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Peter Dinklage in Bungie's Destiny - That wizard came from the moon
- Thread starter Xplatformer
- Start date
Cock of War
Member
I love Jordan Prentice on Game of Thrones. Who is this Dinklage fellow?
Trojan
Member
Correct me if I'm wrong, but haven't we only heard a few paragraphs of dialogue from him total? I would like to think our sample size of dialogue is pretty small and maybe it's one of the worse sections. I think Bungie also still has time to put a vocoder on his dialogue.
Trying to be positive here, with all the moon wizards and whatnot.
Trying to be positive here, with all the moon wizards and whatnot.
Kagoshima_Luke
Gold Member
I've only seen videos, but:
BAD
BAD
MADGAME
Member
Reading through comments in this and other Destiny threads, I'm a bit baffled why the disappointment is directed at Dinklage. I share the thought the performance heard in the Alpha does not meet expectations, but the backlash should be directed at the decision makers who said "yep, the voice acting meets quality standard and needs to be in-game"
LordOfChaos
Member
But it doesn't sound emotionless, it sounds *BORED*. That's the distinction people are making. The suit in Half Life sounds emotionless. The floating head thing in Starcraft sounds emotionless. This sounds like a bored human trying to fake emotion.
The performance didn't really bother me either way. I didn't hate it like others but it also wasn't anything special and feel anyone could have delivered a similar performance.
I liked the multiplayer announcer. Made a change from an aggressive gravely voice usually used in MP games.
I liked the multiplayer announcer. Made a change from an aggressive gravely voice usually used in MP games.
I honestly didn't even think about it until seeing some topics about it online. The voice work from him or the PVP announcer didn't take anything away from the game for me. It seems as though from the trailers I've watched that the voice effects for Ghost/Dinklage weren't turned on during the Alpha. Some parts made me laugh like "If you see something floating in the air, kill it!" I chuckled a little after that line but nothing about it made me think, "this is bad."
Ozzykamikaze
Member
I think the problem has to do with him not sounding robotic enough. Either he should not be saying things that require emotion to be impactful, or, he should be completely devoid of any emotion all together. He's not robotic enough to be a believable robot, and he's not human enough to be making quips.
He's in the uncanny valley of voice acting.
He's in the uncanny valley of voice acting.
I agree some of his line in the alpha felt
iffy, but remember last years e3 demo? I think that worked really well.
This backlash is really only based on a few short sentences. From the sounds of it, the Ghost plays a pretty major part in the story so I imagine there'll be much more to hear. I think we should give him/bungie the benefit of the doubt until we hear more - there's a serious amount of talent between them.
This backlash is really only based on a few short sentences. From the sounds of it, the Ghost plays a pretty major part in the story so I imagine there'll be much more to hear. I think we should give him/bungie the benefit of the doubt until we hear more - there's a serious amount of talent between them.
Head.spawn
Junior Member
My feelings as I watched/heard him in the game:
It sounds like he showed up to do a read through on the script and they just recorded it with their cell phones and posted it into the game.
Then there is the multiplayer announcer, that was painful to listen to as well.
It sounds like he showed up to do a read through on the script and they just recorded it with their cell phones and posted it into the game.
Then there is the multiplayer announcer, that was painful to listen to as well.
That really is Jill Sandwich levels of awful.
Sola Scriptura
Member
It definitely is, and I think the community is doing the right thing in holding Bungie's feet to the fire over this one. There is zero excuse for such horrible voice acting in a game of this caliber.
Fried Food
Banned
That's the "problem" with today's youtube culture. That line plays once in the whole game and yet we've all heard it over and over again. On a normal play through you probably wouldn't spend more than a few seconds thinking about the quality of the voice delivery of that line.
Freeza Under The Shower
Member
It's just one line though.
And someone wrote it for him to read, so I'm guessing that would be the problem.
LordOfChaos
Member
True, that line I doubt many people could make sound serious. Morgan Freeman maybe, but he's god.
Really Bungie though, why "Wizard" at all rather than something that sounds somewhat plausible for a futuristic wizard?
Twilight Gap
Member
Jen Taylor could pull it off, which is ironic.
Speaking of which, found this interview of her from last year which might be relevant here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Y0w9uYqNAw#t=6m45s
Whats wrong with wizard? Seriously sci-fi writers are always coming up with dumb names for their "not magic" concepts. I like that Bungie decided to go against that. Its not an Adept, Jedi, or any of that other bullshit. It a motherfucking Wizard that came from the motherfucking moon. That's kinda awesome.
But yeah that voice acting kinda sucks.
FunkyMunkey
Banned
I wish more people understood that the results of his voice acting are mostly the fault of whoever was directing him. Just like "bad" or odd acting in a film is hugely the directors fault, whose job it is to direct the actors. Yes, his delivery sounds bored, but can you really blame him more for that than the team of people who sat in front of him and said "awesome job! On to the next line"? I'd argue no, just like in other media.
I'm not defending him, just applying the situation to the real situation for actors.
I'm not defending him, just applying the situation to the real situation for actors.
Haunted
Member
It could work if they were even considering embracing the ridiculousness and insanity of the concept. But they're so far up their own ass with the lore and treating everything so seriously that something as ridiculous as that line sticks out like a sore thumb.
The only ones who could really pull off "the wizard came from the moon" are the Magicka guys.
