Joystiq

Watch Mark Hamill and Kevin Conroy record for Arkham City, destroy the fabric of reality

Jordan Mallory — Fri, 25 May 2012 23:59:00 EST

This voice acting-oriented episode of Inside Rocksteady Studios is the first time we personally have ever seen either the Joker or Batman's voices come out of real human bodies, and suffice to say that oh man is it weird.

It's almost like Batman and the Joker are providing voiceovers for Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill, instead of the other way around. Seeing the Joker's spooky laugh come out of a hunched-over Mark Hamill is an image that'll stick with us for a while, and his cheshire cat grin didn't help much either. The video also features Stana Katic (Talia in Arkham City and Detective Becket on Castle), but seeing her perform isn't so much of a head trip, considering that it's basically just Detective Becket with an undercover accent.

Watch Mark Hamill and Kevin Conroy record for Arkham City, destroy the fabric of reality originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 25 May 2012 23:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Voice actor brokers unlikely alliance between Wesker and Legion

JC Fletcher — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 13:30:00 EST

Here's something we didn't expect to see today, or ever: Mass Effect's Geth Legion and Resident Evil's Albert Wesker engaging in a bit of friendly trash talk.

The two characters make fun of Charlie Sheen and discuss forming an alliance, in a video that serves as a goodbye of sorts from voice actor D.C. Douglas (who plays both) to the two characters. We're guessing the "goodbye" to Wesker is premature, something the pair even jokes about a little, but it's fun anyway.

Voice actor brokers unlikely alliance between Wesker and Legion originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 12 Apr 2012 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Quantum Conundrum gets an extra Q

Ben Gilbert — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 16:00:00 EST

Square Enix is moving away from the paltry world of dimension-based reveals, announcing actor John De Lancie as one of Quantum Conundrum's main actors. De Lancie is, of course, known for his part as "Q" in the James Bond series, aiding Bond in his interstellar travels of exploration and diplomacy. Or he was a popular Star Trek character -- one of the two.

Anyway, De Lancie is playing the part of Professor Fitz Quadrangle, advising the main character on gameplay and ushering story points forward (he is, after all, stuck in an alternate dimension, anxiously awaiting your help). De Lancie details his role and offers a taste of his voice work in the latest teaser, seen above.

Quantum Conundrum gets an extra Q originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 04 Apr 2012 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lego Batman 2 welcomes some friendly faces, unfriendly voices

JC Fletcher — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 16:10:00 EST

Lego Batman 2: DC Super Heroes has more heroes than usual -- going beyond the Bat-family into the wider DC Universe. You can see Superman looking totally oblivious alongside the appropriately gruff Dynamic Duo in the gallery below.

Lego Batman 2 also has real human voices speaking the English language, something you don't expect from a Lego game! In fact, the first human voice we hear is that of Clancy Brown, who provides the menacingly deep voice of Lex Luthor for Superman: The Animated Series and other DC Comics animation.

Gallery: Lego Batman 2: DC Super Heroes (3/15/12)

Lego Batman 2 welcomes some friendly faces, unfriendly voices originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 15 Mar 2012 16:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Andy Richter's super secret Skyrim voiceover work, revealed!

Ben Gilbert — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 14:25:00 EST

Skyrim's development had assistance from some major names in acting: Max Von Sydow, Joan Allen, and Lynda Carter to name a few. But did you know that legendary comedy partner Andy Richter also played a major role? It was revealed this week on Conan, which we've embedded above.

Andy Richter's super secret Skyrim voiceover work, revealed! originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 31 Jan 2012 14:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Get face to face with Mass Effect 3's star-studded cast

Ben Gilbert — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 11:30:00 EST

Ever wondered what it's like to watch She's All That star Freddie Prinze Jr. shadowbox in a voice acting studio? BioWare's latest Mass Effect 3 voice actor video diary is here to answer your bizarre requests, Freddie Prinze Jr. fans.

Continue reading Get face to face with Mass Effect 3's star-studded cast

Get face to face with Mass Effect 3's star-studded cast originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 31 Jan 2012 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Levine gets dramatic when writing, directing for BioShock: Infinite

Jessica Conditt — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 20:00:00 EST

Irrational Games' Ken Levine writes video games through the lens of a playwright and stage director, having penned plays since the age of 14 and majoring in drama in college. This perspective on storytelling helped him write the audio logs in BioShock, and it's shaping the way he directs the voice actors -- in person for the first time -- in BioShock: Infinite, Levine told Gamasutra.

