＼ Career Path ／
Fell in love with online games in college.
Q1What I Studied
I began taking piano lessons at a young age and later joined both band and wind ensemble clubs as a student. Music has always been part of my life. In college, I got really into an online game, and that was a turning point for me. At the time, I was struggling to decide what I wanted to do after graduation, and the game’s story, world, and music lifted my spirits during that difficult period. I realized I wanted to create something that could inspire others the same way, so after I graduated from college, I enrolled in a vocational school to pursue a career in game audio. As I studied and analyzed films, I developed a strong interest in sound effects and dedicated myself to creating them.
Q2Why I Joined SEGA
Sonic Frontiers was what first sparked my interest in SEGA. Sonic has a long history, so people expect certain things from those games, but they took a risk and introduced a new kind of open-zone gameplay. I was impressed by SEGA’s willingness to embrace change instead of relying on past successes. I also had an opportunity to receive feedback from SEGA employees during a portfolio review session at my vocational school. Usually, companies simply look at the art and provide feedback, but the SEGA team first asked students about their ideas, questions, and creative intentions. I felt that they respected us as fellow creators, even though we were students without much experience. SEGA’s willingness to continue taking on new challenges and its culture of respecting diverse perspectives ultimately convinced me to join the company.
Q3My First Assignments at SEGA
My first assignment was creating sound effects and jingles for Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds. Based on requests from the planning team, I created sounds that fit the game while carefully considering the tone and assets used in each case. Around February in my first year at the company, I also became the sound effects lead for another title in development. In addition to creating sound effects myself, I've also been managing progress at partner companies. It was a bit of a struggle at first, but I’ve been learning a lot about sound production and project coordination with support and guidance from senior team members.
Q4Biggest Surprise After Joining SEGA
Before joining SEGA, I thought game sound production was just a matter of learning established techniques and following set processes. In reality, though, I’m constantly encouraged to share my own ideas, whether that means proposing what kind of sound best fits a scene or discussing the direction I want to take. While it’s exciting that my opinions are respected, it also means taking responsibility for finding the right solution myself. Another thing I quickly learned is that communication is just as important as sound design skills. As a student, I usually worked on projects by myself. In a professional environment, though, it’s essential to share ideas and align on goals before production even begins. And since there are deadlines, the clock is always ticking. I’ve come to understand how important it is to clearly communicate the intent behind my work so that everyone involved can move forward with a shared understanding and vision.
S.T. handled sound effect production and coordinated audio production for the SONIC & FRIENDS animated shorts.
Q5Current Duties
I work as the sound effects lead on a project currently in development. My role is to turn the sound producer's overall direction for the project into actual sound effects. I also coordinate production requests with external partners, manage schedules, and implement and fine-tune in-game audio. This job requires close collaboration across a large team, so I make a conscious effort to be respectful of different perspectives while clearly communicating my own ideas and opinions.
