During this week’s “Pokemon Presents” presentation, some fans noticed that The Pokemon Company appears to have used fan-created music in official marketing materials.
Musician ND Music created their video “Area Zero (Cinematic Arrangement)” over 8 months ago and posted it to YouTube. The song is a dramatic recreation of the Area Zero theme composed by Go Ichinose and Toby Fox.
During the teasers for upcoming Pokemon Scarlet and Violet content, some fans noticed similarities between the music heard in the video, and the ND Music arrangement. ND Music themselves spoke out and was surprised to hear what they believe to be their music, but went on to say they: “I’m not particularly upset, but rather confused and surprised that an unofficial creation would be included in official content, especially coming from TPC.” (TPC = The Pokemon Company)
Obviously ND Music doesn’t have a monopoly on vaguely ancient and hymnal singing, but there certainly appear to be similarities. What do you think?
The Pokemon Presents event is usually an exciting time for fans of the popular franchise. It’s a chance for The Pokemon Company to share updates and announcements about upcoming games and content. However, the recent presentation has sparked controversy within the Pokemon community.
During the event, it was noticed by keen-eared fans that the music used in the teasers for Pokemon Scarlet and Violet bore striking similarities to a fan-made arrangement created by musician ND Music. The video titled “Area Zero (Cinematic Arrangement)” was posted on YouTube over 8 months ago and features a dramatic recreation of the Area Zero theme composed by Go Ichinose and Toby Fox.
Naturally, when ND Music and their fans heard the music during the Pokemon Presents presentation, they were taken aback. ND Music expressed their surprise, stating that they were confused and surprised that their unofficial creation would be included in official content, especially coming from The Pokemon Company.
While it’s true that ND Music does not hold exclusive rights to ancient and hymnal-style singing, there are undeniable similarities between their arrangement and the music used in the Pokemon Scarlet and Violet teasers. The controversy has sparked debate among fans, with some questioning whether The Pokemon Company intentionally used the fan-made music without permission.
It remains to be seen how The Pokemon Company will respond to this controversy. Some fans believe that an acknowledgement and apology should be issued to ND Music, while others argue that it may have been an unintentional oversight. For now, fans will have to wait and see how the situation unfolds.
The use of fan-created content in official marketing materials is a sensitive topic, and this incident serves as a reminder of the importance of giving credit where it’s due. As the Pokemon community continues to discuss and analyze the situation, it’s clear that this controversy has left an impact on both fans and creators alike.
