General Gaming What is your opinion on Hollywood actors and other famous people being video game characters?

[Bacon]

As in famous people who are famous for something not related to video gaming.

 

Famous people in video games isn't really something new, but I feel that it is far more common these days. Not only is it more common but they are 100% the characters they portray. A recent example of this is with Cyberpunk 2077 and Keanu Reeves. The character is his face, voice, and movements. He isn't just voicing a character, he is the character. As I said, this just something that I feel is becoming more common. The new Star Wars game is another example with Cameron Monaghan. There are are other games as well. I know CoD has had both Kevin Spacey and Kit Harington. One of the oldest examples I can think of is Tim Curry in Red Alert 3, but that is quite a bit different as he isn't a digital character made from computer graphics. 

 

My general opinion is that I don't like it. Maybe I am alone in this, but it kinda breaks my suspension of disbelief when I see these characters. It just takes me out of the game. There has never been a time where I thought a character looking and sounding like a real life famous person has elevated my gaming experience. It has either done nothing at all or just made things worse. I really am not a fan of "reality" slipping into my games. If I don't know of the actor then it really isn't an issue. And I don't have any issues with real people I don't know being video game characters. I'll use GTA5 as an example. The three main characters are mo-capped, voiced, and have the faces of the guys who voice them. I never had any issue with that as I knew nothing of the real life people.  

 

Now, just straight up voice acting isn't really an issue at all for me. Seth Green did an amazing job as Joker. Though, I suppose he isn't as famous as some of the other people I mentioned. There has also been some really bad voice acting by famous people who either don't care or the voice directors failed at their jobs. I didn't really have an opinion on it, but Peter Dinklage's performance as Ghost didn't seem to be well received. 

 

But yeah, I just don't like it. I mean, the main reason I never got Fallen Order is because of Cameron Monaghan being the literal face of the Main Character. That isn't a personal attack on him or anything as I'd feel the same way if suddenly Keanu Reeves became the main character of 2077. 

[Paperclyp]

It doesn’t break my suspension of disbelief, but I can’t think of a single example of an actor in a game where it didn’t feel like stunt casting instead of making the product better. 
 

There are plenty of great voice actors who I’m sure cost a lot less than a known star and will do just as good if not a better job. So it’s taking money away from the project for no good reason other than I guess to encourage people to buy it who might like that actor? 
 

But... did anyone buy MGSV because Kiefer Sutherland was snake? Like specifically because it was him? I have to imagine almost literally zero people did that. 
 

So yeah I’m pretty apathetic but I think it’s a waste of money. 

[Keyser_Soze]

It's better than people who aren't, like Ninja, being his own character.

[CastlevaniaNut18]

Indifferent. 

[Commissar SFLUFAN]

I'm largely opposed to using "known" personalities in videogames.

[Captain Pickle]

Aside from joker in mass effect, I did like how actors voices were used. I remember losing my shit when marina Sirtis voiced a character. But that was just a nerd shout out. Mass effect used several actors voiced from sci-fi shows

[legend]

If they give a good performance, I don't mind.

[XxEvil AshxX]

What about when the opposite happens?

 

Toy Story 3 had a knock-off Woody and Buzz and it just wasn't... right.

 

And then there was Splinter Cell Blacklist when they took away Michael Ironside. Sorry. #notmySamFisher

 

And remember that time we found out that the awful Gilbert Godfried impersonator in Kingdom Hearts was actually Gilbert Godfried?

 

I think it just goes both ways.

[heydude93]

As much as I still genuinely love the days when 7 out of 10 games with voice acting had the production sheen of a ‎Tommy Wiseau sci fi original, I also like that bigger talent is hired more often now.  If you have an idea for a character and the best person to bring them to life is a well known movie or tv actor, why shouldn't you get to hire them?  The less creative limitations and more open doors for possibilities of stories you can tell/ ideas you can express in the medium the better as far as I'm concerned.

 

And since the future of games with realistic graphics will be scanning and mocapping real people and c/p them into the game anyway, might as well bring in  some movie stars when it makes sense to do so.  