Writing Elizabeth and Booker, Infinite's main characters, was a completely different process than writing BioShock's antagonist, Andrew Ryan, Levine said. "I always had Ayn Rand in my ear while I was writing him, and she is quite articulate in her viewpoints. So he was a pretty easy character to write, for me," Levine said.

"Booker and Elizabeth, because there's a very different constraint set, because I haven't done this kind of writing for a game before, where you sort of have all this dynamism with a character you're walking around the world with, that you're speaking to, as Booker... just the mechanics of it!"

Levine said he was inspired by the easy banter Naughty Dog placed in Uncharted, and he saw how it could transfer to a period piece. As he describes them, Levine's characters are unique to their time period and his own imagination: "Elizabeth is a person who sees nothing and wants to see everything, and Booker is somebody who's seen everything and wants to see nothing. They're at opposite ends of the spectrum."

The full (and long) interview is here, if you're interested in details about how Levine makes women weep.

Levine gets dramatic when writing, directing for BioShock: Infinite originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 09 Jan 2012 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Resident Evil 6 includes Chinese setting, voice actress resume suggests

JC Fletcher — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 00:00:00 EST

Voice actress Wendy Mok listed a role as a "Chinese Villager/Zombie" in Resident Evil 6 on her East West Players profile, according to The Silent Chief. The listing has since been removed, but TSC captured an image before its removal, which you can see above. Perhaps she and Joe Cappelletti updated their resumes at the same time.

This suggests two interesting things: first, that there is a Resident Evil 6, which actually still hasn't been announced. Second, it implies that at least part of the game takes place in China ... or, we suppose, takes place somewhere else, but includes immigrant zombies. Of course, it's possible that Mok worked on some other RE-related item, and just mistakenly identified it as Resident Evil 6.

Resident Evil 6 includes Chinese setting, voice actress resume suggests originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 01 Dec 2011 00:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Going even deeper into BioShock Infinite's voice acting

Ben Gilbert — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 16:30:00 EST

Last week we brought you the first half of a two part feature with Irrational Games head Ken Levine coaching BioShock Infinite's two main voice actors. This week, we've got Booker (Troy Baker) yelling at Elizabeth (Courtnee Draper) to elicit emotion-filled lines. Next week? Tigers.

Going even deeper into BioShock Infinite's voice acting originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 04 Nov 2011 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BioShock Infinite's main voice actors explore the creative process

Ben Gilbert — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 15:30:00 EST

What's it like expressing a total lack of remorse for a dying virtual horse in a fantastical city in the clouds? BioShock Infinite voice actor Troy Baker explains just that in this behind-the-scenes look at the voice actors playing Elizabeth and Booker in next year's big Irrational game.

BioShock Infinite's main voice actors explore the creative process originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 27 Oct 2011 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Batman: Arkham City's Penguin voiced by Nolan North (seriously)

Ben Gilbert — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 15:20:00 EST

Clearly flexing his vocal chops, voice actor Nolan North is the man behind Batman: Arkham City's most aquatic villain: The Penguin. Rocksteady marketing game manager Dax Ginn revealed as much in an interview with CVG, breaking down the various villains you'll be pummeling as Bats come October.

As seen in the trailer above, North's voice acting clearly stretches beyond his most well-known role as pretty-boy adventurer Nathan Drake in the Uncharted series. It could be argued that he's already proven that, given his voice acting contributions to, like, every game ever, but we're pretty impressed with the whole Penguin gig.

Batman: Arkham City's Penguin voiced by Nolan North (seriously) originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 05 Aug 2011 15:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bleach: Soul Resurreccion comes with free episodes of Bleach anime

JC Fletcher — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 04:00:00 EST

We can't explain why NIS America's new Bleach game is called Soul Resurrección without getting into some impenetrable lore, but we can tell you about the stuff you'll get when you buy it. The first printing of the PS3 game (out August 2) will include vouchers for downloads of episodes 190-192 of the Bleach anime. The offer is available in both the US and Canada.

In addition, for discerning Bleach fans, NIS America has announced that the North American release of the game will include both Japanese and English audio tracks. Both, judging by the title, will include a little Spanish.

Continue reading Bleach: Soul Resurreccion comes with free episodes of Bleach anime

Bleach: Soul Resurreccion comes with free episodes of Bleach anime originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 21 Jul 2011 04:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Catherine trailer screams for about an hour and a half

Griffin McElroy — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 00:15:00 EST

We know some people are of a mixed opinion regarding the English version of Catherine's voice acting. However, after watching the trailer below, you kind of have to give it up for whoever's providing the pipes for Vincent -- that dude can scream for a super long time.

