GDC 2009: Norihiko Hibino Means Business, Extends Hand To West

It’s been a long week at the Game Developers Conference here in San Fransisco. Thankfully, there were plenty of panels, interviews and events to keep us busy. One of those said panels included a presentation by none other than composer and OSV contributor Norihiko Hibino. He provided us with an in-depth look into Japanese business practices surrounding game audio and dispelled a rumor or two in the process.

Learn about some of the gritty details after the jump.

After a brief introduction by Tommy Tallarico telling us how long he and other Western composers have been waiting to hear this information,  Hibino took the stage discussing his start in the industry. Coming from a Jazz background and having graduated from Berklee College of Music, Hibino went on to work at Konami, composing for various titles in varying capacities. I was already slightly aware of the social stigma surrounding game music in Japan, but it was rather surprising–at least, to me–to hear that a position as a game composer, even as late as 1999, wasn’t considered a very prestigious career in the industry. Since then, he’s gone on to form his own studio with a team of composers, engineers, and arrangers, and is developing a studio in Malaysia to handle post production work. His time in Konami undoubtedly provided experience and connections needed to function in the industry, and Hibino himself even mentioned how he felt lucky to have started there.

Continuing his discussion, he went on to explain that nowadays Konami actually operates its own school where it grooms future employees, offering them internships upon graduating. While demo submissions still take place at game companies, they’ve become less frequent typically occur only between employees who are already working at the companies in question in another capacity. As a result, it becomes easier to move up from within an established company as opposed to being hired directly for a position, such as in-house composer. As for being an in-house composer–as opposed to a freelancer–the major benefit is the stability of being part of the company in question.

A few other key points made during the discussion included being a team player, and making sure that you remain loyal to your company during your time with them. I found it interesting that being a composer in Japan forces you to maintain a strong relationship with former employers, regardless of how you left. Frankly, I agree that it’s probably a better policy to remain on good terms, but I was surprised to find out that there really isn’t any wiggle room for composers over there.

Hibino finished the presentation by discussing potential alternate revenue streams, including his new iPhone sleep application Prescription for Sleep, and even mentioned bringing Western composers into the collaborative arrange albums that are produced in Japan. I was amazed that he didn’t seem too upset about the doujin scene, and even mentioned that fans make a lot of money off the sales of these albums without any interference from the game developers.  This ended up being a very insightful panel and I’d like to extend my thanks to Norihiko Hibino for taking the time to share his experience and vast knowledge of Japanese business practices.

Did anyone else find these insights helpful?  How would you like to be featured on one of those Japanese arrange albums?