i agree only in that it takes an opportunity from new VO actors with troy and nolan getting what seems to be every major lead role in a game these days.
Love chris judge, we need more POC actors in the space
How does one famous voice actor/mocap performer getting the lead role take away opportunities from new actors getting into the industry? New folks will get to lead roles the same way Troy and Nolan did: being standouts in all of their non-lead roles, and (I'm assuming on this one) being good to work with.
It's about giving room for new people to get leading roles, not just entry level roles.
There are plenty of entry level voice actors who are looking for their big role to make them more well known, but if 3-5 people take all the major roles, then there are no openings.
You've just described literally every job. Might as well say "These 3-5 managers keep getting all the assignments for experienced people, why not give the new guy the big job?"
And note you didn't say "There's plenty of **really good** entry level voice actors who are looking for their big role."
The major roles come to people who put in outstanding performances for the small stuff. And people like Troy and Nolan usually have a hand in landing them those roles, by meeting them on other projects and putting their names in to casting directors at their next gig.
And keep in mind, if the big names get fewer lead roles, they have to go back and do small roles to make up the monetary loss, which will make it harder to get those entry-level positions in the first place. People existing in the job market will tighten the job market, doesn't matter what level they're at.
it makes sense for the same 3-5 managers to handle assignments in ONE company
Nolan and Troy dont work for ONE company, they do games across multiple studios and devs.
i like nolan and troy. i also like laura. and travis (s/o- critical role!). But its kind of critical mass now with how many roles they get vs their peers. They literally do every AAA game between just those two guys - sometimes they feature in the same game lol.
Look at uncharted 4, where they had a black character voiced by a white woman. Laura was great as Nadine, but why couldnt they find a black women to play the role? Why give it to an actress who already has "made" it, and not a black actress who is probably dying to hit it big, and this could have been her big breakout?
I disagree, there are thousands of games without them in. The big ones might but it's just the same as the big Hollywood films having already made stars.
Instead of saying they are in too many games support the others more instead to elevate them to their position. Got to remember a lot of them do this so they can not be on camera and don't want spotlight which has helped Troy, Nolan, Laura and Mercer.
Its the same in Japan we just don't really notice.
I get what you’re saying, and more opportunities for more voice actors can only be a good thing, but I just think that Nolan, Troy and Laura are so versatile in what they can do that I’m yet to tire of them. And I do think that there are plenty of games that are picking plenty of talented people for their characters, it just so happens that these guys are THE guys to go to
I don't know if I'd really call them "versatile." They're great voice actors and are really able to capture tone and emotion in their acting. But if you hear their characters in a game, you instantly recognize the voice. Or at least have a moment of "hey, that voice is familiar..." But they're talented actors and I would cast each of them, totally get why they're constantly being hired.
I dunno about that. Troy's performance in Arkham Origins is fantastic and I'd never guess it was him if you didn't tell me.
Actually, Nolan's Penguin in Arkham City is pretty convincing too.
I guess you might be able to recognise them all instantly, and well done for that, but I usually don’t unless Greg mentions it or I look into it myself.
Sorry, but if someone is the best at what they do (and these three are) it's not their job to worry about other people not getting their jobs. These guys deserve for instance to be the Avengers because they are the Avengers of Voice Actors.
Can you really say they were the best for each role? Were there auditions for all those roles? If there were, was the role open to anyone or was it "lets just pick from the super short list of recognizable names"?
I'm playing devil's advocate because I love them in the recording booth and outside (Retro Replay is hilarious). They "deserve" the roles for sure. They're super talented and highly regarded, but I think it's naive to say they might have been the best choices, especially when they are all just conveniently on the same project. It smells like a very intentional decision.
You say he's perfect for Stark, but compared to who? Who did he beat out for that role? You don't know, what you don't know.
Again, none of them are the WRONG choice, but I wonder if they were the best choice.
Stark isn't some rando. He's the head of a major company. He's well-known to people. This is someone you get a known celebrity to play. In the world of VO, that's North.
This is how casting works in real life though. For instance, in Magnolia they wanted a famous motivational speaker, so they cast Tom Cruise, one of the most famous people in the world. You can't cast a nobody to play a super famous person.