Continue reading Catherine trailer screams for about an hour and a half

Catherine trailer screams for about an hour and a half originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 24 Jun 2011 00:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Another round of face acting to awful game voice acting

Richard Mitchell — Tue, 24 May 2011 14:25:00 EST

Apparently not satisfied with his already stellar lineup of hilarious face acting set to hilariously bad video game voice acting, Dean has returned with "Dean's Face Acting: Episode 2." Like many sequels, it may not be as good, but it'll make you remember why you fell in love in the first place.

Continue reading Another round of face acting to awful game voice acting

Another round of face acting to awful game voice acting originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 24 May 2011 14:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New voice for Harley Quinn in Batman: Arkham City

David Hinkle — Fri, 20 May 2011 15:03:00 EST

Arleen Sorkin pretty much owns the role of Harley Quinn -- well, she did. Sorkin, who helped create the character in the early 90s on Batman: The Animated Series, won't be voicing Harley in this fall's Batman: Arkham City (despite carrying on the role in the first game). Instead, veteran voice actor Tara Strong will take her first stab at Harley.

Strong has been doing cartoon and video game voice overs since the late 80s. Some of her roles include X-23 in Marvel vs. Capcom 3, Rikku in Kingdom Hearts 2 and Sheegor in Psychonauts. She also voiced The Huntress in the Batman: The Brave and the Bold animated series.

A brief Q&A with Strong has been posted on the official Arkham City site, in which she says she wants to "honor" Harley's established voice -- but until we actually hear her rendition, we can't help but morn the loss of Sorkin.

New voice for Harley Quinn in Batman: Arkham City originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 20 May 2011 15:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Gaming's worst voice acting set to hilarious face acting

David Hinkle — Fri, 13 May 2011 03:00:00 EST

Dean is a man after our own heart. This video, in which he mimes the 50 worst video game voice acting lines with brilliant facial expressions, reveals a natural talent for acting. One day, this guy will be a star -- maybe just on YouTube and gaming blogs, but a star nonetheless! Are you watching, James Lipton?

Continue reading Gaming's worst voice acting set to hilarious face acting

Gaming's worst voice acting set to hilarious face acting originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 13 May 2011 03:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Grand Theft Auto character listed in voice actor casting call

James Ransom-Wiley — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 14:30:00 EST

You don't have to look like this creepy guy -- you just have to sound like him. James Pedeaston (pictured), a recurring side character in the Grand Theft Auto universe, is listed among several other roles in a voice-over casting call posted on Actors Pages, which could be further evidence that production of Grand Theft Auto 5 is underway. Take-Two was initially named (as the production company) in the posting, according to Eurogamer, but reference to the GTA publisher has since been removed.

Pedeaston was the host of "The Wild Traveler" radio show in GTA: San Andreas -- in which he openly recounted acts of pedophilia -- and, in GTA IV, he was "arrested by the Indonesian police after being suspected of child molesting in Bali, Indonesia," according to the GTA Wiki. The casting call describes Pedeaston as a "man-boy love activist who just got released from an Indonesian prison," suggesting that the role would be set in a time period following the events of GTA IV -- in other words, a role featured in the next GTA game.

Additional first-name-only characters are listed in the job posting and sound generally befitting of a GTA game -- take "Samantha," for instance: "A young female obsessed with sex parties, always dreaming of being a Hollywood celebrity." The Actors Pages casting call follows a similar job posting on The Agency, for a project named "Rush" (assumed to be a codename and linked to Take-Two), which introduces more puzzle pieces that might fit together into a new GTA game set in Los Angeles -- or "Los Santos," as it's known in San Andreas.

[Image source: GTA Wiki; credit: C-d-rom]

Grand Theft Auto character listed in voice actor casting call originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 29 Mar 2011 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Telltale showcases the new voice of Back to the Future's Marty McFly

Griffin McElroy — Sat, 23 Oct 2010 22:00:00 EST

Are you ready to hear one of the most startling things you'll hear this month? Listen to the new voice actor for Marty McFly in Telltale's upcoming Back to the Future adventure games, one A.J. Locascio. As far as we know, he's capable of channeling Michael J. Fox's voice using dark voodoo magicks.

