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Opinion: I hate this trend of having famous actor faces on games.

Imagine wifebeating simulator feat. Will Smith. Day 1!

Will Smith Punch GIF by Xavier Degraux
 

SSfox

Member
I 100% agree. It's the only thing I dislike in Death Stranding, Kojima should have done it the MGS way imo
 

JayK47

Member
Gaming has gone mainstream a long time ago and here we are. I am not surprised. You will in fact only see more of this.
 
Naw, once you play the game longer than two hours you forget about that stuff, just like actors playing different roles in movies.
While that might be true, it's not a valid enough argument to warrant it. I'm against it, entirely! I get why companies do it; it's easier to market and you have the potential to reach a wider fan base, increasing potential sales. But, unless they have some serious numbers to show that non-gaming fans of a celebrity will purchase a game solely because that celebrity plays a lead role in it, then I don't see how that argumemt can be made, conclusively. Most gamers don't care for star power, and the fans of a celebrity who are gamers, will unlikely buy a game solely because Nicholas Cage is the lead character: they'll buy the game if it's good, first. And if it fits their preferred genre. Everything else is completely secondary or not even a factor.

Personally, another reason I don't like to see it (and this goes for voice acting and acting as well), is because it robs talented actors and voice actors of work, and a chance to shine, or a chance to even become a celebrity, and perhaps change their lives and the lives of the people around them. There are some really, really talented people out there; actors and voice actors alike, and they never get the chances they should be given because people who are already famous/popular automatically get given roles, because of "star power". Those same celebrity actors were once nobodies. No one knew who they were. No one knew their talent. They became famous because of their talent (in most cases). They were given a chance to let their talent shine, and that shouldn't change; give other nobodies a chance to become "somebody".

I see so many celebrity actors get voice acting roles that require no real development or characterization. It's their same voice, and sometimes, their voice doesn't even fit the character. There are many voice actors out there (famous and unheard of) who can better bring a character to life, and make that character iconic because of the talent and skill put into the role.

Let's take the actress for Senua (Melina Juergen) in Hellblade; she was originally hired to do photography, if memory serves me right. They just needed a stand-in to do some 3D mapping work, and Tam saw her potential right away and asked her to be the lead. She never did any acting prior to this. And what we got was one of the best performances in gaming history. There's more than enough room for the "nobodies" to leave their mark in this world.

I remember when Quantum Break was coming out, and the first trailers showed a very different lead actor. The lead actor was supposed to be the cab driver who makes an appearance in the first chapter of the game. I felt his performance in the trailers were really good. I had no idea why they changed it to Shawn Ashmore, other than he's Shawn Ashmore lol. The amount of money they could have put towards other aspects of the game, if they had done without the star ensemble cast. Sure, everyone loves Shawn Ashmore, Lance Reddick and Little Finger. But we're they absolutely necessary? No. Great performances are great performances. And there are many other actors (not-so-famous and completely unheard of) who could have given top class performances in that game.

Studios are absolutely spending poorly every time they decide to do this. It just doesn't make sense to me.
 

MagiusNecros

Gilgamesh Fan Annoyance
It wouldn't be so bad if the game characters actually had the actors faces and not some deformed ugly version of them.
 

TintoConCasera

I bought a sex doll, but I keep it inflated 100% of the time and use it like a regular wife
I didn't mind it in the Yakuza games, but I guess the later games can feel a bit weird if you are used to fap to japanese porn.
 

Sentenza

Member
I mostly don't give a shit.

Their likeliness changes nothing for me; it's neither a plus nor inherently a negative.
As a general rule I don't think "celebrity" and stardom add much to an actor's performance and I'd be incline to call it a waste of money, but then again it could be counter-argued that a big name to some extent repays itself calling more attention to a game.

Then again, "budgeting" is not my problem to begin with.
 

