Sound Design

Game Music

Final Fantasy XIII Sound Director Tomohiro Yajima Interview

April 22, 2010 | Jayson Napolitano | Comments Off on Final Fantasy XIII Sound Director Tomohiro Yajima Interview Share this

Tomohiro Yajima may not be a widely known name among Final Fantasy fans, but he’s been on board with the series since Final Fantasy XI, and also has been credited on both Vagrant Story and Xenogears. As Final Fantasy XIII’s Sound Director, he was responsible for all aspects of audio in the game, including dialogue, sound effects, and implementation of the game’s music, working hand-in-hand with composer Masashi Hamauzu and Director Motomu Toriyama to ensure everything was just.

Yajima joins us now to discuss his role on the project, how he was selected to work on it, his approach to the game’s soundscape, how much of the sound effects he was responsible for recording, and also some background about how he came to work at Square Enix. Sound design is often under appreciated among fans and critics alike, so take some time and find out why Yajima thinks it’s one of the most important elements in the game.

Hit the jump for our exclusive interview! (more…)
Game Music

Meet Forcewick, The Studio of Former Capcom Sound Director and Designer Masayuki Endo

October 15, 2009 | Jayson Napolitano | 2 Comments Share this

It was just a few months ago that we told you about Testsuya Shibata’s departure from Capcom to form his own studio, Unique Note, and in a similar fashion, Masayuki Endo has also started out on his own, but in the realm of sound design as opposed to composition.

For those who can’t seem to remember where they’ve seen Endo’s name, he was the sound director and designer for Street Fighter IV and Chaos Legion, and did sound design for a number of other titles during his years at Capcom. He’s now out on his own under the name of “Forcewick,” and OSV has been fortunate to be able to talk to him about the new studio and what his goals are for the company.

Read our interview with Forcewick’s Masayuki Endo after the jump! (more…)
Game Music

Dead Space Extraction Interview: Audio Director Don Veca Talks Scare Tactics

September 24, 2009 | Jayson Napolitano | 4 Comments Share this

I’m still shocked that Dead Space is coming to the Wii. Last year we had a lengthy and interesting chat with Don Veca, Audio Director for the original Dead Space, which turned up all sorts of information about the proprietary sound system they created for the game and some of the technical details of what Dead Space was capable of. With that, I thought it’d be fun to ask about what they were able to accomplish on the Wii.

Overall, it looks like this game is going to sound amazing. While I’ve played it a few times at various events and conventions, background noise has often interfered with my ability to get fully immersed, and even though there isn’t any new music, per se, I’m looking forward to hearing it in a more static format as opposed to the free-range style that we heard in the original game.

Check out our interview with Dead Space Extraction Audio Director Don Veca after the jump. (more…)
Game Music

Dead Space Sound Design: In Space No One Can Hear Interns Scream. They Are Dead (Interview)

October 7, 2008 | Jayson Napolitano | 11 Comments Share this

Are you looking forward to Dead Space next week? We definitely are, as we’ve been excited about the title ever since the demo at Comic Con 2008. The demo area was hidden away in the corner of the EA booth, and the dim lighting and stereo headphones definitely drove home the game’s unreal sense of fear.

The sound design in this game is absolutely astounding, featuring an otherworldly blend of grotesque sound effects and expertly implemented musical moments to heighten the game’s ambiance. We’ve been able to speak with Don Veca, the audio director for Dead Space, about the massive undertaking of Dead Space’s audio. We touch on their general approach, the use of music in the game, and some of the unique tools the team created, including “Fear Emmitters” and “Deadscript” which make Dead Space one of the most impressive audio experiences we’ve had the pleasure of hearing.

Buckle up and hit the jump for our comprehensive interview regarding all topics audio in Dead Space. (more…)