Continue reading Telltale showcases the new voice of Back to the Future's Marty McFly

Telltale showcases the new voice of Back to the Future's Marty McFly originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 23 Oct 2010 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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DC Universe Online gets even more super voice actors

Griffin McElroy — Fri, 22 Oct 2010 16:20:00 EST

Sure, you could get your superheroic missions from timeless characters in DC Universe Online through boring text discussions -- but it seems Sony Online Entertainment is doing its darndest to fill the game with real human voices. Authentic voices too: For instance, Arleen Sorkin will reprise her role of Harley Quinn from Batman: The Animated Series, while super prolific voice actor Corey Burton will provide the pipes for Brainiac.

Dwight Schultz, of The A-Team and Star Trek: The Next Generation fame, will add another notch to his voiceover belt by speaking for The Flash. Rounding out the list of actors is Wil Wheaton, who recently voiced the Blue Beetle in Batman: The Brave and the Bold -- though, this time around, he'll be doing vox for Robin, who is sometimes called Boy Wonder, but never to his face.

DC Universe Online gets even more super voice actors originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 22 Oct 2010 16:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fable 3 developer diary features a star-studded voice cast

Griffin McElroy — Tue, 28 Sep 2010 17:20:00 EST

The Fable franchise has always prided itself on its clever, engrossing writing -- but even if the entirety of Fable 3's dialogue was written by baby rhesus monkeys, we're pretty sure the game's voice cast could make it sound incredible. The actors therein include seasoned VO veterans like Stephen Fry and Zoe Wanamaker, as well as relative newcomers Simon Pegg and Sir Ben Kingsley, who totally has an Oscar.

Check out these master thespians' thoughts on Lionhead's upcoming action-RPG in the developer diary posted after the jump. Make sure you stick around for Fry's inspiring advice at the end of the clip. Don't forget: Just be yourselves, friends.

Continue reading Fable 3 developer diary features a star-studded voice cast

Fable 3 developer diary features a star-studded voice cast originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 28 Sep 2010 17:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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DC Universe Online voice cast revealed, studded with stars

Griffin McElroy — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 15:40:00 EST

Filed under: Weird But True, Opinions, New In Pop Culture

Who would have thought that one of the strongest voice cast lineups we've seen in a good, long time would come from an MMORPG? Check out some of the talent Sony Online Entertainment managed to wrangle for its upcoming superpowered outing, DC Universe Online:

Mark Hamill and Kevin Conroy will reprise their frequent roles of The Joker and Batman, respectively. You may remember the sounds of their pipes from Arkham Asylum, as well as any other animated Batman project from the past 15 years.
Former Firefly stars Gina Torres and Adam Baldwin will voice Wonder Woman and Superman, respectively. Though you probably didn't need that "respectively" bit, due to your understanding of gender.
James Marsters will voice balding mastermind Lex Luthor. After playing Spike in Buffy, Brainiac in Smallville, Captain John in Torchwood and Piccolo in the recent Dragon Ball movie, this should be a nice notch in his nerd-fame belt.
Wonder Woman's adversary, Circe, will be voiced by Michelle Forbes, who provided the voice for Dr. Mossman in Half-Life 2. She's also been in every sci-fi show ever made. All of them. Seriously.

DC Universe Online voice cast revealed, studded with stars originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 21 Jul 2010 15:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fist of the North Star: Ken's Rage includes both English and Japanese voice

JC Fletcher — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Weird But True, Opinions, New In Pop Culture

Chances are, if you're interested in playing Tecmo Koei's Fist of the North Star game, you aren't just tolerant of Japanese voices in video games, you prefer them. The company is aware of anime fans' preference for Japanese audio, and told Eurogamer that it will retain the original voice track in the North American and European releases of the Dynasty Warriors-alike. You'll be able to hear "ATATATATATATATATA" in the original Japanese.

In order to satisfy both the audience who craves authenticity and the audience who likes knowing what the characters are saying, Tecmo Koei is also including a full English voice track. That way, you won't have to have your screen filled with subtitles reading "ATATATATATATATATA."

Gallery: Fist of the North Star: Ken's Rage (6/11/10)

Fist of the North Star: Ken's Rage includes both English and Japanese voice originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 24 Jun 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Meet Arc Rise Fantasia's summons, voice actors

JC Fletcher — Thu, 27 May 2010 19:15:00 EST

The latest media released for image epoch's WIi RPG Arc Rise Fantasia introduces "Rogress," the game's summoned creatures. They act as powerful attacks, of course, but also apparently as the source of the "Ray" energy that powers the game's cities and vehicles.