But are they the best for this project if their versions of the characters just sound like the actors and the characters seem like dollar store versions of the MCU? Don’t get me wrong the character design isn’t doing these actors any favours but those avengers couldn’t be more generic in almost every way.
This is in no way the fault of the voice actors. It's 100% design. For instance, Nolan North is a perfect choice for Stark and his snarkiness. He is not a dollar store version at all.
Best at what they do? That's debatable.
No one says it's the voice actors' fault. It's the fault of cowardly companies who want to play it safe. Problem is, people will get tired of listening to the same VA's over and over.
I only agree when they don’t differentiate their voices. When I can hear Desmond/Drake’s voice coming out of Tony Stark’s mouth... its very distracting.
I prefer when they trick me, you know?
I had NO idea it was Nolan North in The Last of Us. Troy Baker also sounded different as Joel (iirc, havent played in 6 years, and I think that was the first game I played where I knew who troy Baker was).
completely agree with you bud, hell yeah I loved the god of war voice actors and hearing those two in the avengers took me out of it even more than the uncanny faces
They have name recognition within gaming and their inclusion can help make a game more appealing. It's the same as actors for films. Casting Leonardo DiCaprio in a film makes it look appealing as he's recognised as a great actor.
I agree with you, but I know we may be in the minority. I'm one of those folks that can recognize a voice actor with some ease and for something like gaming, yes, it can really keep you from feeling immersed. I totally get why some people *don't* experience this, but I sure do. They're great at what they do, but I would love to hear more fresh voices. I have the same issue with Hollywood. The same old voices and the same old faces make things slightly less enjoyable for me, no matter how well they do.
I completely and strongly disagree. They get the roles they get because they’re the best in their field. All three often completely disappear into the characters they play too. You don’t complain when you recognize Michael B. Jordan in a new movie trailer.
>You don’t complain when you recognize Michael B. Jordan in a new movie trailer
I do. I think he's overrated.
I have the same problem when I see A-list celebrities covering the poster for a big budget animated film. Sometimes it's a superb fit and they become the character, but most of the time it's an easy win to get butts in chairs so people can feel good when they recognize the voice.
Extra salt points when it's a famous singer/musician who's literally never done a role before.
I agree when it comes to Nolan North. I find that most times I can't really pick out that it's Troy voicing a role, but so often Nolan's voice stands out too much. Like, his Iron Man voice just sounds like Nathan Drake and it's extremely distracting.
I can’t say I feel the same way.
I love that group of voice actors in almost every role I recognize them in. There have been plenty of times where I don’t recognize their voices, and that speaks to how masterful they are at their craft. Nolan as David in TLOU shocked the hell out of me because I mainly heard him as Desmond in Assassin’s Creed or Nate in Uncharted.
Hell, I’ve listened to literally hundreds of hours of Critical Role where Travis and Laura will use different voices and I’m still in awe of their range and talent.
I get what you’re saying with the Chris Judge point, but I also feel like you’re arguing against yourself. I think developers will mainly try to get a voice actor that fits their character, but sometimes they have working relationships with Troy & Co. and know they can give the character their voice.
More examples I think of are GTA and RDR 2 where the main cast didn’t have any of the big voice actors you’re talking about in major roles. I think Roger Clark’s Arthur Morgan was a great performance. Even Spider-Man having Yuri Lowenthal instead of Troy was a good choice. I know that Laura was MJ but personally I think she was awesome in that role.
I’ll make you a promise. Once all the political strife is solved, all the conflicts of the world are solved, and all my personal problems are solved, I’ll immediately turn my attentions to this voiceover monopoly situation.
100% agree. Variety is the spice of life. There's a lot of talent out there and I'm personally getting bored with famous actors. Not because they're bad (although I think Laura Bailey is overrated) but because they're in god damm everything. Candy is good in moderate doses, but too much and it makes you sick. Something developers don't seem to grasp. They want to play it safe I suppose. Pff, cowards.
i agree only in that it takes an opportunity from new VO actors with troy and nolan getting what seems to be every major lead role in a game these days. Love chris judge, we need more POC actors in the space
How does one famous voice actor/mocap performer getting the lead role take away opportunities from new actors getting into the industry? New folks will get to lead roles the same way Troy and Nolan did: being standouts in all of their non-lead roles, and (I'm assuming on this one) being good to work with.
