Ronin Seraph

Blizzard spends far more money on music than Square. However, money doesn't make good music.

All JRPG music sounds the same. Same chord progressions, modes, everything. While Warcraft has a distinct "sound" to them. All their games really. You hear a piece of Blizzard music and automatically go, "Yeah, that's Diablo"

It can be subtle at times, or epic at times. Pieces like "A Call to Arms" and even the latest "Arthas, My Son" are excellent pieces. Subtle cues, like the one in Storm Peaks, tend to have a hauntingly beautiful presence and definitely give the game a life of it's own. Not to mention there's more variation than in FFXI. Where you hear the EXACT same piece time and time again and it's "in your face" so you can't escape it.

However, I do wish the audio engine was a bit more dynamic. It'd be cool to have music change when encountering a raid boss or have the music change when the boss is at X% of life. Something more than the "zone dynamics" that they currently use.

Never heard good music from an American/in an American game?

Harry Gregson-Williasm and Metal Gear Solid ring a bell. Plus, I forgot the guy who did it, but the soundtrack for Psychonauts was awesome as well. Kevin Riepl is a personal favorite, who does music for the UT series. Plus the composers who did the soundtrack for God of War (Ron Rish, Mike Reagan, Gerard Marino, Winifred Philips).

Theres plenty of American games/composers that make memorible music.

The Wii will stop being questioned when it's no longer a "Trendy" item.

I've already ran into people and had a conversation, similar to this:

"Yeah I play games"
"Really, sweet man. What games are you playing now?"
"Oh I only play Wii Sports"

Nintendo has taken the gaming console, and made it into a trendy item everyone has to have. Not because they're gamers, but because it's the "In" thing right now. Granted, this is what Nintendo wanted (With the broader audience) but you do have to question the longevity of something like that...