The trailer above shows the game's first Rogress, Simmah, merging its power and wisdom with the protagonist. We'd like to tell you more about what happens in the game, but we're distracted by the voice acting. Much like Infinite Space, all we can say about it in this game is that it is present and audible.

Gallery: Arc Rise Fantasia (5/27)

Meet Arc Rise Fantasia's summons, voice actors originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 27 May 2010 19:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nolan North believes voice acting royalties 'unfair' to expect in gaming

Andrew Yoon — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 06:45:00 EST

By now, you should be familiar with one of gaming's most prolific actors, Nolan North, made famous by his role as Uncharted's Nathan Drake. In an interview with GamePro, the actor talks about his meteoric rise in gaming. "There's no pressure when going in for an audition now, since I've worked on such big games," North told the site. With the actor seemingly guaranteed work, it's no surprise that Giant Bomb dedicated an entire award to him: The Northies, for the Best Performance by Nolan North. "I'm humbled by all this. I feel blessed."

Of course, not all voice actors have been as lucky as Nolan North to get work with such regularity. Salaries for actors have always been a point of contention, especially with regards to royalties. In 2008, Grand Theft Auto IV's Michael Hollick slammed the industry for not providing better compensation for titles that go on to sell millions of units. North seems to disagree with that sentiment. "In all fairness, hundreds of people are working 12 hour days for several years to make a game, so it's unfair for me to expect residuals, given the amount of work I contribute."

Perhaps it's that attitude that continues to provide North a steady lineup of gigs, including the upcoming Alpha Protocol and Dark Void. With Uncharted 3 and a new Assassin's Creed in the works, it's clear that Nolan can expect a few more paychecks in the immediate future.

Nolan North believes voice acting royalties 'unfair' to expect in gaming originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 16 Jan 2010 06:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mark Hamill talks about game voice acting, Batman role

JC Fletcher — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 01:00:00 EST

Mark Hamill has made a name for himself over the years with his game work, with high-profile roles in games like Full Throttle and Wing Commander 3. Not to mention his legendary performance as the Joker in Batman: The Animated Series, which he reprised for Arkham Asylum. But Mark Hamill already had a name, and it was "Luke Skywalker."

An interview with CVG suggests that the move was intentional. Hamill described the attitudes he faced when he started working in games. "I'm sure there's a range of opinions, from 'You're slumming it', or 'Can't you get more legitimate work?'," he said. "But that snobbishness comes with the business." He relished the opportunity to merge his animation and game careers with a return to Joker's smarmy mania. "I thought this will be one last chance to play Joker. And it was so much fun to play a character who is clearly insane."

Here's a surprise: the reason Hamill hasn't performed Luke Skywalker's voice in one of about a million Star Wars games isn't because he's not interested in reprising the role (though he isn't): nobody ever asked him to. How has that never happened? So many games have been made based on the three movies that an established video game voice actor starred in, and it just never came up?

Mark Hamill talks about game voice acting, Batman role originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 06 Jan 2010 01:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Meet Trauma Team's voice team

JC Fletcher — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 14:15:00 EST

The floodgates for Trauma Team publicity are open, starting with the screenshots and now continuing with promotional videos. Atlus takes us behind the scenes of Trauma Team -- wisely choosing to feature the game's voice recording over, say, the medical research the team did.

In the first of two videos (above), Atlus offers a tour of PCB Productions, the company producing the voice work for the multidisciplinary medical adventure. In the second (after the break), we meet a few of the actors portraying the quirky medical team, allowing us to put different faces to the voices behind the cartoon characters. Trauma Team is currently scheduled for an April 20 release date.

Continue reading Meet Trauma Team's voice team

Meet Trauma Team's voice team originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 23 Dec 2009 14:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bitmob explores the world of video game voice acting

Richard Mitchell — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 04:30:00 EST

Bitmob's Aaron Thomas was recently offered the chance to record some crowd chatter for Major League Baseball 2K10, and he used the opportunity to describe the process of recording video game voice over. Reading his lines off of a television screen, and given situational prompts for each line -- bases loaded, etc. -- Thomas screamed around 300 lines for the game. As an added bonus, 2K sent samples of Thomas' work mixed with ambient crowd noise, giving us all the opportunity to see what the final product sounds like.

It's a neat look into the world of video game voice acting, as well as sound production in general. If you've ever been curious about how it's done, take a look. Just don't expect Thomas to be putting Nolan North out of a job anytime soon.

