Meet the People Behind BioShock Infinite's Booker and Elizabeth

@BulletproofMonk said:

Troy Baker could totally play Kanji in a live-action P4 movie, if that was to ever happen.

Except he's probably too old.

I want my real life Kanji to be a jacket-on-shoulder wearing asian dude with Troy Baker speaking over him in the American dub.

@Gerhabio said:

@Gerhabio

@crusader8463

@Alphazero said:

@ultimatepunchrod said:

i wish they'd cover up her chest. it's really annoying and i think it discredits what the game is doing.

It turns out that women have breasts. I know, I was shocked too.

LIES!

I think the upsetting part is that she wasnt desogned with the huge o

*wasnt designed with the huge cleavage in the beginning so it stinks of suits. While there is nothing particularly offensive with breasts as one instance, this is just part of a tremendously over represented trope of sexualized women in videogames. The disconnect between reality and the persistence of "augmented" hyPersexual women in a virtual world that is ultimately designed willingly by people makes it apparent that there exists an idea that in order for a woman to be a strong lead she must be sexually attractive on most ocassions, AND THAT is problematic.

um...go back to the earliest pictures of Elizabeth...and yes yes she was designed with the cleavage the original CGI cinematic first shown to the public its obvious to see it...Do not mistake a more indepth and evolved character in terms of graphics with...SEE's GOT BIGGA BOOBS!

@H2Oyea said:

@admanb said:

@Nomin said:

Why does Ken Levine remind me of a rat?

Probably because you're conditioned by animated features that portray characters with Jewish facial features as mice or rats and Ken Levine has very strong Jewish features.

Precisely. It's pretty sad :'( Although personally I look more like a parrot.

I look like an owl, or maybe a turtle, depending on how grumpy I am.

I wish to make love to Elizabeth and her Voice Actress!

> Crying about video game boobs

> crying about guys hair

> GB community = virgins for life

@WilliamRLBaker: Hmm, I was pretty sure I saw some concept art that had her cover the cleavage so that other looks were initially considered. Either way, I don't believe that lessens my argument that, while one instance of female sexualization is trivial, it is the whole combination of persistent sexualization that contributes to the objectification of the female body in the social consciousness. Sexual attractiveness tends to be overvalued in female characters in contrast to male characters for whom personality, intelligence, etc, takes precedence. That is what is disturbing to me. It's what it represents in the big picture as another part of the continuum of media with female objectification, not the actual cleavage itself.

I want to see more games that dare say, "hey, this female lead is super cool, and she doesn't need to be attractive or/and sexual AT ALL to be a complete and compelling character". I think that would be really nice for female gamers and women in general.

@DeF: Its true, Hes like some kind of mad scientist lol!

I expected troy baker to look more rugged from his voice but he looks very boyish. Still his voice acting sounds excellent

@Alphazero said:

@ultimatepunchrod said:

i wish they'd cover up her chest. it's really annoying and i think it discredits what the game is doing.

It turns out that women have breasts. I know, I was shocked too.

Wait... So people who have breasts are probably women? Shit man, why didn't somebody tell me that sooner.

In all seriousness, the cleavage is distracting in these short segments of video. I figure it's something you probably get used to and forget about when you're playing it, assuming they do a good enough job of making her a fleshed-out character.

I don't know if anyone has realized this, probably because Bioshock 1 & 2 were so draped in dark shadows, but all of the people in that world have an animated feel to them. They're exaggerated and cartoony. I like that. Elizabeth is designed to make the player wish to protect her. If you want to get into the science of "cuteness" then by all means, use Google. I think it's effective, and a large reason why I couldn't harvest the little sisters. Well that and whoever did was pure fucking evil.

@Alphazero said:

@ultimatepunchrod said:

i wish they'd cover up her chest. it's really annoying and i think it discredits what the game is doing.

It turns out that women have breasts. I know, I was shocked too.

Wait... So people who have breasts are probably women? Shit man, why didn't somebody tell me that sooner.

In all seriousness, the cleavage is distracting in these short segments of video. I figure it's something you probably get used to and forget about when you're playing it, assuming they do a good enough job of making her a fleshed-out character.

@zyn said:

@Gildermershina said:

@Alphazero said:

@ultimatepunchrod said:

i wish they'd cover up her chest. it's really annoying and i think it discredits what the game is doing.

It turns out that women have breasts. I know, I was shocked too.

