• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

STOP using Celebrities in Video Games

kanjobazooie

Mouse Ball Fetishist
Tell this man

200w.gif
 
OP, you're way over the top.

You could have actually tried to construct a rational argument instead of just shouting hyperbole.

The use of Hollywood talent in gaming is not a bad thing. Not at all. Sometimes it can detract from the quality of the game if the dev and publisher are just trying to make use of Hollywood names in order to detract from poor writing and shit gameplay.

Gaming is not like movies. In movies, a mediocre movie can be elevated to some degree merely by including a popular actor/actress.

In gaming, if your story/writing is shit, and/or if your gameplay is arse, there's no Hollywood actor/actress in the world that can save your abortion from being stillborn into the marketplace.
 

fart town usa

Gold Member
Yea, it's a bit exhausting to see celebrities everywhere. Every ad on YT is Ryan Reynolds trying to sell me a phone or Kevin Hart encouraging me to gamble.

There was a time when celebrities being in commercials was relatively rare, something like a big budget super bowl ad. These people are just everywhere now and it's really off putting, for me at least. Also irritating because they're taking away work from commercial actors or no name actors who want to work in the videogame industry and it's like, you have enough exposure and money, have some self respect and stop whoring yourself out for marketing purposes. It's pathetic.
 
Last edited:

A.Romero

Member
I think it eventually will be an indication of the quality of the game (as much as budget). Just as you know that a movie with high profile talent will likely be good as it would be difficult to get Hollywood's royalty in a crappy production. Not a rule, of course, but at least an indication of likelyhood.

Actually I don't care. The only time it bothers me is when scenarios liks Judgement happen where the actor refuses to cooperate to release the use of his image in a PC port or something like that.

I rather have creators do exactly what they want (can?) when making a game.
 

Mr Reasonable

Completely Unreasonable
Yea, it's a bit exhausting to see celebrities everywhere. Every ad on YT is Ryan Reynolds trying to sell me a phone or Kevin Hart encouraging me to gamble.

There was a time when celebrities being in commercials was relatively rare, something like a big budget super bowl ad. These people are just everywhere now and it's really off putting, for me at least. Also irritating because they're taking away work from commercial actors or no name actors who want to work in the videogame industry and it's like, you have enough exposure and money, have some self respect and stop whoring yourself out for marketing purposes. It's pathetic.

Agree, 100%, there's no embarrassment or class anymore. I remember seeing George Clooney hawking Nescafe years ago and thinking "Why? You have more than enough money, do you value being respected so little?"

It feels like it doesn't matter now, you come up with the money and almost anyone will do almost anything for it.
 
I'm sorry but how do you destroy creativity by using celebs in games? Budget? sure...creativity?

Also...people like Lance Reddick and the underused Angela Bassett and Carrie-Anne Moss were some of the best parts of Horizon Forbidden West and honestly, some of the best acting i've ever heard in games...
 
Last edited:
I just want good voices with lots of character. If a celebrity can do that then hire them.
And good writing to go along with it please.
voice different topic. but using their entire model is a problem.

Some people asked about creativity. rly?? It's about design storytelling you create everything about the character in your mind but when the celeb comes, its priority to what is in your mind.
 
Last edited:

Black_Stride

do not tempt fate do not contrain Wonder Woman's thighs do not do not
Don't care lanece reddick (rip) keanu reeves mads Mikelson idris elba ..etc. original characters are always better and more memorable.

Kojima created timeless characters with the MGS series and now look at his new game shitty characters every one of them.
They are actors......their whole schtick is being original characters in everything they do.
A good actor shouldnt be "that guy" they should embody the character so fully you actually forget they are a "real person".

Now if you said stop face scanning "popular" actors.....id say sure, I love Debra Wilson as an actress.....but damn am i tired of seeing her face in games.

I dont mind the Capcom approach where they face scan models and shit, but the voice actors are someone else......but let character artists have a chance to make some interesting looking characters too.

For instance i didnt even know a good portion of the Gears 4 and 5 cast are Hollywood actors.
  • JD - Liam Mcintyre of Spartacus Fame
  • Del - Eugene Byrd of like everywhere fame, when you see his face youll be like ohh that guy.
  • Jinn - Angel Desai of okay shes a bit actress but shes hollywood nonetheless.
  • Marcus - John Demaggio of Futurama fame.
  • Reyna - Justina Machado of One Day at a Time and a bunch of bit roles.(Another one of those people you know from somewhere)
  • Fahz - Rahul Kohli from Midnight Mass, Haunting of Bly Manor, iZombie and all round nice guy.
 

fart town usa

Gold Member
I think the same applies to voice actors in animated films. Charlie Day as Luigi and Chris Pratt as Mario make zero sense from a casting POV. It's all just marketing. Mario is a big enough brand across the planet that it will fill seats based on that alone.

I like Charlie Day and Chris Pratt too, both are entertaining. it's not like I go out of my way to avoid their stuff.
 

Clear

CliffyB's Cock Holster
Because it makes them they dont have to design unique characters and just slap celebrities face to the character

This is one of the stupidest things I've ever read.

Hey, portrait artist, you suck because you aren't working from your imagination!! Wut?
 

YCoCg

Member
The problem is using Celebrities who are just there for a paycheck and get badly directed/rushed. There are plenty of cases where a celeb is used and they actually want to be in the material, such as Lance Reddick, and then theres cases where it's obvious the celeb is there for a paycheck, such as Michael Madsen in 90% of his roles.
 

Clear

CliffyB's Cock Holster
I want unique character design not celebrities in my games, you are free to disagree but that’s just my taste.

You can make the argument that you find the presence of familiar faces distracting, but that's where it ends.

You need to understand that it works both ways; If the artist creates a character from their imagination they need to ensure it doesn't resemble an actual celebrity or else risk getting sued for likeness rights.

Furthermore, there's less imagination involved in selecting a certain set of features than rendering those features in character for the particular use-case. Hair, make-up, scars, etc. Going through to all aspects of costuming and presentation you cannot subtract imagination from the process.

Sorry, but the comment of yours I referenced was extremely foolish. Not saying it to be mean.
 
Last edited:

kicker

Banned
Let's be honest too, Norman Reedus isn't a good actor, he's just a likeable guy and is easy to root for.
While I mostly agree, I think his specific mannerisms fit his character in Death Stranding very well. As in, I think that's his best role in all his works. That barely convincing emotional range and weird arm movement fits an anti-social character who cares but doesn't like to get close (physically or emotionally)
 

Danjin44

The nicest person on this forum
You need to understand that it works both ways; If the artist creates a character from their imagination they need to ensure it doesn't resemble an actual celebrity or else risk getting sued for likeness rights.
Aren’t devs usually pay the celebrities in order to use their likeness like they did with CP2077? For my taste I rather designed unique character instead of using Keanu Reeves face, that’s all.
 
Top Bottom