Bitmob explores the world of video game voice acting originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 19 Dec 2009 04:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tricia Helfer, Martin Sheen talk up their voice roles in Mass Effect 2

Andrew Yoon — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 22:30:00 EST

Okay, you've probably heard by now that Mass Effect 2 has a lot of big-name voice talent. But have you SEEN them? This video trailer for BioWare's upcoming space opera features the all-star cast talking about their roles, and what it is about sci-fi (and not SyFy) that gets them so excited.

Tricia Helfer, Martin Sheen talk up their voice roles in Mass Effect 2 originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 11 Dec 2009 22:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mass Effect 2 cast bolstered by Battlestar, Star Trek actors

Alexander Sliwinski — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 13:30:00 EST

Mass Effect 2 is bound to have some recognizable actors, what with 90 actors voicing 546 characters with 31,000 lines of dialogue. EA revealed today that the cast includes ... oh, by Grabthar's hammer, here's the list:

Martin Sheen (Charlie Sheen and Emilio Estevez's dad) -- Illusive Man commanding Cerberus
Shohreh Adhdashloo (sexy voice lady from FlashForward) -- Admiral Shala'Raan vas Tonbay
Seth Green (hand in your geek card if you don't know) -- Joker
Yvonne Strahovski (wiener lady, lust of Chuck) -- Miranda Lawson
Adam Baldwin (a man named Jayne... or the man they call Jayne) -- Kal 'Reegar
~~David Keith~~ Keith David (Halo's Arbiter) -- Admiral David Anderson
Michael Dorn (Star Trek TNG's Worf) -- Gatatog Uvenk
Tricia Helfer (2020 Oscar winner after people stop treating her like meat) -- EDI, voice of the "new Normandy"
Michael Hogan (Colonel Saul Tigh) -- Captain Bailey
Carrie-Anne Moss (Trinity from The Matrix, singular, no sequels exist -- especially not Revolutions) -- Aria T'Loak

We also can't forget Jennifer Hale, who is reprising her role as the real Commander Shepard, nor Mark Meer, the male Shepard and known expert at cutting the council off at weird times.

Mass Effect 2 cast bolstered by Battlestar, Star Trek actors originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 10 Dec 2009 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tales of Vesperia voice actor says game is coming to Wii [update: Oops! He meant Tales of Graces!]

Griffin McElroy — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 17:30:00 EST

[Update: Abyssal Chronicles has updated their story, reporting that Mr. Koyama has updated his original blog post with the following clarification: "When I mentioned being on sale for the Wii, I meant Tales of Graces, and not Tales of Vesperia! I truly apologize to everyone for the misunderstanding!!!!" Well, we can see how that would be confusing. You'll find our original post below.]

Lock the doors and board up the windows, folks. Considering the seismic backlash to the announcement that the (formerly) 360-exclusive Tales of Vesperia would be coming to the PS3, we fear for what might happen when this story gets out. Japanese voice actor Rikiya Koyama, who provided the voice for Vesperia's pseudo-antagonist Duke, recently mentioned on his blog that, "Tales of Vesperia is coming out on one thing after another: Xbox 360, then PS3, and now upcoming, goes on sale even on the Wii."

While this may deeply excite RPG-loving Wii owners, keep in mind that it's entirely possible Koyama meant to say Tales of Graces, the franchise's next installment which is, in fact, coming to the Wii. Just think about that before you start snapping the pieces of your already-snapped 360 Vesperia disc in protest. Those edges can get pretty sharp.

[Via Kotaku]

Tales of Vesperia voice actor says game is coming to Wii [update: Oops! He meant Tales of Graces!] originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 07 Nov 2009 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Uncharted's Amy Hennig 'thrilled' by Nolan North's newfound success

Andrew Yoon — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 11:29:00 EST

Chances are, you recognize Nolan North as Nathan Drake from the Uncharted series. However, ever since the debut of the first game in the franchise, North has gone on to play a number of leading men, including the titular Prince of Persia and Jason from Shadow Complex. Uncharted creative director Amy Hennig admits that she's "thrilled to see people recognizing Nolan's talent and to see him getting all of the work that he can get and all of the recognition he can get." However, she tells Bitmob that she's "a little possessive" of North because "we were the ones with Uncharted who tapped into that talent in a way that I don't think anyone had recognized and done yet."

North will undoubtedly continue to find success as the charming "everyday" man (who happens to be gifted with extraordinary acrobatic prowess). Hennig admits that "Nolan's going to get typecast because that is his persona. He's a funny guy and has that easy-going, roguish charm." Yeah, charming -- until he throws you off a cliff.

