[GDN] Japan has always been a consumer market where an OST, whether for anime, film or game, has sold well, what are the reasons for this?

I think this is because Japan is such a homogeneous country.  Everyone tends to look the same, think the same way, and behave in the same manner. We value the feeling of “being a part of a group.” This has been in our nature for a long time.  By following what a given artist releases (not only OSTs, but any goods), fans can feel they belong to a fan’s society.  Many times they sell these goods on internet auctions and become friends with the fans. To attract that feeling, we as producers take special care regarding what we should include for an OST release.  It’s not just about songs, but also jacket design and special items that come along with it.

[GDN] Have you seen a marked change in the way western gamers have viewed OST and music from video games in recent years?

Yes. The interesting thing is now that the gamers from the 80’s who enjoyed old Nintendo or Sega games have become producers and directors of video games, and they’ve been influenced by old Japanese video games. While Hollywood-style music is overwhelming in the current market, some producers ask us to compose to add elements of old Japanese games.

[GDN] How has the approach to in-game music changed lately? What are you doing now that you would not have thought to do back in the days of Metal Gear and Zone of the Enders?

Well for me, I always create music in the same principle of “music must be somewhat extreme” in the game, otherwise there should only be sound effects or even no sound at all.  In general, there used to be wall-to-wall music throughout a game, but now producers are starting to realize it is more effective to use music to have an impact.