Great voice acting is a sweet touch in games. I'm playing through Deus Ex: HR right now, and each time I encounter a conversation I appreciate the voice acting. My guy sounds like Clint Eastwood and my boss sounds like the male Tredstone handler from Bourne Identity.

Bastions VA, not famous. moving on.

i cant see this helping the sales, gamers dont care for celebrity voices if the game sux (which i'm sure it wont). i would be more intrested if veterans such as John Di Maggio (Jack, VTMB) would be onboard.

but still, it is intresting to hear Sarandon do a voice for a game like this. just hope they spend money on this after everything else is in its place.

@Amafi said:

@MarkWahlberg said:

There was an interesting Nerdist podcast a while back where they interviewed the Pinky and the Brain guys (Rob Paulsen and Maurice Lamarche ), and at one point they briefly discussed how celebrities all want in on voice-acting because of what Chris Rock said at the Oscars, where you say dumb shit and they 'give you a million dollars'. They weren't super bitter about it or anything, but it did sort of underline some of the problems with stunt casting, which is that most celebrities have no experience doing that sort of work. I'll try to find the link, it was kind of cool to hear what it's like for people who do it professionally. More important reason for listening: R-rated Pinky.

edit: here ya go http://www.nerdist.com/2012/03/nerdist-podcast-rob-paulsen-and-maurice-lamarche/

That was a pretty great episode.

Rob and Maurice are so great together. They have such amazing chemistry, although that makes perfect sense. Nerdist just did a new podcast with Billy West and John Dimaggio. Apparently John is doing a documentary(trailer) about Voice Actors that he was talking about on Rob Paulsen's Talkin Toons podcast, where he interviews and chats with other v.a's. The Docu looks really good and has soooo many people in it, its crazy.

@MarkWahlberg said:

There was an interesting Nerdist podcast a while back where they interviewed the Pinky and the Brain guys (Rob Paulsen and Maurice Lamarche ), and at one point they briefly discussed how celebrities all want in on voice-acting because of what Chris Rock said at the Oscars, where you say dumb shit and they 'give you a million dollars'. They weren't super bitter about it or anything, but it did sort of underline some of the problems with stunt casting, which is that most celebrities have no experience doing that sort of work. I'll try to find the link, it was kind of cool to hear what it's like for people who do it professionally. More important reason for listening: R-rated Pinky.

edit: here ya go http://www.nerdist.com/2012/03/nerdist-podcast-rob-paulsen-and-maurice-lamarche/

That was a pretty great episode.

Micheal Madsen will do anything for money these days

@Alex: "Bully to Bethesda?" Alex, you've been watching Downton Abbey, haven't you?

Susan Sarandon... also starred in The Children of Dune. It's a regular fuckin' Dune-fest up in here.

So much power that's all I want from the game.

@SaturdayNightSpecials said:

So is there a Chloe not-Grace Moretz out there who is also famous? Why has it become the rule to include her middle name?

It's their "performance/actor name," like Sarah Michelle Gellar, Samuel L. Jackson, Francis Ford Coppola, etc.--it's kinda like their brand name. often actors or even writers or directors have to change or drop part of their name because of guild/union regulations allowing only unique names. that's why some people drop their first name, change their last name, include their middle name or abbreviate parts of it. Writer David Fury (Buffy, Angel, Fringe, Lost, 24) had to change his name because of these guild regulations from David Allen Shapiro, same thing with Scottish actor David Tennant (played the tenth Doctor on Doctor Who) whose real name David McDonald was already registered with the actors union.

Still meh about the game-dont bethesda use some celebrity voice talent for all their games? I could be wrong?

So since Chloe Moretz and Susan Sarandon are both age-inappropriate for me can being attracted to both make me not creepy?

Chloe Moretz? I'm in. I absolutely love the kid, if there's a child actor that has a real shot at making a legendary career when she's grown up, it's her.

@SaturdayNightSpecials said:

So is there a Chloe not-Grace Moretz out there who is also famous? Why has it become the rule to include her middle name?

Arkane is a great developer in many ways, but writing is not something they've done well in the past (Dark Messiah was a wonderful game, with an absolutely atrocious script) so it's hard to know how this is going to turn out even if the celebrity voice acting happens to be decent.