Wait... So people who have breasts are probably women? Shit man, why didn't somebody tell me that sooner.

In all seriousness, the cleavage is distracting in these short segments of video. I figure it's something you probably get used to and forget about when you're playing it, assuming they do a good enough job of making her a fleshed-out character.

Wha? No way. More breasts = better gameplay, right?!

That's true. That's why Soul Calibur is only the second best fighting game after Dead or Alive.

Courtnee Draper?

GOOD GOD DON YOU'RE DAUGHTER'S A STAR!

@Zatoichi_Sanjuro said:

@Castiel said:

I think I just fell in love with Courtnee Draper.

I know! She's a cutie!

Here is the video in the 720P that Giant Bomb doesn't want us free users to see. Enjoy, now without blocky shit getting in the way.

That's Kanji right?

@Gerhabio said:

@WilliamRLBaker: Hmm, I was pretty sure I saw some concept art that had her cover the cleavage so that other looks were initially considered. Either way, I don't believe that lessens my argument that, while one instance of female sexualization is trivial, it is the whole combination of persistent sexualization that contributes to the objectification of the female body in the social consciousness. Sexual attractiveness tends to be overvalued in female characters in contrast to male characters for whom personality, intelligence, etc, takes precedence. That is what is disturbing to me. It's what it represents in the big picture as another part of the continuum of media with female objectification, not the actual cleavage itself.

I want to see more games that dare say, "hey, this female lead is super cool, and she doesn't need to be attractive or/and sexual AT ALL to be a complete and compelling character". I think that would be really nice for female gamers and women in general.

I'd like to see that concept art before believing your half-recollection of it. I suspect she had cleavage all along, though I'd buy that the size of her breasts could have changed in between conception and implementation.

Corsets were the style of the time, and the game is very much about the time.

Also, I'd like a good example of a leading male in a video game whose design isn't based on looking "badass" or "hot." I can't recall a game where the male lead wasn't (by default, at least) pretty, or ripped to shit with a chiseled jaw. Even silent Gordon Freeman is the most idealized nerd imaginable.

Troy Baker is an awesome VA, and Courtnee Draper is pretty good too. Can't wait to see more behind the scenes stuff.

@Mumrik: They've already said that they might begin to upload the 720p version of trailers and other promo stuff.

@LiquidSwords said:

> Crying about video game boobs

> crying about guys hair

> GB community = virgins for life

Troy Baker is so dreamy!

I look forward to watching scripted sequences that give me no feeling of immersion whatsoever and listening to annoying characters blab about vague, indefinable video game plotting.

None of the Youtube videos load on the site for me. Ugh.

@Gerhabio said:

@Gerhabio

@crusader8463

@Alphazero said:

@ultimatepunchrod said:

i wish they'd cover up her chest. it's really annoying and i think it discredits what the game is doing.

It turns out that women have breasts. I know, I was shocked too.

LIES!

I think the upsetting part is that she wasnt desogned with the huge o

*wasnt designed with the huge cleavage in the beginning so it stinks of suits. While there is nothing particularly offensive with breasts as one instance, this is just part of a tremendously over represented trope of sexualized women in videogames. The disconnect between reality and the persistence of "augmented" hyPersexual women in a virtual world that is ultimately designed willingly by people makes it apparent that there exists an idea that in order for a woman to be a strong lead she must be sexually attractive on most ocassions, AND THAT is problematic.

Yoh bro I know this is going to shock you, but like 99% of male video game leads are sexually attractive. At least in the character driver action game genre. I straight don't give an F and actually I agree with what you're saying, I'd personally love to see more variety in what the protagonists of video games look like. However when companies stake the big bucks on these projects they feel the need to go with the safe bet, just like with actors in movies and tv. Though with games it's quite a bit more pronounced. I just wanted to note it's not like you see that many homely dudes saving the day in video games either.

Either way I think your nose for suits is sharp =P.

Troy Baker really understands his character, that's very impressive.

@cavemantom: First thing that comes to mind is Pigsy from Pigsy's Perfect 10. I can't think of any instance where you could control an obese woman, at least not in any recent or well esteemed games. Kane and Lynch, are another recent couple characters. The Joker and other villains in Batman:AC (females like Catwoman, Poison Ivy, Harley Quinn are all conventionally attractive and reveal a lot more skin than their male counterparts, including Batman). I don't know man, there's lots. In Persona 4 there was a bunch of creepy looking dudes but only one obviously meant to be ugly female character (that cartoonish rotund girl who cries with her well-endowed teacher).

