Split from the Origins topic: This is a good idea, maybe we can whip up a draft and have people "sign" it or something. Don't use this topic to complain, stay in the other one for that. This is only to write up a polite letter as a community, to send an organised and concise message, I'll ask the moderators for a zero tolerance in here if possible. Here's a start, feel free to reword/improve: How is this? Remember, I'm not a native speaker, so feel free to overhaul this.
If I can give my five cents into the case... What do you think of this? Taking @Starduster's advices, it's best to not point Jun Senoue specifically and mention the specific tracks people are complaining about.
I wonder if we also need to outline our specific issues with the tracks? While the intro does a good job of getting the point across that it's not the idea of the old tracks being replaced that we're dissatisfied with, I myself am still struggling to precisely place in technical terms what about these renditions I dislike, so perhaps we should seek the input of more musically adept members of the board to specific outline what issues these tracks have to best inform the direction we wish for feedback to be taken in.
The main problems are the instrumentation and the arrangement. It really sounds like they simply ran the MIDIs from the S&KC through some kind of soundfont, because even the prototype versions from 1993 sound better. That's also why we should put the emphasis on looking for fan renditions instead of relying only on (possibly unfinished or outdated) internal reference material, maybe they don't even have the sheet music from the 1993 prototype amymore (which wouldn't be a problem for us since we have smps2midi tools if needed). Arrangements can be richer, and instruments can sound better. Which is basically everything if you think about it, it's hard to single out a specific flaw, those songs should be reworked from the ground up.
Where do we send the letter to? Hopefully we don't just get a generic customer service response. Would also like to ask for 16:9 toggle for classic mode, but maybe that should be its own letter.
I’d say our best bet is to tag the official account and Katie on Twitter, with the letter being sent by someone with a high follow account, such as Linkabel. That’d get the most eyes and likes on it and keep the post persistent in their notifications.
Could I suggest saying "the Sonic Origins versions of said tracks" instead of just "said tracks" in the first sentence of the second paragraph? It's minor, but that sentence doesn't read particularly clearly to me.
I wouldn't mention the leaked prototype because technically we're not supposed to know it exists, I'd just ask for them to redo the mixes of the "replacement" tracks to feel more in line with the rest of the game.
How should we work on the letter? Gotta make it clear... Should @nineko edit their letter as suggestions come up? Should each member post an edited version of the letter? I'll edit my version of the letter, feel free to use it if you please.
It'd be a good idea to let a few sonic/video game tubers know about this as well so they can cover "Fans are trying to get SEGA to change the music in Origins!?" on their channel which means more views and more eyes and more support.
To be honest, I have no idea. But I know that some of the readers here have connections, so we'll have to rely on them when the time comes. Still, it's easier to look for a suitable recipient if we already have a letter, rather than having a recipient but not knowing what to tell them, so we have to start somewhere. I think the best way for now is to just post suggestions into separate posts so we can collate them at a later time when consensus is reached and a suitable recipient is indeed found. I do like your amendments, for what it's worth.
I agree it seems unprofessional to single out Jun. For all we know he may not have been the one that "translated" the compositions for Origins. It could have gone wrong at any step of the process.
We should probably remove mentions of Jun. We're not certain if he's the person who actually made these arrangements of the proto songs. All we can tell for certain is that he did the Super Sonic theme.
However, to many fans, it feels like whoever was in charge of implementing the PC version tracks for Origins did not do so to a level that the larger Fandom sees to be up to the same quality standards as the rest of the soundtrack. This is especially noticeable as they exist within a soundtrack which is otherwise excellently made. ------- Would it be possible for you to take a second look at those songs and improve their overall quality? While we recognize and respect the abilities of your sound team, we hope that they can take a step back and look at those tracks from a different angle.
Alright, it looks like the consensus here is to address the sound team at its large rather than Jun specifically. This is exactly what this topic is for. Please continue.
As others pointed out, don't mention Jun. Also, "doing poor job" I believe, Is not a good choice of words (I'm not a native either, so I could be wrong about this). It would be better to write, that we feel the replacement tracks aren't living up to its fullest potential - or something like that.
Dear Sega, As a community, we are happy to see the time and the effort you poured into Sonic Origins. We are aware of the issues which prevent the usage of a number of songs from the original Sonic 3 soundtrack. We understand the necessity of using other songs and appreciate Sega's efforts. However, it feels like the new replacement Sonic 3 music has issues in regards to instrumentation, pitch, and dynamic range. This negatively changes what should be an amazing experience playing Sonic Origins into a subpar experience. The original iterations of these new compositions from the 1997 Sonic and Knuckles Collection on PC have a more natural and balanced sound than what's been presented in Origins. We would welcome and appreciate their inclusion as an option in Sonic Origins Collection. In addition to this, would it be possible for you to take a second look at the new Sonic Origins Sonic 3 compositions and improve their overall quality? Furthermore, many fans want to experience the exciting new 16:9 widescreen option in Sonic Origins but with the classic unaltered gameplay style they remember. We would like to kindly request a 16:9 widescreen option for Classic Mode. Sega has continued to be a great example of working with and listening to their fanbase. The community believes that Sonic Origins has tbe potential to be remembered as the definitive Sonic collection and can be even better with higher quality music and a widescreen classic mode option. We appreciate you taking the time to listen to our feedback.
It's good, but again, it's not up to me to say. I only got things started, we should brainstorm as a community. I don't want to have any decisional power above anyone else's.
