Video Games Need Original Characters - NOT Famous Actors

It seems that adding famous actors to video games is the new trend in the industry. Heres why keeping original characters in games is so important.

[isarai]

Famous actors can play original characters, they aren't mutually exclusive.

[SyntheticForm]

Exactly.

Dumb...

[naruga]

i disagree with both of you ...the article has right ....original completely concept-art born characters is the way to go for AAA games ....famous Actors is ridiculous and cheap method to be used for creative and sales purposes ...also Actors suck game s production money offering literally nothing substantative to the game core purpose (gameplay, mechanics, art , entartenment factor) ...they r just there to get the sales for dump groupies

[SyntheticForm]

@Naruga

High powered actors are just as diligent, capable, and compelling as anyone else, and there have been plenty of them.

Charles Dance in Witcher 3 totally sucked production money; wasn't at all a natural in his role as Emhyr or anything. Total waste of a hire, right?

You just made dumb dumber.

[naruga]

@Synthetic ....i mean artistically and visually is a bad option to include actors ....no matter how much i like Keanu ...i dont like him as a videogame character ...Makes the game sterile and bland again artistically speaking ....i would prefer 1000 tiimes more a fully created from 0 concept art for an important NPC (let alone the protagonists) ....games are creations of fantasy and they can depict visual things that movies cannot ...Devs should not lose that advantage and transform games like movie s bad sidekick

[sinspirit]

@naruga

I think movies should stop using actors. They should use original concept art born characters. It's not like actors are cast for a role that interviews find them fitting for.

[Profchaos]

Some of the greatest voice overs ever stem from actors playing characters the gta franchise alone had an abundance of celeb talent.

But there's examples where it didn't work well also such as Destiny 1.

It's not the person it's the quality of their performance. Unless of course you're Phil Collins playing Phil Collins in vice city stories.

[lellkay]

This

[drunkenspy007]

yup, seems like the writer hasn't advanced to that understanding. lame article.

[Cueil]

Some people need to be punched... That is all I am saying

[Rachel_Alucard]

Famous actors playing original characters is almost never done correctly because you'll always acknowledge the actor instead of the character, since they want you to see the actor before the character. The only time I've ever seen this done right is with Benny from Fallout New Vegas being voiced by Matthew Perry. Nobody acknowledges him as Matthew and his character is different enough from the role everyone associates him with, to be his own character. I cannot see Johnny Silverhand as anyone other then Keanu Reeves due to the face capture, voice work, and personality they gave him, just like I can't remove Peter Dinklage from Destiny, at least Bungie did that second one for everyone.

[Fishy Fingers]

Didn't realise Keanu Reeves was playing Keanu Reeves in CP2077....

[smolinsk]

Absolutely right. Hate the use of famous actors in games.

[Fist4achin]

Agreed. Not necessary as there are plenty of other people who have talent and could use the work either for themselves or their voices that would come much cheaper. That production money can be geared towards other aspects in the game.

[Ratchet75]

I kind of agree with that.
Celeb actors in the past 30 years took jobs from voice actors in animated movie, now they take jobs from TV and video games actors.
🤔🤔

[sinspirit]

I agree with this point. You have a large budget for an actor? Find the next big one and make someones dream happen.

[Gardenia]

A good example is Death Stranding. None of the characters stand out or are memorable. Compare this with characters created in Metal Gear Solid like Solid Snake, Liquid Snake, Otacon, Ocelot, Sniper Wolf, Psycho Mantis, The Boss (both of them) and I can go on like this. Unforgettable, all of them.

[SyntheticForm]

I don't think that's a good example at all; in fact I think the case of Norman Reedus in Death Stranding could be used in a counterargument to great effect.

No matter how you feel about Norman, he's definitely got a hard exterior which has largely made him suitable for the roles he's taken. Now, he may be more versatile than I'm aware - I don't know. But I do know that he has a place in acting or voice acting, and that he was absolutely perfect for Death Stranding.

He's been memorable in everything he's done so far, imo. His presence is still big when his mouth isn't. He's keenly felt by the audience, but that's me.

[syphon32]

This is stupid, who cares if it's original or being played by somebody famous, does any of this matter as long as the game is good...

[Psychotica]

Doesn't seem to hurt when watching movies, why would it matter when playing video games?

[SegaGamer]

Because video games aren't movies. I don't understand this obsession with trying to make video games the next hollywood.

[SyntheticForm]

Bigger budgets and better technology are allowing for more realism, and games are changing. It's really only natural that these "triple A" (f'ng hate that term) productions are including well known actors.

[Germaximus]

An actor's best work is when they are unrecognizable and you realize after the movie who it was.

[SyntheticForm]

That's simply a matter of perception.

