In a recent exclusive interview with the JASRAC magazine, Nobuo Uematsu, composer of the Final Fantasy series, spoke at length about his decades-long career in the game music industry, the evolution of game music, and its future prospects. He also shared his views on the currently hot topic of generative AI music, stating clearly: “I have never used this technology and probably never will in the future.”
Reflecting on the history of game music, Uematsu pointed out several key milestones that shaped its current landscape. He mentioned that during the Famicom (NES) era, music composition was limited to simple combinations of melody, chord, and bass lines. However, with technological advances, musicians were able to introduce sampling, layer multiple sound effects, and create richer, more nuanced tonal expressions. Yet, Uematsu believes that although electronic games themselves have developed tremendously in recent years, especially in terms of graphical progress, game music has already reached its peak.
He stated: “In recent years, games have seen explosive progress in graphics technology. But from a music perspective, I believe game music reached its ‘final form’ when creators could directly use high-quality audio recorded in studios within the games. Another major breakthrough was the application of binaural audio technology, which we already implemented in Final Fantasy X. However, the question is whether players will continue to demand further advancements in this area in the future.” Speculating on potential future technological directions, Uematsu suggested that musicians might focus more on achieving seamless transitions between different sound effects, “Perhaps AI could play an excellent role in this aspect in the future.”
Speaking about the currently high-profile generative AI music, Uematsu also clarified his stance. Nowadays, one can simply input a few prompts and click a button to “generate” a song. Regarding this, he admitted: “I have never used AI and probably never will. I think the sense of accomplishment gained from personally experiencing the various challenges of the creative process is far greater. When we listen to music, part of the enjoyment lies in understanding the creators behind the work and their stories, isn’t it? And AI lacks such a background. Even in live performances, music played by humans is always full of uncertainty, with each person having their own unique interpretation. It is precisely these fluctuations and imperfections that make music sound so moving and satisfying.”
According to the latest news report, Nobuo Uematsu is a completely self-taught musician who achieved his legendary status in game music by overcoming numerous difficulties. Therefore, it is not surprising that he prefers to work in an environment where he can directly face creative “challenges.” Even though he is no longer a full-time game composer, Uematsu has not stopped creating music and currently has no plans to slow down. He revealed in the interview that he is currently working on a batch of brand new original songs and will soon release a full personal album. Furthermore, he has scheduled multiple live performances for 2025 and plans to work overseas the following year.
He joked: “I feel like this is the busiest period of my life. If I don’t work someday, I even worry that I might not wake up tomorrow. Those who have struggled to make a living probably stay like this their whole lives.”