Uncharted's Amy Hennig 'thrilled' by Nolan North's newfound success originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 23 Oct 2009 11:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker English voice cast announced

Griffin McElroy — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 14:00:00 EST

With fingers crossed, we turned to the latest Kojima Productions podcast, hoping beyond hope that the studio had taken our recommendation to refresh the voice of Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker's bearded protagonist. Our nominee for Solid Snake's new pipes? Bobcat Goldthwait. Sure, Mr. Goldthwait would likely take the series in an unexpected direction -- but what unsuspecting player wouldn't be swept up in an exploration of Snake's rarely discussed history as a rabid, nigh-incomprehensible stand-up comic? Now there's a 90-minute cutscene we can get behind.

Alas, Konami's recently announced voice cast for Peace Walker is actually (gasp!) sans-Goldthwait. Of course David Hayter will reprise the role for, like, the hundredth time. The rest of the totally unsurprising list can be found after the jump -- but why not watch this beautiful excerpt of the Peace Walker that could have been instead?

[Via Kotaku]

Continue reading Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker English voice cast announced

Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker English voice cast announced originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 16 Oct 2009 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Stoic silence on the battlefield unless you install Dynasty Warriors 6 PSP data

JC Fletcher — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 14:15:00 EST

Okay, a little background: Dynasty Warriors 6 is being ported to the PSP. The same Dynasty Warriors 6 that was the basis for Strikeforce, which came out on the PSP first and is now being ported to the Xbox 360 and PS3. This PSP version of DW6 includes elements of Dynasty Warriors 6 Empires. This isn't totally relevant to the news at hand, but it's really complicated and we're kind of proud of ourselves for (presumably) untangling it.

This latest Dynasty Warriors 6, Dynasty Warriors 6 Special, won't require users to install data to the Memory Stick, but will have benefits for those who do. If you install the 260MB data, the speech in the game will be voiced. If you don't, your allies and enemies on the battlefield will communicate via text windows.

Actually, now that we think about it, not having a thousand dudes yelling at you all the time seems a lot better. Thanks for the option, Koei!

Stoic silence on the battlefield unless you install Dynasty Warriors 6 PSP data originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 07 Oct 2009 14:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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AFTRA, SAG negotiate new contracts for video game voice actors

Griffin McElroy — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 21:01:00 EST

It's fairly unlikely that you, dear reader, have done voice acting in video games, or are a card-carrying member of the Screen Actors Guild or the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists. While this news might not directly apply to you, we thought we'd take a moment to celebrate the contracts these two unions recently negotiated with video game publishers to get better wages for their respective voice-acting members.

The contracts will bump SAG members' wages up 3 percent upon ratification, bringing SAG wage hikes into parity of those offered by the AFTRA. On April 1, both groups will receive another 2.5 percent wage increase. Publishers are also now required to inform voice actors as to when they'll be doing "vocally stressful work." We're not exactly sure what that means, but we think it applies to any gravel-throated protagonist ever featured in a first-person shooter. All that gruffness is rough on the ol' pipes, dontchaknow?

[Via Big Download]

AFTRA, SAG negotiate new contracts for video game voice actors originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 06 Oct 2009 21:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kristen Bell returns as Lucy in Assassin's Creed 2

Griffin McElroy — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 00:10:00 EST

Okay, fine -- Assassin's Creed's Lucy, the mousey assistant who helped operate the DNA-reading Animus device, was pretty boring. That blame can't really be placed upon the adorable shoulders of Kristen Bell, who voiced the character. She did the best she could with the ... it's not like she had a ... she's Veronica Mars! We can't speak ill of Veronica Mars!

A recent batch of promotional photos have confirmed Bell's involvement in Assassin's Creed 2. She'll perform the role of Lucy again, and she'll perform it flawlessly, like everything else she's ever done in her entire life. Ever.

Gallery: Assassin's Creed 2 -- Kristen Bell

Kristen Bell returns as Lucy in Assassin's Creed 2 originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 03 Oct 2009 00:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tim Curry provides voice of 'calculating villain' in Dragon Age: Origins

Ludwig Kietzmann — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 14:00:00 EST

EA and BioWare have made the obvious -- and quite correct -- choice in casting Tim Curry as Arl Rendon Howe, a man whose insatiable lust for power puts him at odds with the heroes of November's swords-and-sultry-sorcery epic, Dragon Age: Origins. Those keeping count on Curry's "calculating villain" roles will remember his appearance as Premier Cherdenko in Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3, as well as his forthcoming part as Doviculus in Brütal Legend, slated for release a few weeks before Halloween (when anything can happen).