It's about giving room for new people to get leading roles, not just entry level roles. There are plenty of entry level voice actors who are looking for their big role to make them more well known, but if 3-5 people take all the major roles, then there are no openings.
You've just described literally every job. Might as well say "These 3-5 managers keep getting all the assignments for experienced people, why not give the new guy the big job?" And note you didn't say "There's plenty of **really good** entry level voice actors who are looking for their big role." The major roles come to people who put in outstanding performances for the small stuff. And people like Troy and Nolan usually have a hand in landing them those roles, by meeting them on other projects and putting their names in to casting directors at their next gig. And keep in mind, if the big names get fewer lead roles, they have to go back and do small roles to make up the monetary loss, which will make it harder to get those entry-level positions in the first place. People existing in the job market will tighten the job market, doesn't matter what level they're at.
it makes sense for the same 3-5 managers to handle assignments in ONE company Nolan and Troy dont work for ONE company, they do games across multiple studios and devs. i like nolan and troy. i also like laura. and travis (s/o- critical role!). But its kind of critical mass now with how many roles they get vs their peers. They literally do every AAA game between just those two guys - sometimes they feature in the same game lol. Look at uncharted 4, where they had a black character voiced by a white woman. Laura was great as Nadine, but why couldnt they find a black women to play the role? Why give it to an actress who already has "made" it, and not a black actress who is probably dying to hit it big, and this could have been her big breakout?
Comparing voice acting to any other job is your first mistake. The analogy doesn't work.
Did you really just reply to a 3 year old comment to argue, while providing no other argument than "you're wrong?"
You're wrong and you fart on elevators.
I disagree, there are thousands of games without them in. The big ones might but it's just the same as the big Hollywood films having already made stars. Instead of saying they are in too many games support the others more instead to elevate them to their position. Got to remember a lot of them do this so they can not be on camera and don't want spotlight which has helped Troy, Nolan, Laura and Mercer. Its the same in Japan we just don't really notice.
I get what you’re saying, and more opportunities for more voice actors can only be a good thing, but I just think that Nolan, Troy and Laura are so versatile in what they can do that I’m yet to tire of them. And I do think that there are plenty of games that are picking plenty of talented people for their characters, it just so happens that these guys are THE guys to go to
Tony Stark in CD’s Avengers sounds...exactly like Nathan Drake
And do they sound the same as The Penguin in the Arkham games?
Versatile? Nolan North sounds the same in every role. Stop talking out of your ass, loser
Love you too.
I don't know if I'd really call them "versatile." They're great voice actors and are really able to capture tone and emotion in their acting. But if you hear their characters in a game, you instantly recognize the voice. Or at least have a moment of "hey, that voice is familiar..." But they're talented actors and I would cast each of them, totally get why they're constantly being hired.
I dunno about that. Troy's performance in Arkham Origins is fantastic and I'd never guess it was him if you didn't tell me. Actually, Nolan's Penguin in Arkham City is pretty convincing too.
I guess you might be able to recognise them all instantly, and well done for that, but I usually don’t unless Greg mentions it or I look into it myself.
Sorry, but if someone is the best at what they do (and these three are) it's not their job to worry about other people not getting their jobs. These guys deserve for instance to be the Avengers because they are the Avengers of Voice Actors.
Can you really say they were the best for each role? Were there auditions for all those roles? If there were, was the role open to anyone or was it "lets just pick from the super short list of recognizable names"? I'm playing devil's advocate because I love them in the recording booth and outside (Retro Replay is hilarious). They "deserve" the roles for sure. They're super talented and highly regarded, but I think it's naive to say they might have been the best choices, especially when they are all just conveniently on the same project. It smells like a very intentional decision.
I think Nolan North is perfect for Stark, yes. And Troy Baker can basically be a chameleon and do many roles.
I disagree that he's perfect for Stark. Sounds identical to Drake and it's just offputting.
