this post was submitted on 27 Sep 2023
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Idris Elba, who stars in Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty, sees a future where films and games converge.

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[–] mathematicalMagpie@lemm.ee 54 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (6 children)

I'm not really a fan of real A-list actors' faces in games. Inspired by real faces? Sure. I know the term "immersion" is mocked a lot, but few things force me back to reality than seeing Hollywood megastar multimillionaires in my fantasy world.

[–] ilickfrogs@lemmy.world 12 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (1 children)

I have to agree. I always preferred an A class voice actor for a character that isn't of celebrity likeness. Honestly hope this doesn't become the norm.

Edit: I'd also like to add that Idris Elba is a phenomenal actor and I'm excited to play the expansion.

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[–] stardust@lemmy.ca 9 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Yeah, what I've always liked about voice acting is that how the person looks or even what their original voice is like doesn't matter. It's purely about the voice which makes it much easier for the voice to take center stage, and it allows people to voice other genders, races, species, objects, etc.

This real life person being present as themselves is not a trend I've liked. Good voice acting to me has been one where I am emotionally moved by the performance but don't automatically recognize the voice due to how well and unique the performance is. Plus, I don't like more regular voice actors being pushed aside by a listers.

[–] FooBarrington@lemmy.world 5 points 2 years ago

I know what you mean. I love JK Simmons voice, and he's a great VA. But if I compare his role as Omni-Man in Invincible to Ketheric Thorm in Baldur's Gate 3, I definitely enjoy Omni-Man more, even though Ketheric is modelled after his real face.

[–] gila@lemm.ee 7 points 2 years ago (4 children)

I'm curious if you feel the same way watching movies? It's not as if Idris Elba's live-action movie roles depict "reality". What is it about the presence of a real actor which breaks your immersion in games but not movies, or do you just feel similarly about both?

[–] stardust@lemmy.ca 8 points 2 years ago

When it comes to live action I do greatly prefer it when a great performance is from an individual I don't recognize from previous works. So I don't see oh it's blank from X. I only have the reference of seeing only the character, which sells the immersion so much more.

And voice acting when it comes to animation and games has been an area like that where if a woman is voicing a boy, but the voice acting is good I only see the boy. Or someone voices a lovecraftian monster I only see that monster. Or someone who is a different race voices a different race it doesn't matter because I only see the character and how well the voice suits the sculpted character like Kratos.

The best voice acting performances to me have been ones where I don't recognize the voice actor. I only see the character, and due to voice acting providing the opportunity where how you look or what your original voice is doesn't matter. It gives actors the chance to really disappear into a role, but then just showing up as themselves it feels like a lost opportunity.

Like one I think of is Kiefer Sutherland voicing Snake was something I like much more than Norman Reedus in Death Stranding. In MGSV I only saw the character of Snake not Kiefer Sutherland. In Death Stranding I just kept thinking oh hey it's Daryl from Walking Dead, and I had to actively keep trying to disassociate the actor from the character.

[–] mathematicalMagpie@lemm.ee 7 points 2 years ago

It's not unusual to have big stars in movies. There are movies full of nothing but A-listers. It's been the norm since before any of us were born. However, I find there are some big actors where their presence overshadows their character (if that makes sense). I do tend to enjoy movies with smaller actors that I haven't seen quite as many times already.

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[–] Duamerthrax@lemmy.world 3 points 2 years ago

It's also pretty big immersion break when the va changes between installments, so the character model changes. Between Halo War 1 and 2, Professor Anders changed not only the specific person, but the ethnicity of the character.

[–] quams69@lemmy.world 3 points 2 years ago (1 children)

For me it depends, if the game is a big bombastic hollywood esque block buster then cool, but I don't see how Keanu benefitted 2077's story in any way, no matter how much I love him

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[–] Jaysyn@kbin.social 52 points 2 years ago (2 children)

LOL, you mean like Keanu Reeves in Cyberpunk 2077?

[–] mihnt@kbin.social 19 points 2 years ago (2 children)
[–] EncryptKeeper@lemmy.world 7 points 2 years ago (1 children)

I mean Keith David has been a huge voice actor for a long time.

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[–] A_Random_Idiot@lemmy.world 3 points 2 years ago (2 children)

Keith Davids sultry tones will be welcome in any game no matter what the context.

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[–] Paradox@lemdro.id 28 points 2 years ago (3 children)

sign of the times

We've had actors in videogames for as long as there's been the ability to play samples at a high enough quality. Hell, the 90s FMJ era was full of them. Some good, some not so good.