Anyway, as I said, it is not limited to video games, it also occurs with movies, shows, etc.

But dude, whatever, whenever I point out how there is a general trend of objectification of the female body in the media there's always someone who takes that to mean "Men are treated perfectly OK and never suffer any injustices, misrepresentations or are sold images that affect their self-esteem or self-conception! They are the oppressors and we should have a matriarchy!" But I'm not saying so. I'm simply saying 1. There are way more male protagonists than female protagonists across all narrative media. 2. Female protagonists and female characters in general tend to be sexualized and objectified, by this I mean they often wear clothes that reveal or accentuate culturally designated erogeneous zones, they are directly or indirectly assessed in appearance (often before other abilities or to the exclusion of other abilities; sometimes without an equivalent assessment for the male), there is obvious camera pans of their bodies (again, often --not always but most often-- without a male equivalent), exaggerated breast bounce, and so on. NOT to the exclusion of the same treatment toward men but definitely at a higher proportion.

It sucks that the important people in narratives most often are handsome or pretty or ripped or whatever because that's not how real life is and your accomplishments don't have to be tied down with your physical appearance. It might be wishful thinking to say I want people to not be shallow and don't judge based on appearances. That simply isn't human. But I don't think it too far fetched to want the builders and creators of narrative in the media (filmmakers, writers, comic artists, video game designers, Hollywood, etc) to offer a more varied and realistic approach to their characters and stop focusing so much on their sexual attributes, particularly in women as they are especially vulnerable to this type of treatment. Just like kids growing up in recent generations were exposed to TV shows that depicted ethnic minorities in human situations and learned more sensible perceptions of the world in terms of race than children who grew up with shows pre-Civil Rights Movement, I want people to have access to a majority of shows that depict both sexes and all genders as equal and important. I want men and women to be exposed to sentiments that state that you primarily judge people on the basis of their character and not their bodies.

It's not even impossible, duder. Look at Amy Poehler and her very successful and feminist-based show Parks and Recreation. There's sex in it, yeah, and it's great because it is handled democratically.

These things take time and it doesn't mean we have to turn into prudes and censor everything. We can celebrate cleavage too and ripped dudes, but it helps when it isn't so over represented. Developers can help by making the conscious decision of accentuating personality and character and minimalizing overt sexualization of their protagonists.

P.S. I don't really understand why people get so defensive when I say these things (not necessarily you, but just in general), are they really that upset at the prospect of seeing less giant bouncing tits or semi-nude women in their games? Would Nathan Drake having a regular non-chiseled jaw line really hurt them and the people that will grow up with these games more than help them and make them feel more acceptable and less self-conscious? What is the imperative to protect the status quo?

Troy Baker continues to be the goddamn man.

i think Troy Baker's a great voice actor.

awesome to see Ken Levine work so closely with the actors

Woah...the woman who voices Elizabeth is even prettier than the imagined character! That's awesome. That's often not the case, because sexy voices aren't always from necessarily attractive people.

@Gerhabio: And to everyone else commenting on this subject, it is an interesting predicament or question that comes up a lot in popular media, but my sister and I have both agreed that unless there's a plot-driven reason for a character to be unpleasant looking or particularly fat, we just don't want to see unattractive people on the screen for a few hours (or many, many hours in the case of a game). It's unfortunate that some people seem to react in the way that they view themselves, but I don't think the ultimate point is belittling how people look. It's simply that film accentuates negative physical traits and we don't want to stare at that all the time. It's more appealing to watch decently attractive people being heroes, because they're easier to sympathize with in the short time we spend with them.

On the other hand, the sexual objectification is troubling at times, both for men and women. It seems like women take the brunt of that because men tend to be more physically driven in their attraction and women are more security-driven or personality driven. It makes sense, but it's unfortunate.

I love that Troy Baker is getting work on more high profile games 'cause he's a super talented dude.

Always thought Levine looks like Duchovny.

@Mumrik said:

Here is the video in the 720P that Giant Bomb doesn't want us free users to see. Enjoy, now without blocky shit getting in the way.

@Subjugation said:

@LiquidSwords said:

> Crying about video game boobs

> crying about guys hair

> GB community = virgins for life

@Koobz: Hot damn I never knew Levine was Jewish. I thought it had more to do with his overall unkempt appearance.