Sentenza

Member
I didn't mind it in the Yakuza games, but I guess the later games can feel a bit weird if you are used to fap to japanese porn.
For some reason given their hentai production you'd think live action Japanese porn would the wildest shit on the planet, instead it's usually some of the most tame, milquetoast boring shit in existence.

P.S. Please, be assured that if you think I'm talking from a position of ignorance and want to prove me wrong, I accept suggestions.
 
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Dick Jones

Gold Member
Because gaming is more high def you need to be more exact in facial features. It makes sense to use real faces. This feels like giving out about actors in different franchises.

Otherwise
8CCShWC.jpg
 

TintoConCasera

I bought a sex doll, but I keep it inflated 100% of the time and use it like a regular wife
For some reason given their hentai production you'd think live action Japanese porn would the wildest shit on the planet, instead it's usually some of the most tame, milquetoast boring shit in existence.

P.S. Please, be assured that if you think I'm talking from a position of ignorance and want to prove me wrong, I accept suggestions.
My man, I said "I guess" because I don't watch japanese porn. :goog_relieved:

Wouldn't mind some suggestions either.
 

Rhazkul

Member
Meh, whatever....i don't mind it. The bigger the marketing, the worse the game, so i stay away from such type of games anyway. Hollywood Celebs are money-printers, so i understand why game studios are flirting with Hollywood, or vice versa: Gaming industry surpassed Hollywoord in popularity and profits, so famous Actors naturally looking for new opportunities.
 
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Northeastmonk

Gold Member
What bugs me about this is that none of them play games. It’s great they use their talents in the video game industry, but it still rubs me the wrong way when they say they don’t play. Even after the video game company pays them for their work. Which can’t be cheap. It’s like they wouldn’t know if they gave a good performance or not because they’ll never play the game they star in. I wonder how many developers send them a free copy and a thank you note. They’re basically sending them a coaster.
 
Still better than having to hear Troy Baker every single game. You cant tell me you rather have that same voice rather than people who can can act on screen.
Ashley Tisdale in House of Ash, Norman Readus in Death Stranding, Keanu in Cyberpunk, That Quantum Break guy, that Jedi Fallen Order guy et. al. Its good that these actors are not stuck up enough to not take a video game gig and inject some variety to our main characters.
 

OZ9000

Banned
Because gaming is more high def you need to be more exact in facial features. It makes sense to use real faces. This feels like giving out about actors in different franchises.

Otherwise
8CCShWC.jpg
I prefer these faces over the same actors being seen in video games over and over again.
 

mxbison

Member
Agree.

I also can't stand seeing famous actor faces in movies though. Come up with something new ffs and stop doing the same shit over and over.
 

The_Mike

I cry about SonyGaf from my chair in Redmond, WA
But if you don't use real actors, then how can you cater to get into Hollywood with your cinematic games trying to be the ticket?
 

MrA

Member
I kinda agree. There's a blurry line where a person is too famous (or specifically famous) and I can't see them as the character and just see the person.

That's Norman Reedus in Death Stranding. Not Sam Porter.

That's Keanu Reeves in Cyberpunk. Not Johnny Silverhand.

However, that's Ashley the president's daughter in RE4R. Not Ella Freya the Instagram model I never heard of until a few weeks ago.
well, I think that's because that is traditional Japanese casting of foreign characters, you know casting the first foreigner they run into.
 

Nautilus

Banned
Still better than having to hear Troy Baker every single game. You cant tell me you rather have that same voice rather than people who can can act on screen.
Ashley Tisdale in House of Ash, Norman Readus in Death Stranding, Keanu in Cyberpunk, That Quantum Break guy, that Jedi Fallen Order guy et. al. Its good that these actors are not stuck up enough to not take a video game gig and inject some variety to our main characters.
Fine, but they don't have to lend their faces.Their voices are more than enough.
 