Those are all pretty amazing actors, good for them. 
 
And I'll watch Lynch's Dune any time! But I will never understand why he doesn't like it, it's a fantastic movie (the mini-series is terrible, though).

@Meowshi said:

LEL EPIC WIN ALEX

KICK-ASS AND STARWARS R SO OBSCURE HURRR

You seem angry over nothing.

Damn, that's a hell of a voice cast. I was already super pumped for this game beforehand; now even more so.

So is there a Chloe not-Grace Moretz out there who is also famous? Why has it become the rule to include her middle name?

@Tryptophan said:

@damnable_fiend: You may be thinking of William Sanderson as J.F. Sebastian.

Dourif was not in Blade Runner. But he was in Blue Velvet. "Now it's dark."

huh. I stand corrected, then. *bows*

Voice acting seems like the retirement plan for older actors. That is good.

Odd choices for examples for Brad Dourif's past work. He was nominated for an Oscar, for his part in One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest. And he was prominently featured in The Two Towers.

Holy shit Chloe Moretz is in the game? Now I'm really looking forward to this game.

@ErikSchroder said:

You can't mention Susan Sarandon and not mention Rocky Horror, Alex.

That's exactly what I was thinking.

You can't mention Susan Sarandon and not mention Rocky Horror, Alex.

I do in fact Alex! I do in fact

Susan Sarandon just seems like a really weird choice. I hope she does well, I like her in most things I see her in, and I think she's a good actress. And she's still weirdly hot.

@damnable_fiend: You may be thinking of William Sanderson as J.F. Sebastian.

Dourif was not in Blade Runner. But he was in Blue Velvet. "Now it's dark."

"Damnit Janet!"

@xenexprime said:

You really need to do better research. Carrie Fisher was Princess Leia in the Star Wars Original Trilogy not Star Trek.

Well, that went right over your head, didn't it?

Aah yes, Michael Madsen of Celebrity Big Brother fame

I have to say I'm impressed with this voice cast. Brad Dourif is the one that excites me the most, because I will always remember him as Chucky from Child's Play (That movie is SCARY!) Also, he was in Myst III: Exile, and Gun, which are two games that I own.

Also, Susan Sarandon, and Chloe Moretz are both great, too.

LEL EPIC WIN ALEX

KICK-ASS AND STARWARS R SO OBSCURE HURRR

@xenexprime: Alex used to be an editor of Screened a movie website. I'm pretty sure he is just Trolling the readers. He seems to like doing that.

You really need to do better research. Carrie Fisher was Princess Leia in the Star Wars Original Trilogy not Star Trek.

Man I am reminded how I don't watch TV shows or films at all. Then again I know like 3 of these people.

I'm surprised to see that a lot of the sites writing about this are reacting pretty positively. This seems like a colossal waste of money given that it would cost a fraction of what they're surely paying these people to hire actual voice actors who are neither disinterested nor inexperienced in conveying things using only their voices. And it's not like they can really bank on the names to boost sales; the vast majority of people buying games don't care, and the people who might be swayed by something like that won't ever know because it's not the kind of thing you slap on the front of the box.

Every time I see developers do things like this, they always come off as really insecure; like they're still sitting at the kids' table and they feel the need to big themselves up through association with film and tv. Games are huge now, these companies could stand to be a little more confident.

@mandude said:

@DeF said:

@mandude said:

@Video_Game_King said:

Is it odd that I've never heard of any of these famous people? Probably.

Probably not. I haven't heard of any of them, either, nor the movies they are accredited to.

Unless you're five I just don't believe you've never at least heard of Reservoir Dogs, Thelma & Louise, Dune or Star Wars (cuz y'know ...Carrie Fisher was Princess Leia and a person on the internet simply can't not know Princess Leia). I hope your comment excluded the way more contemporary TV shows like Mad Men, Game of Thrones or Deadwood. Or are the really people living under rocks? :)

Actually, I didn't see Reservoir Dogs being mentioned the first time I read through the article, so I'll give you that. Star Wars wasn't mentioned, but yeah, obviously I've seen that too. I didn't know who Carrie Fisher was until you told me, though, so I think I'd attribute the fame to Princess Leia rather than her. Also, I thought Dune was a book? Never knew there was a movie. I've heard of Game of Thrones, but none of the other ones, and even then, that's mostly about the book.

