Editing Final Fantasy VIII (section)

===Music===
{{Main|Music of Final Fantasy VIII}}
Regular series composer [[Nobuo Uematsu]] wrote the soundtrack for ''Final Fantasy VIII''. He tried to base the songs on the emotional content of the scenes in which they would be played, asserting that expressing the emotions he desired was more important than improving skills, because "I think it will be a shame if we won't be able to cry as we play our own game". He could not determine a character's emotions solely based on the plot, instead using images of appearance and attire: "It's important to know when their emotions are at their height, but it usually takes until a month before release for them to finish the ending dialog...!"<ref name="lim">Maeda, Yoshitake (1999). ''Final Fantasy VIII Original Soundtrack (Limited Edition)''. [[DigiCube]].</ref> When IGN Music stated that the music of ''Final Fantasy VIII'' was very dark and perhaps influenced by the plot of the game, Uematsu said that "the atmosphere of music varies depending on story line, of course, but it's also my intention to put various types of music into one game".<ref name="IGNUEMATSUinterview"/> The absence of character themes found in the previous two games was due to Uematsu finding those of ''Final Fantasy VI'' and ''VII'' ineffective. Uematsu considers it reasonable to have character themes if each character has a "highlight" in the game, but he found ''Final Fantasy VIII'' only focused on Squall Leonhart and [[Rinoa Heartilly]] as a couple, resulting in the "Eyes on Me" theme.<ref name="IGNUEMATSUinterview">{{cite web |url=http://music.ign.com/articles/741/741101p1.html |title=Twelve Days of Final Fantasy XII: Nobuo Uematsu Interview |work=IGN |access-date=2007-03-30 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061207213918/http://music.ign.com/articles/741/741101p1.html |archive-date=2006-12-07}}</ref>

The original soundtrack was released on four [[compact disc]]s by [[DigiCube]] in Japan on March 10, 1999, and by [[Square Electronic Arts]] in North America as ''Final Fantasy VIII Music Collection'' in January 2000.<ref name="RPGFMC">{{cite web|url=http://www.rpgfan.com/soundtracks/ff8music/index.html |title=Final Fantasy VIII Music Collection |website=[[RPGFan]] |date=2000-06-23 |access-date=2007-03-27 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130817170655/http://rpgfan.com/soundtracks/ff8music/index.html |archive-date=2013-08-17}}</ref> It was republished worldwide by Square Enix on May 10, 2004.<ref name="RPGFFF8OST">{{cite web|url=http://rpgfan.com/soundtracks/ff8ost/index.html |title=Final Fantasy VIII OST |last=Schweitzer |first=Ben |date=2006-06-17 |website=RPGFan |access-date=2009-10-10 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090901222731/http://www.rpgfan.com/soundtracks/ff8ost/index.html |archive-date=2009-09-01}}</ref> An album of [[orchestra]]l [[arrangement]]s of selected tracks from the game was released under the title ''Fithos Lusec Wecos Vinosec Final Fantasy VIII'' on November 19, 1999, by DigiCube, and subsequently published on July 22, 2004, by [[Square Enix]]. The pieces were arranged and conducted by [[Shirō Hamaguchi]] for a live orchestra.<ref name="RPGFFLWV">{{cite web|author=Chandran, Neal |date=2009-07-27 |title=Final Fantasy VIII Fithos Lusec Wecos Vinosec |url=http://www.rpgfan.com/soundtracks/ff8flwv/index.html |website=RPGFan |access-date=2006-04-18 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060502033230/http://rpgfan.com/soundtracks/ff8flwv/index.html |archive-date=2006-05-02}}</ref> A collection of [[piano]] arrangements performed by Shinko Ogata was released under the title ''Piano Collections: Final Fantasy VIII'' by DigiCube on January 21, 2000, and subsequently re-published by Square Enix on July 22, 2004.<ref name="RPGFPiano">{{cite web|url=http://www.rpgfan.com/soundtracks/ff8piano/index.html |title=Piano Collections Final Fantasy VIII |author1=Bradley, Ryan|author2=Gann, Patrick |website=RPGFan |date=2004-02-25 |access-date=2007-03-27 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070329111918/http://www.rpgfan.com/soundtracks/ff8piano/index.html |archive-date=2007-03-29}}</ref>

