And another episode of Japanese-Devs-Being-Down-On-Themselves, Resident Evil 5 composer Kota Suzuki think American game music has surpassed Japanese game music — especially regarding post-production elements like recording and mixing:
I get the impression that production at western, particularly American developers is ahead of those in Japan. But, I think that more and more in Japan, the process of making video game music is becoming specialized. ...More and more Japanese production companies are working together with foreign companies, and sound production quality in Japan is approaching that of the west.
Stuff like this doesn't just make Japanese development, it makes game development better. Interesting side note: Capcom recorded the RE5 parts of the soundtrack at Newman Scoring Stage at 20th Century Fox with a hundred plus Hollywood Studio Symphony Orchestra. This was the first time Capcom has ever recorded a live orchestra for a Resident Evil game. Interview with Resident Evil 5 [Music 4 Games via Develop]