Maybe it's a culture difference?

I haven't seen any of these movies either but I have at least heard the names mentioned many times, that's what irritated me when you said you hadn't heard of any of these.^^

Yea Star Wars wasn't mentioned because Alex made a Star Trek joke :)

I know a whole bunch of people are going to slam me for this overreaction but GOD. FUCKING. DAMN IT.

Every time I read about famous people in games I actually just get pissed. We hear so much about how development costs are so high and blah blah blah cost of games today. Do we really need celebrities to do voice acting? Hasn't decades of bad VO taught us that you don't need famous people to speak into a mic to make the story work?

I refuse to believe that these peoples names sell any copies of the game. I also refuse to believe they couldn't pay better voice actors less.

That said, if they hired James Earl Jones I might be singing a different tune. I would play a game to listen to him. But only if he narrated my entire adventure. That would be super bad ass.

Pretty great cast there. I will pay to hear John Slattery talk so this works out well for me.

@mandude said:

@Raven10: Of course I've heard of Star Wars, and while I have seen Carrie Fisher's face before, I'd never heard her name.

Well that's good news. I was going to be pretty shocked.

@Raven10: Of course I've heard of Star Wars, and while I have seen Carrie Fisher's face before, I'd never heard her name.

@SpunkyHePanda said:

Chloe Moretz is young enough to know that being in a video game is pretty cool. Some of those other guys are gonna half-ass it, guaranteed.

Also she was Hit Girl so you know she has to at least appreciate nerd culture. I can't decide if I'm more excited to hear Susan Sarandon Chloe Moretz. One legendary actress and one great up and coming actress.

@mandude said:

@Video_Game_King said:

Is it odd that I've never heard of any of these famous people? Probably.

Probably not. I haven't heard of any of them, either, nor the movies they are accredited to.

So you've never heard of Star Wars? I highly doubt that. The others I could see, but I just don't believe anyone on a gaming website has never heard of Star Wars.

Roger Sterling, yo.

Oh man Brad Dourif! One of the most criminally underrated actors, surely. I mean, he should be in like all of the things. But he's not.

@Yummylee said:

@believer258 said:

@mandude said:

@Video_Game_King said:

Is it odd that I've never heard of any of these famous people? Probably.

Probably not. I haven't heard of any of them, either, nor the movies they are accredited to.

Reservoir Dogs and Star Wars are fairly well known.

Meanwhile, it seems like every time a celebrity voice actor appears in a game, you can bet your bottom dollar that they're gonna die (or, less likely, completely disappear) at some point. Captain Picard, Oskar Schindler, Dan Conner, Gary Oldman (b/c I can't peg him in any one role), etc.

...You just reminded me that even in a video-game, as an original character, Sean Bean still dies!

Dammit, I knew I was forgetting one!

@believer258 said:

@mandude said:

@Video_Game_King said:

Is it odd that I've never heard of any of these famous people? Probably.

Probably not. I haven't heard of any of them, either, nor the movies they are accredited to.

Reservoir Dogs and Star Wars are fairly well known.

Meanwhile, it seems like every time a celebrity voice actor appears in a game, you can bet your bottom dollar that they're gonna die (or, less likely, completely disappear) at some point. Captain Picard, Oskar Schindler, Dan Conner, Gary Oldman (b/c I can't peg him in any one role), etc.

...You just reminded me that even in a video-game, as an original character, Sean Bean still dies!

@Tesla said:

Susan Sarandon is the sexiest older woman of all time.

Diane Lane says hello

@mandude said:

@Video_Game_King said:

Is it odd that I've never heard of any of these famous people? Probably.

Probably not. I haven't heard of any of them, either, nor the movies they are accredited to.

Reservoir Dogs and Star Wars are fairly well known.

Meanwhile, it seems like every time a celebrity voice actor appears in a game, you can bet your bottom dollar that they're gonna die (or, less likely, completely disappear) at some point. Captain Picard, Oskar Schindler, Dan Conner, Gary Oldman (b/c I can't peg him in any one role), etc.