoculars.
I ran the usual suspects (Google, etc.) but I can't find any good info on Black Mages. I mean, WITHOUT it being a video_game_walkthrough.txt.
So what is this "First Black Mages Album?" Anyone have a link to a site with some samples? I know _I_ love the music, and would be interested in hearing more.
-theGreaterUninformedPublic.
The games just wont be the same, his music had such a great atmosphere. The music helped me through so much exam revision!
I remember playing Final Fantasy I as a kid... and I especially remember the music (I still can play it in my head, haven't played in 10 years). I can say the same thing for most early FF games... the music was wonderful, especially when you consider the limited sound capabilities of the original NES.
Is there a soundtrack of some sort regrouping the most popular FF themes? I find it to be very relaxing...
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It sounds to me like there's a good chance that some of his music can show up in a wider variety of work now. To me, this can only mean more games with fantastic music. If there's one thing that can add to a game, it's music and the environment it can help create. Seems to be a win-win all around. (I assume it's too late for half-life 2 to get some, eh? 'kidding')
I'm still a squaresoft fanboy! Although my fav RPG's were the older ones, like FF3, Secret of Mana, and from Nintendo, Earthbound. Do you Opine?
Hope this isn't offtopic, but it is on my mind (since I'm listening to it at work). This website: http://www.ocremix.org/ posts remixes of classic titles. I especially like the Chronotrigger remixes, but it has A LOT of Final Fantasy remixes as well. Most of them are a big salute to Nubuo Uematsu's original mixes. Hope the people who care enough to read this article enjoy the remixes as much as I do.
Have you ever caught yourself humming some of those old games music. For me probally Super Mario bro's for the origonal NES is my most common. And now evertime I hear somone with their Cell phone ringing its like "Guess that game!"
I think not.
...and may your future be as shining as the legacy you leave behind at Square. While many think that he is overtated, Uematsu's music has had a great effect not only on gaming music, but on the gaming industry as a whole. In movies John Williams is known for his scores, as is Leonard Bernstein for musical scores, but nobuo may be known as one of the first VG composers to reach fan status. I think that this alone says a lot about gaming.
On a second note, I hate to see him go, but I really don't think that Square has anything left for him anymore.
I'm no longer a gamer, but I most enjoyed Uematsu's work in the 16 bit gaming era. Unless I'm wrong, he composed the theme to FF3 (FF6 Japan), which is one of the most soulful, beautiful themes I've ever heard in a video game (although my wife insists it's the Zelda theme...shame on her). I guess my question is this: What exactly is Smile, Please? A gaming company?
Mercy was given to me by Christ...I must give the same to others.
Kinda important when it's the guy's name. Nobuo Uematsu. Not Nubuo.
All I can say is that the FF series won't be the same (I mean, the X-2 tracks... most of them were down-right horrible).
...before I was convinced it was in english.
Yasunori Mitsuda (music from Chrono Cross and Xenogears) is waaay better at producing music IMO
One thing to note for Japanese jobs - people in Japan do not job jump as much as we do in the US. In Japan - moving around too much (company to company) is bad for the resume. So when someone leaves a company - it tends to be a big deal.
Ahh FF1 - still my favorite all time...Though FFX is tied or a close second...have yet to play FFX-2, and I won't play FF online due to the monthly membership costs and the fact that they delete your account if you neglect to pay for one month.
I mod down so you can mod up. Your welcome.
This can only be a good thing. Not only can he do what he wants, now, but he can also still accept work from companies that he wants to do. We still could see more Final Fantasy games with his work, but that's entirely up to him.
As it is, let the man take a break from the obligatory contractual work for a while and see what happens. He can only get better.
The Blaster Master Fighting for Truth, Justice, and Evil Pie since 1979
Frankly, I love Uematsu's work but I'm happy to see him move on to other things and pursue his own interests and goals; I think he's earned the ability to do it. Besides, I see him doing for Square Enix' Final Fantasy music what Amano has been doing all along for their character design: Inspirational pieces from which the main themes are based (particularly those melodies that recur throughout the game, like the Zanarkand theme from FFX or Melodies of Life from FFIX).
Here's to more "inspired by" or arranged albums like The Black Mages, Pray, Love Will Grow, and Celtic Moon, too (I was disappointed at the offering in this department for Final Fantasy X; maybe now it will come out of the woodwork). It sounds to me like Mr. Uematsu retains some rights -- or still has very good relationships with Square Enix -- to continue re-recording those old works, which suits me plenty fine.
For those of you who are more musically inclined, you can actually purchase sheet music of piano scores of his work.
AnimeNEXT anime convention
So that's pretty much it for the old Final Fantasy team. Hironobu Sakaguchi, the director, is no longer with Square-Enix. Yoshitaka Amano, who did the character designs through FFVI, has been doing just logo designs lately. And now Uematsu is leaving. :(
Someone wake me up if/when Wavemaster splits up.
