Difference between revisions of "Sega Sound Team"

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Sega Sound Team is a name often given to generally refer to the many sound designers employed at Sega, but is sometimes used to mask the identity of a music composer outside the company. The term dates back to the late 80's, being associated with the S.S.T.Band or Sega Sound Team Band.

Usually the producer at Sega chooses from the pool of composers to sound direct a specific title.

History

1980's~1990

The Sega Sound Team or Sound Section of the company has existed ever since Sega started getting serious in video game composition towards the mid eighties'. The earliest generation of musicians and composers at Sega were usually programmers and worked in tandem with the rest of the development team. As audio started to improve and development groups matured, a "sound team" or "sound section" was created. While there was no official distinction yet, many sound designers primarily either worked on arcade games or console games, but would often dabble in the other field occasionally.

1991~1999

In 1991, Sega Sound Team was split into 2 teams. The AM2 Sound Team handled arcade games,^[1] including video games, medal games, prize games and amusement parks. This department was headed by Tohru Nakabayashi.^[2] Despite the name, the team did not exclusively work on games for Sega AM2, instead with every AM division, such as Sega AM3 on Sega Rally Championship^[3] and Cyber Troopers Virtual-On,^[4] to AM1 on The House of the Dead ^[5] and Harley-Davidson & L.A. Riders.^[6] It is mentioned by name in the production credits for The Lost World: Jurassic Park.

The CS Sound Team meanwhile handled console games,^[1] including home consoles, handheld consoles and the Sega Pico kids console. This department was initially headed by Tokuhiko Uwabo, who was involved as a producer of games and soundtrack/remix albums, but in 1994/1995 this job was transferred to Yukifumi Makino. It may have been known as CS3 Sound, at least in 1993.^[7] Jun Senoue is also known to have been part of Sega Software Technology R&D at the same time,^[8] so some of the CS sound team may have been housed there.

Both the AM2 and CS sound teams were listed in 1996 as consisting of 1 woman for every 4 men in the department.^[1]

This 2 department system was mostly unchanged throughout the 90's. However, a third party initially supported both: Sega Digital Studio, where many CD digital audio soundtracks and recordings of arcade music were developed, and can be seen credited in various console games such as Clockwork Knight and Hanagumi Taisen Columns, but also the arcade game Scud Race. Later on, this department was merged with the CS sound team, adopting Sega Digital Media as its name.^[9] Seemingly in 1998, the AM2 sound team had become so big that it was split apart, with its members being assigned to different already existing development departments, usually those that the individual musicians had most often worked with, which carried on as many of these were rebranded as Sega Software R&D departments in 1999 and then as subsidiary companies in 2000 (with Sega Digital Media becoming Wave Master).

@@ Line 9: / Line 9: @@
 ===1991~1999===
-In 1991, {{PAGENAME}} was split in 2 teams. The AM2 Sound Team handled arcade games,{{magref|ssmjp|1996-09|146}} including video games, medal games, prize games and amusement parks. This department was headed by [[Tohru Nakabayashi]].{{ref|1=https://media.vgm.io/albums/74/2047/2047-1506489755.jpg}} The CS Sound Team meanwhile handled console games,{{magref|ssmjp|1996-09|146}} including home consoles, handheld consoles and the [[Sega Pico]] kids console. This department was initially headed by [[Tokuhiko Uwabo]], but in 1994/1995 this job was transferred to [[Yukifumi Makino]]. Both the AM2 and CS sound teams were listed in 1996 as consisting of 1 woman for every 4 men in the department.{{magref|ssmjp|1996-09|146}}
+In 1991, {{PAGENAME}} was split into 2 teams. The AM2 Sound Team handled arcade games,{{magref|ssmjp|1996-09|138}} including video games, medal games, prize games and amusement parks. This department was headed by [[Tohru Nakabayashi]].{{ref|1=https://media.vgm.io/albums/74/2047/2047-1506489755.jpg}} Despite the name, the team did not exclusively work on games for [[Sega AM2]], instead with every AM division, such as [[Sega AM3]] on ''[[Sega Rally Championship]]''{{fileref|SegaRallyChampionshipIgnition CD JP Booklet.pdf|page=4}} and ''[[Cyber Troopers Virtual-On]]'',{{magref|ssmjp|1996-09|228}} to [[Sega AM1|AM1]] on ''[[The House of the Dead]]'' {{magref|segamagjp|7|61}} and ''[[Harley-Davidson & L.A. Riders]]''.{{fileref|HDaLAR Album JP Booklet.pdf|page=3}} It is mentioned by name in the production credits for ''[[The Lost World: Jurassic Park (arcade)|The Lost World: Jurassic Park]]''.
-This 2-department system was mostly unchanged throughout the 90's. However, a third party initially supported both: [[Sega Digital Studio]]. Later on , this department was merged with the CS sound team, adopting Sega Digital Media as its name.{{ref|https://web.archive.org/web/20011124112428/sega.jp/studio/wm.html}} Seemingly in 1998, the AM2 sound team had become so big that it was split apart, with its members being assigned to different already existing development departments.
+The CS Sound Team meanwhile handled console games,{{magref|ssmjp|1996-09|138}} including home consoles, handheld consoles and the [[Sega Pico]] kids console. This department was initially headed by [[Tokuhiko Uwabo]], who was involved as a producer of games and soundtrack/remix albums, but in 1994/1995 this job was transferred to [[Yukifumi Makino]]. It may have been known as CS3 Sound, at least in 1993.{{magref|harmony|122|27}} [[Jun Senoue]] is also known to have been part of [[Sega Software Technology R&D]] at the same time,{{magref|harmony|125|14}} so some of the CS sound team may have been housed there.
+Both the AM2 and CS sound teams were listed in 1996 as consisting of 1 woman for every 4 men in the department.{{magref|ssmjp|1996-09|138}}
+This 2 department system was mostly unchanged throughout the 90's. However, a third party initially supported both: [[Sega Digital Studio]], where many CD digital audio soundtracks and recordings of arcade music were developed, and can be seen credited in various console games such as ''[[Clockwork Knight]]'' and ''[[Hanagumi Taisen Columns]]'', but also the arcade game ''[[Scud Race]]''. Later on, this department was merged with the CS sound team, adopting Sega Digital Media as its name.{{ref|https://web.archive.org/web/20011124112428/sega.jp/studio/wm.html}} Seemingly in 1998, the AM2 sound team had become so big that it was split apart, with its members being assigned to different already existing development departments, usually those that the individual musicians had most often worked with, which carried on as many of these were rebranded as Sega Software R&D departments in 1999 and then as subsidiary companies in 2000 (with Sega Digital Media becoming [[Wave Master]]).
 ===2000~2011===

Difference between revisions of "Sega Sound Team"

From Sega Retro

Revision as of 03:56, 31 August 2023

Contents

History

1980's~1990

1991~1999

2000~2011

2012~2020

Members

Former Members