Is it now cool to not comb your hair? Just get outta bed and say, "yeah i'm awesome" and walk out the door? Just curious.

@yorro said:

@Mumrik said:

Here is the video in the 720P that Giant Bomb doesn't want us free users to see. Enjoy, now without blocky shit getting in the way.

I just wondered why they imbeded a low resolution mirror of videos already up on youtube in HD. It seriously can't be for the reason you're suggesting, I refuse to believe it.

@Regal said:

@yorro said:

@Mumrik said:

Here is the video in the 720P that Giant Bomb doesn't want us free users to see. Enjoy, now without blocky shit getting in the way.

I just wondered why they imbeded a low resolution mirror of videos already up on youtube in HD. It seriously can't be for the reason you're suggesting, I refuse to believe it.

It's time to start believing. They're trying to keep 480p+ subscriber exclusive even though Youtube is hosting now...

Could have swore that booker was voiced by Nolan North, I'm surprised he isn't.

@Gerhabio: The first thing that jumped to your mind was DLC about a side character.

My point was specifically aimed at male main characters-- central protagonists; your Shepards, Drakes, even a Nico Bellic. The character that the player inhabits the longest is going to be skewed the most toward meeting the desires of the intended demographic.

I don't see how C-grade shooters prove that anyone wants to personify the likes of Kane or Lynch.

As for the "democratization" of romance in Parks and Recreation... The vast bulk of love stories on that show have focused on Aubrey Plaza, Chris Pratt, Rashida Jones, and Rob Lowe; super average folks, right?

People like to watch pretty people, especially when the watchers are just trying to have fun. The closer a fictional character hits to home, the more stark the reminder that home sucks.

Could have swore that booker was voiced by Nolan North, I'm surprised he isn't.

@Alphazero said:

@ultimatepunchrod said:

i wish they'd cover up her chest. it's really annoying and i think it discredits what the game is doing.

It turns out that women have breasts. I know, I was shocked too.

OK. first of all i wasn't complaining that she had boobs. i just wish that they weren't so out there. You can give a girl a dress that covers up her chest, and it turns out they still have personalities. i know; i was shocked too.

I want women in games, but if we never get a mature representation of a woman in a game, then the medium doesn't grow. This game will be fantastic because Ken Levine makes fantastic games. I just think Irrational Games can make a less sexed up female.

@kingzetta said:

@l3illyl3ob said:

Could have swore that booker was voiced by Nolan North, I'm surprised he isn't.

Troy is basically Nolan's twin brother

Troy Baker

voiced by Nolan North

I just want to say I remember having a crush on Courtnee Draper during her (and my) Disney channel years. Glad to see she hasn't lost anything.

If Ken Levine was the one sending those "Prince of Nigeria" Emails, I would do as he asked.

@byterunner said:

Why do voice actors seem to always look like their characters?

Holy fucking shit, it's a long response that ISN'T about the cleavage on Elizabeth / oversexualization of female videogame characters!

...I've been thinking about that for a while. I think I've figured out a few possibilities.

From the perspective of the artist:

Imagine if you came up with a concept that looked nothing like the voice actor you picked. When the voice actor came in, you (as an artist) would at least be TEMPTED to change things about the polygonal model to better match the VO.

Sure, there are lots of situations where you can't do that: you can't really drop 50 pounds off a character just like that (after all, the bulk of the character might play into the script), but things like facial structure, hair length, etc.

OR, from the perspective of someone handling auditions:

The artist already has a concept, and has no plans to change that concept. The people handling auditions have a preset idea of what they're looking for... and (subconsciously or not) may be more inclined to pick people who already look more like the concept they were shown, even though they're *supposed* to just be looking for people who can fill the role.

OR, from the perspective of someone handling marketing:

Have you seen any of the interviews for the voice actors for Futurama? None of them look REMOTELY like their characters! In that case, that throws both of the above scenarios out of the window. But when I watched the interviews, how they looked stuck in my head. Even though I watched those interviews close to a year ago now, I still vaguely remember what they look like over what the characters in Futurama are designed as. It didn't really RUIN it for me, but it certainly didn't help. I think stuff like that may play into the minds of people handling marketing.

I can't think of any other examples where the voice actors didn't at least resemble their characters, unless they were playing something super alien. (Spoiler: the voice actress for Leela isn't a cyclops...)

Yeah Troy Baker!

Ah, Troy Baker. I should have known.