[Tex4242]

It's a preference, theres no right or wrong as far as the game. The reason a developer or publisher does it is Name Brand. Celebrities sell. Just like people watch specific actors movies, I'm sure they buy their games also. If it bothers you now, then just wait. All this new tech and mo cap. Itll end up the new normal to put actors in the game. It saves them from having to design a whole new face and they get a recognizable one that will sell. To me it's a game by game basis, but ultimately it hasn't really bothered me.

[Germaximus]

Yes. I can't stand all these stupid characters modeled after the voice actors. It's ridiculous. Been sick of it forever.

[Donnie81]

It’s an imaginary world I think it’s ok for there to be both.

[amazingmax7]

It is easier to face (& motion) capture an actor/actress (well, in my opinion) compared to making a new character from scratch, they pretty much stopped making unique character faces for characters for games now (i'm just going to say about 80% or more, could be wrong lol).

Even before face/motion capture technology, artists usually/sometimes tried to put some of the actors likeness for the characters anyway.

[Kumakai]

Video games don’t need ppl making arbitrary rules about what a character can and can’t be.

[moomoo319]

Yes i'm sure there are no original characters in the game, just Keanu Reeves. Smh

[SinisterKieran]

You can have both

[CDbiggen]

I think it's annoying the actor starts being the thing most associated with the game. How many times have we seen that fucking shot of Keanu for Cyberpunk when the game is referenced now?

[SegaGamer]

Yep, it was the same with Norman Reedus and all of the other hollywood actors in Death Stranding.

[CDbiggen]

Ugh, yes. So shoved in your face.

[NukeDaHippies]

Keanu Reeves is an actor!!?

[lellkay]

This is completely down to the vision of the dev team. If it's done well it doesn't bother me at all.

[Germaximus]

It isn't the vision of the dev team. It's purely for the sake of popularity of the actor. Nothing more.

[lellkay]

Disagree

[SaveFerris]

Although they can cost a lot more, I can see developers choosing TV/Movie actors in order to increase hype and sales. Personally, having Keanu in the game changed it in a big way from the initial reveal, and I am not sure if the game will be better for it or not.
Also, instead of Johnny Silverhand, his last name could've been Wick, Utah, or Mnemonic as either one may be just as interesting.

[bunt-custardly]

I think it's fine as long as they are doing it from a passion rather than another means to make massive $$$ which could be spent on other parts of production. As long as the paid actor isn't a main selling point and the game itself stands up on its own merits then it's ok.

[VTKC]

I think its so cool they use real people to model the characters.

[Shane Kim]

It feels tacked on and out of place.

[ClosetRebel]

I guess I don't give a shit.

[L7CHAPEL]

when a good actor actually voices a "character" I think it's fine.
but when the character is simply a placeholder in the project, for an appearance by an actor?
to me there's a jarring disconnect,
it breaks the immersion.
so I guess I'm sitting on the fence looking in both directions on this.
if it's done well and you get a good actor to play a good character in a good story, fantastic.
when it's just some sort of Cameo or celebrity appearance, where a name is slapped on them appearing in a game?
no, I'm not for that.
I think it's stupid.

[MontyeKristo]

So did all you hate Death Stranding, too, due to Norman Reedus?

[SyntheticForm]

Death Stranding made me like Norman more than I already did. He wanted to be a part of Kojima's work - he saw that it was unique and special, and I truly think Death Stranding was.

Polarizing? Absolutely. For everyone? Absolutely not, but damn if it isn't a kickass story and addictive game where I couldn't help myself and put the controller down. One more run, one more run. "Let me just level this prepper up to five stars, honey. Then we can do whatever."

[cosmicjest]

Yass.
And we already have our own famous actors in this industry--they shouldn't be overshadowed by Hollywood starzzz

[SyntheticForm]

Why not both?

[cosmicjest]

To be honest, I think that we can have both in some instances, but there is a different style of acting and performance that I don't think always translates well.

[FRA85]

Hardly a new trend. Since games started using voice actors they've often used well known actors. Maybe they're just hiring talented performers that they feel best suit the role?

[CertifiedGamer]

Miguel Gear 5 had such a small dialogue for Kiefer Sutherland because Konami had to pay him a big budget everytime he spoke, being the reason that most of it was given to the voice actor of Ocelot. I prefer that money go into better development instead of a voice actor. The game was left incomplete so that should say a lot, I blame Konami for that but I think had Kojima picked David, Kojima would have been able to finish the game before Kojima Production/Konami fallout.

[fixjunkie]

I really don't get this. is Keanu Reeves not worthy to be an "Original" game character.. The focus should be on whether the game is good or not

[BongSmack]

....Can't it be both.