[Keyser_Soze]

Then there are times that the person's likeness can't even voice themselves well

 

 

[Brick]

I'm not really a fan of it to be honest. Whether it's a well known celebrity, or just a small time actor, if it's just a digital version of themselves it kind of robs the game of an original character design. Like sure Nathan Drake, and the design of the Uncharted games as a whole are supposed to be realistic looking, but at least Drake is his own design, and doesn't look exactly like someone else. Inspired, sure, but still his own design. Compare that to Modern Warfare where Captain Price is Barry Sloan with a funny beard, or even Mass Effect where the default Shepard is a male model (at least you can customize the look of Shepard with it being an RPG and all), or Left 4 Dead characters also just being models. Seems like just a way for developers to show off their facial capture tech in their photo realistic games. 

 

I'm actually fine for it with something like Star Wars though because then it leaves it open for those actors to appear in a movie or live action TV show. 

[GameDadGrant]

I really only like it when the game is based off of pre-existing media. For example, if (when) they make a new Terminator game, then Arnold better be in it.  But for some new IP? Nah. Give me original characters. 

 

I feel it is important to have original characters in original games from a potentially historical standpoint, too. Games that have famous actors star in a role means the re-release or remake of that game in the future is less likely...y'know, due to all the legal and copyright entanglement that could arise. 

 

I'm kinda on the fence about games that use licensed music, and product placement as well. Both for similar reasons that were stated in the OP about actors, and what I'm concerned about regarding potential re-releases and remakes. 

[Keyser_Soze]

47 minutes ago, GameDadGrant said:

I really only like it when the game is based off of pre-existing media. For example, if (when) they make a new Terminator game, then Arnold better be in it. 

I don’t think Arnold was in the one that came out last year was he?

[GameDadGrant]

1 hour ago, Keyser_Soze said:

I don’t think Arnold was in the one that came out last year was he?

There was a Terminator game last year?

[Keyser_Soze]

29 minutes ago, GameDadGrant said:

There was a Terminator game last year?

 

[Bloodporne]

I thought it was stupid as fuck reading previews etc. for Death Stranding yet when playing, I actually really liked Norman Reedus' atypical looks and "character". I even thought the Conan cameo was actually fun and endearing. 

 

That doesn't mean I would be into it in other games but DS is the most obvious example so far and well, despite my reservations it ended up making zero difference to me in regards to all the side characters and being actually cool in regards to Reedus.

[Spawn_of_Apathy]

Too often it feels like a gimmick when it is used as a selling point for the game. When games like Halo and Mass Effect have done it, it doesn’t feel as showy. Often many of them are closer to Easter-eggs. 
 

So that to say, I don’t mind it. I enjoy it even at times. As long as it doesn’t feel like they’re trying to over shadow the rest of the game with the celebrity. 

[GameDadGrant]

@Keyser_Soze

 

Huh. I never know what games come out any more, lol.

 

Looking into that Terminator game...apparently it got a lot of really bad reviews so maybe that is why it so easily slipped under my radar. 

[Brick]

I also remember an interview with voice actor Billy West (voice of Fry on Futurama), bemoaning how big Hollywood actors are taking jobs away from dedicated voice across. Voice acting and screen acting are completely different, and most screen actors don't really know how to voice act, and more likely just use their own voices. 

 

Seriously does anyone go see an animated movie so they can hear the voice of Brad Pitt? Sure there are some actors that do get voice acting, and do a good job, but most of the time it just seems like the studios are using babe recognition to try and sell the movie. Same with games now. 

 

Compare the work of the cast from animated shows like The Simpsons, Futurama, Looney Tunes (Mel Blanc is an icon), and you can see the difference in acting. Guys like Robin Williams were great voice actors, and an exception because they could do different voices, but ironically enough it was Williams role as the Genie in Aladdin that started the trend of getting big name actors into animated movies, even though he wasn't that big yet, but he was a known comedian. 

[Xbob42]

Unless it's comedy or something similarly not serious, I hate recognizing any actor in any medium because it completely pulls me out of the story of these characters in this world and reminds me that's it's just entertainment every time I see their face or hear their voice.

[Bacon]

I also prefer it when cartoons and animated features are voiced by voice actors rather than Hollywood actors.

 

However, almost every animated movie I have seen as always made the use of big names. Aladdin, The Lion King, Toy Story, Hercules, Mulan, A Bug's Life, Atlantis: The Lost Empire, (Monsters, Inc.), Treasure Planet, Finding Nemo, and the list goes on. And those are only the Disney movies. There is also Dreamworks. And I will say, for basically all of those movies, I couldn't care less about them using Hollywood actors. Like I couldn't imagine a world where Sulley wasn't voiced by John Goodman or James Woods as Hades. 