It could work if they were even considering embracing the ridiculousness and insanity of the concept. But they're so far up their own ass with the lore and treating everything so seriously that something as ridiculous as that line sticks out like a sore thumb.
The only ones who could really pull off "the wizard came from the moon" are the Magicka guys.
The concept of an alien in long flowing robes flying around and shooting lasers at people is already a ridiculous concept. Why does calling it a wizard make it more ridiculous than using some made up name like "Voidmancer?" Why can't a wizard from space be played completely straight? Personally I love mixing Sci-fi and fantasy so it is cool to see Bungie doing that without having to make a dumb joke about it.
SargerusBR
I love Pokken!
Bungie, just bring back Jeff Steitzer ffs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tx7Ajnxp3P8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tx7Ajnxp3P8
Netherscourge
Banned
Waning Crescent Wizards?
The Lamonster
Member
yep, Steitzer is the best.
It could work if they were even considering embracing the ridiculousness and insanity of the concept. But they're so far up their own ass with the lore and treating everything so seriously that something as ridiculous as that line sticks out like a sore thumb.
The only ones who could really pull off "the wizard came from the moon" are the Magicka guys.
Calling it a "wizard" makes sense, because while it likely has a "proper" name it feels realistic that if humanity meets a flying alien that shoots fireballs a big chunk of humanity, especially the chunk thats going to be shooting at it will refer to it by a slang/colloquial term like "wizard". Wizard feels like a more realstic thing to call it then "Grand Psychic Pontifex" or some pseudo science psychic mumbo jumbo.
I thought the voice acting was fine, it was clear and the tone felt fitting for an AI, I honestly cant see why people are calling for yet another hackeneyed "What is this emotion you humans call love?" "emotionless" voice. If I was an AI I'd probably be/sound bored as well (and honestly I thought he just sounded largely "neutral" neither particularly into it nor bored of it). An overly emotive AI would feel out of place and an "emotionless" one doesnt really jibe with a "realistic" AI for me. So netural works I think.
Completely neutral may make sense as an AI, but as your primary narrator and essentially your guide to your identity-less guardian... 'a little pulse' might serve us well.
lowhighkang_LHK
Member
"A wizard from the moon" has got to be the new "Giant enemy crab" of this generation.
its bad by today's standards, of course things were shit in the past but again that's not an excuse for poor voice work in 2014.
I thought it suited the relatively austere world presented and would personally find an emotive AI jarring, while I can totally understand people having other preferences it seems a stretch to label the current voice bad as opposed to "not to my taste"
Dark_AnNiaLatOr
Member
PLEASE be true!! I swear, if they somehow got Steitzer, I would be sosososososososososo happppppy!!!
James Sawyer Ford
Banned
Everyone needs to watch the latest E3 trailer which has his voice digitized, I hope this is representative of the final game
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=clRpcIHpmoY
His voice work is absolutely fine with the appropriate filters/processing on top of it. I'm sure he was instructed to speak in this manner. It sounds awkward only because they haven't done anything to alter his voice for the Alpha to sound more like a robot rather than some bored guy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=clRpcIHpmoY
His voice work is absolutely fine with the appropriate filters/processing on top of it. I'm sure he was instructed to speak in this manner. It sounds awkward only because they haven't done anything to alter his voice for the Alpha to sound more like a robot rather than some bored guy.
PrivateWHudson
Member
Half of the problem is the wizard line comes out of nowhere. How does ghost even know the wizard is from the moon? Why do we care that he comes from the moon, it's a wizard...pretty cool/scary no matter where he came from. I'm sure in context of the full game it won't be so weird.
Doubt it. I wouldn't be surprised if Bungie saw all the hate Dinklage's voice has been getting and plays with it.
TheBaronOfNA
Banned
A composer is not a voice director
Crossing Eden
Hello, my name is Yves Guillemot, Vivendi S.A.'s Employee of the Month!
I definitely was missing his voice while playing pvp in the crucible.
Sola Scriptura
Member
Still doesn't change the fact that the writing is terrible.
NullPointer
Member
I wonder how many people at Bungie and Activision are seeing all the disappointment and mockery at Dinklage's lines and performance and saying "I fucking told you so!"
Crossing Eden
Hello, my name is Yves Guillemot, Vivendi S.A.'s Employee of the Month!
Actually in the case of halo games. Marty pretty much is the unofficial voice director. He always is there during the voice recording sessions and gives actors key tips on how to deliver their lines.
I agree with this - it sounds miles better than the Alpha - hopefully they put the digitised filter back on for the full game. I don't think we can blame Dinklage for some of the dialogue though.
ThatsMytrunks
Member
I believe it'll get better.
I feel kinda horrible now
I think most of the voice over was fine. Dinklage didn't write "wizard from the moon". The problem is, at least in the alpha, the Ghost doesn't have any character of his own. It's just the voice of the game telling you things. Going out and getting TRYION FUCKING LANNISTER is obvious stunt casting. If all they have him do is read mission objectives and some occasional lore then the person voicing the character is going to be more interesting than the character itself, which will just be distracting and awkward. I would hope that Bungie has plans for the character, and that the alpha just didn't touch on any of that.
edotlee
Member
As long as it ends up sounding like this, I'll be satisfied. I wonder why there hasn't been a response from Bungie.