14 DAY TRIAL // Mamoru Samuragochi, who is referred to as the Beethoven of Japan and who has created the soundtrack for well-known titles like Resident Evil and Onimusha, is admitting that he has been paying other music composers to create pieces that he then used under his own name.
Eurogamer quotes the Japan Times as saying that Samuragochi was affected by ear problems and first hired someone in 1996 to work for him.
His attorney says, “He knows he could not possibly make any excuse for what he has done. He is mentally distressed and not in a condition to properly express his own thoughts.”
It’s unclear whether the unnamed composers that worked for Samuragochi will ever be named and whether video game companies will be interested in collaborating with them for future titles.
Music was particularly important for some classic Japanese-developed titles and the revelation will surely upset some long-term fans.