It may be too late for HL2, but i bet there's still plenty of time to get Nobuo on team for Duke Nukem Forever
Move Sig, for great justice.
His music really brings back memories of being a little kid, they really hit you at the right spot. For as simple as his music really sounds (due to the capabilities of SNES and such), my nerdiness here must admit that our friend is the Mozart of video game music! Even to make those sounds, would be quite difficult, and the sequence them just right would take alot of work. As much as I hate to see him leave Square, I really can't say I have heard much from him since the early Final Fantasy, but I hope he goes on and makes some great music for some other great games.
Uematsu has basically decided to go freelance.
Many ex-Square composers are now freelance.
Yasunori Mitsuda (Chrono Trigger, Chrono Cross, Xenogears, Xenosaga, etc.)
Hitoshi Sakimoto (Final Fantasy Tactics, Breath of Fire V, Gradius V, Final Fantasy Tactics Advance, etc.)
Yoko Shiminoura (Legend of Mana, Parasite Eve, Kingom Hearts, etc.)
Kenji Ito (Romancing Saga, Saga Frontier, etc.)
Who's splitting a square what now?
http://chudahs-corner.com/reviews/sscx10080.html
Nobuo Uematsu is the bomb! He has single handedly created the video game music industry. If there is ever a video game Grammy, he should be awarded one! I wish him great success at his new company. And keep making awesome game music!
o re.woa/wa/ProductDetail?pid=11033&cid=1001&did=101
You can get information about the Black Mages at: http://www.gamemusic.com/cgi-bin/WebObjects/GMOSt
Over the past few years Uematsu has been "phased out," if you will, from the Final Fantasy series. He didn't do much for FFX (there were two other composers on the game as well) and IIRC had no involvement on FFX-2. Other than the "Memory" song and the harp prelude in FFXI, Uematsu was only listed as producer. For FFXII I don't even think he's involved (please correct me if I'm wrong). He obviously wants to do other projects -- a few years ago, the CD "Phantasmagoria," and now the Black Mages album -- and is probably taking a hint from other high-profile game industry names (composers, producers, the head artistic people) leaving the large corporations like Square Enix and forming their own small, independent companies, and working on a freelance basis. Uematsu gets more time to produce what he wants with his name on it when he wants, and Square Enix still gets their Uematsu music, just on a freelance basis.
I don't know how common (or practical) collaborations between composers are in the game industry, but it would be really cool to see a teaming up of Nobuo Uematsu and Akira Yamaoka (of Silent Hill soundtrack fame) on a game soundtrack. Having Uematsu's soulful sounds mixed with Yamaoka's darker, more foreboding work would be perfect for a horror-based RPG.
Now that I think about it, though, how many horror-based RPGs are there? I can only think of a handful; the Parasite Eve series, which appears to be defunct, and the Shadow Hearts series.
But what about the graphics!
-r
www.boxtorrents.com
has a roughly 6.3 gB torrent containing all of the final fantasy music for every game, movie, tv show, etc. including the black mages vol. 1
if anyone is interested.
If I recall, this is how LucasArts started sliding too. Their best composer left just as the games started going downhill...
A strain of paranoid prevention can be worse than the disease, whate'er the intention.
I saw it coming too... Another sign was Sakaguchi leaving Square to create Mist Walker. Sakaguchi had expressed a desire to work with old pal Yoshitaka Amano, so I figured that a collaboration with Uematsu wouldn't that far behind, as well. Uematsu going freelance would give him the possibility to work with Sakaguchi without him burning bridges with Square. Chances are Mist Walker's first project will have Uematsu onboard.
(and that said, I wouldn't be surprised if Uemeatsu collaborated in Final Fantasy XIII - Square has no problems working with freelance composers).
If you want good videogame music, you can't pass up Yasunori Mitsuda's work (Xenogears, Xenosaga).t s_id =4837
The review of Xenosaga's music is at
scoresounds.tripod.com/xenosaga.html
The CD of that music is at ()
www.lik-sang.com/info.php?category=264&produc
Many feel that Xenogears-Xenosaga is a better Final Fantasy than Final Fantasy is. Xenosaga 2 is due in February and will include Xenosaga 1 player info importing. Xenosaga 3,4 & 5 are planned.
reminds me of the vacuous big hair metal bands of the 80's.
For something different, Machinae Supremacy instead. Nothing beats screaming guitars backed by a SID6581...
Not only that, MS have free downloads in ogg format...
Like many around here, I have stacks and stacks of RPG's that I've played through (and still playing, just picked up Dragon Quarter) through my life, but I just cannot understand why people put this guy on a pedestal. While a lot of his music is good, a lot of it is essentially elevator music. Also, have you heard some of the stuff that he has put out seperate from video games? I once gave a listen to his album 'Phantasmagoria,' and it was quite awful . . .