Dragon Age: Origins, which BioWare describes as having the largest cast of characters in any of its games to date, will also feature the vocal talents of Tim Russ, Claudia Black (you'll spot her in Uncharted 2: Among Thieves this October), Steve Valentine, and Kate Mulgrew, who was last seen slurping coffee and balking at the Prime Directive in Star Trek: Voyager.

Gallery: Dragon Age: Origins (GamesCom 2009)

Tim Curry provides voice of 'calculating villain' in Dragon Age: Origins originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 27 Aug 2009 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Heavy Rain features 10 voiced languages, subtitles in 6 more [update]

Alexander Sliwinski — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 14:31:00 EST

Heavy Rain will be fully voice acted in 10 languages, with subtitles available for all spoken languages, plus six more languages. These details were disclosed during a presentation at GamesCom this afternoon, when Quantic Dream founder David Cage introduced Pascal Langdale (pictured right), the actor playing the English-speaking version of Heavy Rain's Ethan Mars, and discussed the extensive voice work necessary for the game's many branching scenes.

Knowing a single Blu-ray disc can store language data in bulk, we were curious about how many language options would be available in the game. As it turns out, if Cage had brought in all of Mars' voices, the room would have gotten pretty tight. Check out the confirmed list of languages after the break. (We're still waiting for official confirmation on a couple -- the Quantic Dream team couldn't name them all off the top of their heads.)

Update: Heavy Rain's associate producer and localization manager, Romain Castillos, has given us the official list of languages and subtitles.

Gallery: Heavy Rain (GamesCom 2009)

Continue reading Heavy Rain features 10 voiced languages, subtitles in 6 more [update]

Heavy Rain features 10 voiced languages, subtitles in 6 more [update] originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 20 Aug 2009 14:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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50 Cent to make cameo appearance in Modern Warfare 2

Griffin McElroy — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 16:00:00 EST

There are many places one can find Mr. 50 Cent: In any number of clubs, as referenced by his chart-topping song; in his numerous self-titled video games, one of which has become a cult classic among the Joystiq staff; and according to entertainment news site ThisIs50, he can be found at Infinity Ward's studios, doing voice work for the highly anticipated Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2.

Robert Bowling confirmed to Kotaku that Fiddy will be supplying "one of many squad voices" featured in the game's multiplayer and Spec Ops modes. Bowling mentioned 50 Cent's lines will be standard shooter fare -- "Reloading," "Tango Down," and the like. We pray he'll also sneak in a reference to his precious jewel-encrusted cranium.

50 Cent to make cameo appearance in Modern Warfare 2 originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 08 Aug 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Star Wars: The Old Republic's voice acting process detailed

Griffin McElroy — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 20:30:00 EST

We've spoken before about how BioWare's upcoming MMO, Star Wars: The Old Republic, will be the wordiest video game in the history of mankind, but a recent article on the game's official site has given even further detail into the process behind the title's verbosification. If you've ever been interested in voice acting, it's definitely worth a read, as we're fairly certain the game will go down in VO history for its unrivaled ambition.

If the process behind the game's voice work does nothing for you, perhaps a few more numeric comparisons will float your boat -- the script, which is the size of "40+ novels" (or 10 KOTOR's!) is being voiced by over 100 voice actors in five cities, who, by the end of the project, will have performed over 1,000 four-hour recording sessions. That is a great deal of talking.

[Via Big Download]

Star Wars: The Old Republic's voice acting process detailed originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 11 Jul 2009 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Max Payne 3 gets different, older voice actor

Ben Gilbert — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 19:45:00 EST

We've already seen the new, grizzled face of Max Payne in upcoming sequel Max Payne 3, and found out a few details on the game from Game Informer's preview of the title. More news coming out of July's GI today (via Eurogamer) says that the game's titular character will lose the first two games' voice actor, James McCaffrey, and be replaced by, well, we're not quite sure yet.

"We're good at casting," Jeronimo Barrera of the game's developer, Rockstar Games, points out. "All the Max Payne themes will remain intact - manipulation, betrayal, and the stuff that really made Max Payne," art director Rob Nelson backs the decision up with. And so it seems that, while the various themes may stay intact, the main character's look and sound have absolutely changed. Here's hoping Rockstar doesn't change the title to "Minimum Pleasure!"

Max Payne 3 gets different, older voice actor originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 15 Jun 2009 19:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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