The score is best known for two songs: "Liberi Fatali", a [[Latin]] [[choir|choral]] piece that is played during the introduction to the game, and "Eyes On Me", a [[popular music|pop song]] serving as the game's theme, performed by Chinese singer [[Faye Wong]]. Near the end of the production of ''Final Fantasy VII'', the developers suggested to use a singer, but abandoned the idea due to a lack of reasoning based on the game's theme and storyline.<ref name="DitL_interview">{{cite web|title=A Day in the Life of Final Fantasy's Nobuo Uematsu |last=Mielke |first=James |url=http://www.1up.com/do/feature?pager.offset=0&cId=3166165 |website=[[1UP.com]] |date=2008-02-15 |access-date=2008-08-05 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120716121043/http://www.1up.com/do/feature?pager.offset=0&cId=3166165 |archive-date=2012-07-16}}</ref> However, Nobuo Uematsu thought a [[ballad]] would closely relate to the theme and characters of ''Final Fantasy VIII''. This resulted in the game's developers sharing "countless" artists, eventually deciding on Wong. Uematsu claims "her voice and mood seem to match my image of the song exactly", and that her ethnicity "fits the international image of ''Final Fantasy''". After negotiations were made, "Eyes on Me" was recorded in Hong Kong with an orchestra.<ref name="lim"/> The song was released as a [[CD single]] in Japan and sold over 400,000 copies,<ref>{{cite web | author=Staff | title=Nobuo Uematsu's Profile | url=http://na.square-enix.com/uematsu/profile/index.html | publisher=Square Enix USA | access-date=2009-12-01 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120601114456/http://na.square-enix.com/uematsu/profile/index.html | archive-date=2012-06-01}}</ref> setting the record for highest-selling [[video game music]] disc ever released in that country at the time. "Liberi Fatali" was played during the [[2004 Summer Olympics]] in [[Athens]] during the women's synchronized swimming event.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ign.com/articles/2008/12/19/top-ten-jrpg-composers?page=6 |title=Top Ten JRPG Composers |author=Sullivan, Meghan |page=6 |work=[[IGN]] |access-date=2009-11-24 |date=2008-12-18 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121019063236/http://www.ign.com/articles/2008/12/19/top-ten-jrpg-composers?page=6 |archive-date=2012-10-19}}</ref>

The music of ''Final Fantasy VIII'' has appeared in various official [[Final Fantasy concerts|''Final Fantasy'' concerts]]. These include 2002's ''20020220 Music from FINAL FANTASY'', in which the [[Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra]] played "Liberi Fatali", "Don't Be Afraid", "Love Grows", and "The Man with the Machine Gun", the 2004 ''Tour de Japon'' series, which featured "The Oath", the ''Dear Friends'' series that began that same year and included "Liberi Fatali" and "Love Grows", and the 2005 ''More Friends'' concert, which included "Maybe I'm a Lion".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rpgfan.com/soundtracks/20020220/index.html |title=20020220&nbsp;– Music from FINAL FANTASY |website=RPGFan |access-date=2007-04-01 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130120065018/http://rpgfan.com/soundtracks/20020220/index.html |archive-date=2013-01-20}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.squareenixmusic.com/albums/dvds/tourdejapon.shtml |title=Album Information&nbsp;– Tour de Japon: Music from Final Fantasy DVD |publisher=SquareEnixMusic |access-date=2007-04-01 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130120065505/http://www.squareenixmusic.com/albums/dvds/tourdejapon.shtml |archive-date=2013-01-20}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author=Schneider, Peer |year=2004 |title=Dear Friends: Music From Final Fantasy |url=http://music.ign.com/articles/513/513292p1.html |website=IGN |access-date=2007-04-01 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070322135336/http://music.ign.com/articles/513/513292p1.html |archive-date=2007-03-22}}</ref><ref name="RPGFMF">{{cite web|author=Gann, Patrick |title=More Friends music from Final Fantasy ~Los Angeles Live 2005~ |url=http://rpgfan.com/soundtracks/ffmorela/index.html |website=RPGFan |date=2006-04-05 |access-date=2008-05-20 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130120065107/http://rpgfan.com/soundtracks/ffmorela/index.html |archive-date=2013-01-20}}</ref> More recent concerts include the ''Voices – Music from Final Fantasy'' 2006 concert showcasing "Liberi Fatali", "Fisherman's Horizon", and "Eyes on Me" and the international ''Distant Worlds'' concert tour that continues to date, which includes "Liberi Fatali", "Fisherman's Horizon", "Man with the Machine Gun", and "Love Grows".<ref name="VOICESSEMO">{{cite web|url=http://www.squareenixmusic.com/concerts/voices.shtml |title=VOICES&nbsp;– Music from Final Fantasy |publisher=Square Enix Music Online |access-date=2009-06-04 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130120065405/http://www.squareenixmusic.com/concerts/voices.shtml |archive-date=2013-01-20}}</ref><ref name="DWSETLIST">{{cite web|url=http://www.dallassymphony.com/Ticket/ProductionDetail.aspx?perf=10709&kw=distant+worlds |title=Concert Events- Music from Final Fantasy |publisher=Dallas Symphony Orchestra |access-date=2009-06-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090627104034/http://www.dallassymphony.com/Ticket/ProductionDetail.aspx?perf=10709&kw=distant+worlds |archive-date=2009-06-27 |url-status=dead}}</ref> Several of these concerts have produced live albums as well.<ref name="RPGF20020220">{{cite web|author1=Bogdanowicz, Robert|author2=Maas, Liz |title=20020220&nbsp;– Music from Final Fantasy |url=http://rpgfan.com/soundtracks/20020220/index.html |website=RPGFan |date=2002-06-23 |access-date=2008-04-25 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130120065018/http://rpgfan.com/soundtracks/20020220/index.html |archive-date=2013-01-20}}</ref> Music from the game has also been played in non ''Final Fantasy''-specific concerts such as the ''[[Play! A Video Game Symphony]]'' world tour from 2006 onwards, for which Nobuo Uematsu composed the opening fanfare that accompanies each performance.<ref name="NSPLAY">{{Cite journal|url=http://www.n-sider.com/contentview.php?contentid=352 |title=Play! A Video Game Symphony |last=Daiker |first=Brandon |date=2006-05-27 |website=N-Sider |access-date=2008-04-08 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130125053157/http://www.ymm.co.jp/ |archive-date=2013-01-25}}</ref>