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[–] Kolanaki@yiffit.net 24 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (3 children)

Big, well known actors in video games have been a thing for a long time now? I remember games from the 90's that had actors like James Earl Jones, Tim Curry, Bill Paxton, Randy Quaid, and so many more growing up.

What's interesting is, it doesn't seem like it's expanded or shrunk. Most games don't hire big actors, but a handful of huge budget, AAA things do. There's also big range in how good these actors are in the game... JK Simmons, for example, was awesome as Cave Johnson in Portal; but his performance in Baldur's Gate 3 is, by far, the worst in the entire game IMO.

[–] bookmeat@lemm.ee 4 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Exqueese me? I thought he was great in bg3.

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[–] leave_it_blank@lemmy.world 22 points 2 years ago (1 children)

I'm playing Toonstruck at the moment. Christopher Lloyd was one of the early pioneers acting in computer games, and he gives everything! The game is so much fun!

[–] AngryCommieKender@lemmy.world 18 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (2 children)

Tim Curry in Red Alert ~~2~~ 3 will always be the classic though

[–] quams69@lemmy.world 21 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Liam Neeson was in Fallout 3

[–] Pirky@lemmy.world 16 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (1 children)

Patrick Stewart was in Oblivion. And Sean Bean, too.

[–] baronvonj@lemmy.world 6 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Luke Skywalker, Biff Tannen, Caligula, Sark, Gimli, and Ginger Lynn were in Wing Commander 3.

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[–] jantin@lemmy.world 20 points 2 years ago (1 children)

I'd prefer them to converge from Baldur's Gate 3 direction. Cast more or less established voice actors and give them the hype and marketing space usually found among movie/tv stars. "films and games converge" yea, when we treat a 200hour computer game the way we treat a long tv series and acknowledge the actors' contribution on the same level.

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[–] Landericus 19 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Mark Hamill in Wing Commander III, released in 1994.

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[–] sevastapol@lemmy.world 15 points 2 years ago (1 children)

I personally wouldn't put much stock in his opinion since he seems to know very little about video games.

[–] Sylvartas@lemmy.world 7 points 2 years ago

He knows a fair bit about acting for big budget movies and acting for (AAA) videogames though.

[–] zecg@lemmy.world 15 points 2 years ago

Popular actors in cyberpunk 2077 are the worst part of it IMO, I'd much rather have those characters sport a face I haven't seen a thousand times.

[–] Poggervania@kbin.social 9 points 2 years ago (6 children)

Idk if I like this. Wouldn’t having big famous Hollywood actors and actresses screw over the industry for a lot of people? Which sucks because just because they’re actors, it doesn’t mean they can voice act - Megan Fox did a character in the new Mortal Kombat and she gave the most wooden performance in recent memory; Keanu Reeves in Cyberpunk 2077 was kind of odd at times, but it was still okay.

I just don’t want these big names invading a space that’s already hard to compete in, and then taking all the jobs because of star power and not their actual talent.

[–] nyahlathotep@sh.itjust.works 3 points 2 years ago (1 children)

I think Keanu Reeves is great in Cyberpunk 2077

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[–] snooggums@kbin.social 3 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Eh, actors and actresses have been in games foe decades just like they have done voices in animated films for decades. Both cases tend to only attract big names to a few games and this reads like the usual ebb and flow of interest from a limited number of people and gaming companies.

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[–] PoetSII@lemmy.world 3 points 2 years ago

I agree with your point but imo Johnny Silverhand is Keanu's best work.

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[–] dangblingus@lemmy.world 9 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Ehhh. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. Case in point: everyone loves Patrick Stewart. He played a small yet memorable role in Oblivion. No issues. Everyone loves Keanu Reeves, but as soon as CDPR wheeled him out to hype up CP2077 in 2019, I rolled my eyes because it was an obvious attempt to capitalize on the meme-able goodwill that Keanu had from all of the posts about him riding the subway and his wife dying and how he's a genuinely nice person.

Idris Elba on the other hand, he's a great actor, but he has the marketability of a tuna sandwich.

Put famous actors in games when it makes sense to do so. Otherwise it comes off as hacky and you run the risk of severely dating your game in 10 years. Idris Elba is just in too many things these days to take him seriously.

[–] Noite_Etion@lemmy.world 11 points 2 years ago

It's no different than putting famous people in movie voice acting roles. If they can voice act well it works (Eartha Kitt as Yzma) but often it's just a sad attempt at generating hype (Chris Pratt as Mario).

Speaking of aging, does anyone remember Kevin Spacey in Call of Duty? That aged well right gang!

[–] Mandy@sh.itjust.works 4 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Stop trying to be movies already for fucks sake, you where supposed to be better, hell the multitudes if days one can interact should make them so but nooooo All we got is this shit from the big guys

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