I don't mind, mostly. Replacing Hayter with Sutherland was stupid though. Or having three Max Paynes. Or having a few sort of famous voice actors do that many roles. Among all the wannabe Hollywood stars there must be a ton of undiscovered talent that should do those jobs just fine. I'd rather have a bunch of people earn a living, maybe provide them a decent stepping stone, than few established stars swimming in even more money.
So far scripts are most of the time anyway so low level garbage that using some well known actor is a waste. Getting Hans Zimmer to do the music enhances a game, having some proper actor do some shitty line changes nothing, having GRR Martin do some writing may or may not help a script, depending on if a writer knows how to write for games, or at least delivers a logical plot which is often missing.
That Dechart dude playing Connor in Detroit that was a good get, because he seems genuinely passionate about games and is not only doing it for money/boredom, probably loved doing any promo work beyond his contract. Such people should act in games. Very much like programmers who actually desire to make games should do that work instead of just worker bees who barely care.
 

amigastar

Member
GTA did it back in 2002 with Ray Liotta, but they did it right. Usually i don't need famous actor faces in my games.
 
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AlphaMale

Member
I totally agree.. I also hate playing famous actors in my games.
The main reason I haven't played Death Stranding is cuz of Norman Reedus.
I prefer using a character creation tool like the ones used in Mass Effect or Dragon Age.
 

Happosai

Hold onto your panties
I'm a caveman, I don't recognize 90% of these celebs.
Likewise. First time I played MGS V: Phantom Pain I knew Keifer Sutherland was the replacement for Hayter but didn't see where they modeled Snake on Sutherland. I mean, I know Kiefer though. These other ones someone has had to stop and say, "but it's so and so from that one movie..."
 

brian0057

Banned
Gary Oldman in World at War and Black Ops, and Liam Neeson in Fallout 3 are probably the best examples where really big names in acting don't outshine the work around them.
 

StreetsofBeige

Gold Member
Seems like a waste of money to me, unless hollywood actors doing mocap and dialogue are willing to do the job for dirt cheap.

How often have gamers hyped a game because a hollywood actor was face scanned into a game? I know people love it in movies and tv shows. Dont think it really applies to games.

In fact for my personal tastes, I'd rather have zero pro actors doing it. Because the more it's done, the more it reminds of a movie.
 

KXVXII9X

Member
I don't really like it either. It makes a bit more sense when it is with sports games as you are a part of that fantasy managing and being in a team with all of these famous athletes, but other games I kind of roll my eyes. I got major red flags when CDPR were hyping up the Keanu Reeves reveal in Cyberpunk 2077. Everyone was super excited, and I was like "Why are they so desperate for?") When a celebrity is the main marketing for a game, I get really suspicious.

I think Naughty Dog does a fantastic job with making realistic looking people without resorting to famous people. They have used the likeness of people like Dina and Abby, but they both weren't super well known at the time.

I guess this makes me a major hypocrite though as I love the Yakuza series and playing through Judgment where the main character is an extremely famous idol. I think it helps that I don't live in Japan and don't see these celebrities everywhere. But like someone mentioned above, there are a lot of logistics of having real people portrayals that mess with development. Johnny's & Associates is really protective over its property... I mean idols.
 

anothertech

Member
Tbh, it's not as annoying as the trend to purposefully make your game characters UGLY AS FUCK.

I mean, shit. The fuck is wrong with these character modelers.
 

Hollowpoint5557

A Fucking Idiot
Okay but counterpoint. Michael Biehn in Blood Dragon was AWESOME. Michael Mando as Vas in FC3 AWESOME. Couldn't imagine anyone else or anyone doing it better.
 
I get more annoyed with seeing actors/musicians in most commercials.

It used to be like a Super Bowl thing, something memorable to talk about the next day. Now it's Betting Apps with Kevin Hart and Auto Insurance with Aaron Rodgers.

Not only do I feel embarrassed for whichever celebrity it is, it also comes across as a dick move cause they're blocking struggling actors from getting a role.
 
Outside of the few people in that cesspit that isn't a complete degenerate I generally agree to keep Hollywood the fuck away from the gaming industry.
 
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