Square Enix Disband Inhouse Music Team

By Ishaan . March 3, 2010 . 4:08pm

Square Enix Disband Inhouse Music Team

In January, we reported that Final Fantasy XIII composer Masashi Hamauzu was parting ways with Square Enix, following the departures of other members of Square Enix’s inhouse music team. At the time, video games music coverage site Square Enix Music Online stated that more of Square’s composers were to follow suite in the coming months.

 

Four days ago, SEMO reported Crystal Chronicles composer Kumi Tanioka had announced her departure from the publisher at a festival celebrating 10 years of Final Fantasy XI.

 

Today, the site has revealed that Square Enix originally made the decision to disband their music team at the end of 2009. Hamauzu and Tanioka’s announcements of departure were in light of this decision — a fact that couldn’t be reported until now. While some members of the team have chosen to retire from the business altogether, others are forming their own studios and pursuing freelance opportunities. Kumi Tanioka and Final Fantasy X composer Junya Nakano, for instance, are now part of video game composition alliance GE-ON-DAN.

 

Going forward, the company will rely primarily on contracting external composers to work on their projects. Among their contractors for upcoming games are Nobuo Uematsu’s “Smile Please” production company for Final Fantasy XIV, and Yoko Shimomura. While switching over completely to a contract-based business is a first for Square in the music department, chances are there won’t be any noticeable drop-off in quality, given that they are likely to approach these same composers who have years of experience behind them.

 

Although contractor fees can vary on the basis of a project’s requirements, it is unlikely that the cost of potentially paying a higher fee to composers per-project will offset the resources saved by not having to maintain an internal music studio.


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  • thebanditking

    Ouch! This really must sting from a pride standpoint for S-E. They really are nothing like they use to be back when Squaresoft and Enix were seperate companies. Squaresoft made some of the best game compositions in the industry and was where some of the best in the industry called home. Though with the departure of Hamazu Im not surprized by this news, I mean who did they have left anyway?

    Still its a bit jarring to watch Square slowly become less and less like its former self. The times they are a' changin'.

  • jj984jj

    Supposedly Hamauzu and Nakano were among the 6 who aren't working for S-E anymore because of this and didn't leave before this happened, but SEMO couldn't report that until now.

    But I agree, S-E isn't what they used to be as separate companies. Hopefully the day when all their internal staff become lapdogs for Nomura isn't near, what a sad day that would be.

  • Aoshi00

    I don't know about the other guys, but I bet Hamauzu called it quits after the lackluster reception of Sigma Harmonics and FFXIII, w/ the soundtrack far surpassing the game quality for both. Almost everyone rated his FFXIII music 5-star but the game itself 3-star on average.

    I liked what Nakano Junya did in FFX too. You're right, S-E just isn't the same as Squaresoft anymore, now their game quality is always a “?”, even w/ the flagship FF series.

  • semochris

    Actually, this article isn't entirely accurate. The departures of the various composers were a consequence, not a cause, of the Square Enix sound team disbandment. The departures of Nakano, Hamauzu, and Tanioka came to light before this news broke, but they were sadly axed like the rest of the team at the end of 2009.

  • semochris

    This is correct.

  • http://www.siliconera.com Ishaan

    Noted. I'll make the change. Thanks for clearing this up. :)

  • kupomogli

    The best composers were never in house anyways. Ryo Yamazaki and Masashi Hamauzu are okay, but you can't compare them to some of the best composers that worked for Squaresoft, Enix, or Square Enix at one time or another.

    Hitoshi Sakimoto and Masaharu Iwata. Final Fantasy Tactics series, Final Fantasy 12, Vagrant Story(Sakimoto only,) Ogre Battle(non Square,)Tactics Ogre(non Square,) Breath of Fire Dragon Quarter(non Square, Sakimoto only,) Valkyria Chronicles(non Square, Sakimoto only.) Plus much more.

    Yasunori Mitsuda. Chrono Trigger, Xenogears, not much more is needed for those to recognize his work. I like Sakimoto's work better though.)

  • jj984jj

    Supposedly Hamauzu and Nakano were among the 6 who aren't working for S-E anymore because of this and didn't leave before this happened, but SEMO couldn't report that until now.

    But I agree, S-E isn't what they used to be as separate companies. Hopefully the day when all their internal staff become lapdogs for Nomura isn't near, what a sad day that would be.

  • Aoshi00

    I don't know about the other guys, but I bet Hamauzu called it quits after the lackluster reception of Sigma Harmonics and FFXIII, w/ the soundtrack far surpassing the game quality for both. Almost everyone rated his FFXIII music 5-star but the game itself 3-star on average. Composers don't want to have their work remembered for mediocre and forgettable games right?

    I liked what Nakano Junya did in FFX too. You're right, S-E just isn't the same as Squaresoft anymore, now their game quality is always a “?”, even w/ the flagship FF series.

  • semochris

    Actually, this article isn't entirely accurate. The departures of the various composers were a consequence, not a cause, of the Square Enix sound team disbandment. The departures of Nakano, Hamauzu, and Tanioka came to light before this news broke, but they were sadly axed like the rest of the team at the end of 2009.

  • semochris

    This is correct.

  • http://www.siliconera.com Ishaan

    Noted. I'll make the change. Thanks for clearing this up. :)

  • kupomogli

    The best composers were never in house anyways. Ryo Yamazaki and Masashi Hamauzu are okay, but you can't compare them to some of the best composers that worked for Squaresoft, Enix, or Square Enix at one time or another.

    Hitoshi Sakimoto and Masaharu Iwata. Final Fantasy Tactics series, Final Fantasy 12, Vagrant Story(Sakimoto only,) Ogre Battle(non Square,)Tactics Ogre(non Square,) Breath of Fire Dragon Quarter(non Square, Sakimoto only,) Valkyria Chronicles(non Square, Sakimoto only.) Plus much more.

    Yasunori Mitsuda. Chrono Trigger, Xenogears, not much more is needed for those to recognize his work. I like Sakimoto's work better though.)

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