 

I will say the worst voice casting I have ever heard in an animated film was Jason Bateman as Nick Wilde. Holy shit was that fucking awful. I almost stopped watching the movie because of it. 

[Jason]

Leonard Nimoy in Civ IV

 

The Arkham games getting Conroy, Hamill, and Sorkin definitely added to the experience.

 

But yeah for something like Keanu in Cyberpunk literally being an avatar of Keanu, I agree with the stunt casting assessment. For voice-only I think it's less of a big deal and being able to remember the days of terrible voice acting I'm glad studious are at least springing for actual voice acting talent nowadays.

[Keyser_Soze]

7 hours ago, GameDadGrant said:

Looking into that Terminator game...apparently it got a lot of really bad reviews so maybe that is why it so easily slipped under my radar. 

 

From what I heard from people who played it they said it wasn't bad.

[GameDadGrant]

20 hours ago, Bacon said:

I will say the worst voice casting I have ever heard in an animated film was Jason Bateman as Nick Wilde. Holy shit was that fucking awful. I almost stopped watching the movie because of it. 

Zootopia? I don’t recall it being bad...what made it so terrible for you?

[ShreddieMercury]

Aside from Leonard Nimoy giving me updates on my Seaman, I think it sucks.  I also think that if the actor's likeness is used, it's probably in service of a "cinematic" game that's trying really hard to be a movie, which I generally don't like anyway.

[SimpleG]

I have no issues with it when an actor actually does a voice like  Freddie Prinze Jr in DA:I versus  Samuel L. Jackson doing  Samuel L. Jackson in GTA.

[Bacon]

6 hours ago, GameDadGrant said:

what made it so terrible for you?

 

On 2/26/2020 at 6:59 PM, Bacon said:

Jason Bateman as Nick Wilde. Holy shit was that fucking awful.

 

[Dodger]

Completely fine with it, like GTA VC and SA with their loaded casts. And IV and V were fine too. I just want to hear some quality VA, and really at this point I'm a little tired of Nolan North, Troy  Baker, and Laura Baily voicing damn near everyone. 

[Keyser_Soze]

 

[TwinIon]

When it's just voice overs, I pretty much never have any problem with it.

 

When it's a full capture situation, I think the biggest problem is that I can't think of many games where the "performance" actually mattered. I wish that wasn't the case, but as it stands it just seems like the acting quality isn't the problem with the story being portrayed in most games.

 

The famous actor problem is an issue in film as well. Tom Hanks is super recognizable, but when he gives a good performance I'm still able to engage with him as his character. In a game famous actors are rarely given sufficient chance to break through that. I never played Death Stranding, but I wouldn't be surprised if it works out well for that game, just because I know you're given a lot of time with those characters.

[Keyser_Soze]

10 minutes ago, TwinIon said:

When it's just voice overs, I pretty much never have any problem with it.

 

When it's a full capture situation, I think the biggest problem is that I can't think of many games where the "performance" actually mattered. I wish that wasn't the case, but as it stands it just seems like the acting quality isn't the problem with the story being portrayed in most games.

 

The famous actor problem is an issue in film as well. Tom Hanks is super recognizable, but when he gives a good performance I'm still able to engage with him as his character. In a game famous actors are rarely given sufficient chance to break through that. I never played Death Stranding, but I wouldn't be surprised if it works out well for that game, just because I know you're given a lot of time with those characters.

 

What about  Detroit?

 

 

[TwinIon]

8 minutes ago, Keyser_Soze said:

 

What about  Detroit?

 

 

Also never played it, but it's the kind of game where I would expect a good performance to overcome the hurdle of celebrity. 

[Man_of_X]

40 minutes ago, Keyser_Soze said:

 

What about  Detroit?

 

 

 

Also, Beyond Two Souls with Ellen Page was very good.

[Keyser_Soze]

1 hour ago, Man_of_X said:

 

Also, Beyond Two Souls with Ellen Page was very good.

 

Whoa! Let's not go too far. I never said the game was good.

[Bacon]

2 hours ago, Keyser_Soze said:

What about Detroit?

Not that I was asked, but I'd say this is an exception because of the type of... game it is. Like, it is already an interactive movie soooo, yeah. I mean, I watched the movie version on youtube and I probably had the same experience as those who played it.