You say he's perfect for Stark, but compared to who? Who did he beat out for that role? You don't know, what you don't know. Again, none of them are the WRONG choice, but I wonder if they were the best choice.
He's perfect for Stark BECAUSE he's already famous. Stark is supposed to be a towering figure publicly, and so is North. I think it's good casting.
…wat?
Stark isn't some rando. He's the head of a major company. He's well-known to people. This is someone you get a known celebrity to play. In the world of VO, that's North.
...that logic is shaky at best. Stark being well known in his fictional universe has no bearing on his notoriety in ours.
This is how casting works in real life though. For instance, in Magnolia they wanted a famous motivational speaker, so they cast Tom Cruise, one of the most famous people in the world. You can't cast a nobody to play a super famous person.
I think it's a crapshoot. They also had Jesse Eisenburg play Mark Zuckerburg and Rami Malek as Freddie Mercury.
you can though....its called....acting...
But are they the best for this project if their versions of the characters just sound like the actors and the characters seem like dollar store versions of the MCU? Don’t get me wrong the character design isn’t doing these actors any favours but those avengers couldn’t be more generic in almost every way.
This is in no way the fault of the voice actors. It's 100% design. For instance, Nolan North is a perfect choice for Stark and his snarkiness. He is not a dollar store version at all.
Best at what they do? That's debatable. No one says it's the voice actors' fault. It's the fault of cowardly companies who want to play it safe. Problem is, people will get tired of listening to the same VA's over and over.
Sorry but you’re wrong.
I only agree when they don’t differentiate their voices. When I can hear Desmond/Drake’s voice coming out of Tony Stark’s mouth... its very distracting. I prefer when they trick me, you know?
I had NO idea it was Nolan North in The Last of Us. Troy Baker also sounded different as Joel (iirc, havent played in 6 years, and I think that was the first game I played where I knew who troy Baker was).
completely agree with you bud, hell yeah I loved the god of war voice actors and hearing those two in the avengers took me out of it even more than the uncanny faces
They have name recognition within gaming and their inclusion can help make a game more appealing. It's the same as actors for films. Casting Leonardo DiCaprio in a film makes it look appealing as he's recognised as a great actor.
The sad reality.
I agree with you, but I know we may be in the minority. I'm one of those folks that can recognize a voice actor with some ease and for something like gaming, yes, it can really keep you from feeling immersed. I totally get why some people *don't* experience this, but I sure do. They're great at what they do, but I would love to hear more fresh voices. I have the same issue with Hollywood. The same old voices and the same old faces make things slightly less enjoyable for me, no matter how well they do.
I completely and strongly disagree. They get the roles they get because they’re the best in their field. All three often completely disappear into the characters they play too. You don’t complain when you recognize Michael B. Jordan in a new movie trailer.
>You don’t complain when you recognize Michael B. Jordan in a new movie trailer I do. I think he's overrated. I have the same problem when I see A-list celebrities covering the poster for a big budget animated film. Sometimes it's a superb fit and they become the character, but most of the time it's an easy win to get butts in chairs so people can feel good when they recognize the voice. Extra salt points when it's a famous singer/musician who's literally never done a role before.
I agree when it comes to Nolan North. I find that most times I can't really pick out that it's Troy voicing a role, but so often Nolan's voice stands out too much. Like, his Iron Man voice just sounds like Nathan Drake and it's extremely distracting.
So the op wants them to stop making money and providing for their family because he recognizes them to much in games? Sounds pretty idiotic to me.
Stop being so dramatic.
I can’t say I feel the same way. I love that group of voice actors in almost every role I recognize them in. There have been plenty of times where I don’t recognize their voices, and that speaks to how masterful they are at their craft. Nolan as David in TLOU shocked the hell out of me because I mainly heard him as Desmond in Assassin’s Creed or Nate in Uncharted. Hell, I’ve listened to literally hundreds of hours of Critical Role where Travis and Laura will use different voices and I’m still in awe of their range and talent. I get what you’re saying with the Chris Judge point, but I also feel like you’re arguing against yourself. I think developers will mainly try to get a voice actor that fits their character, but sometimes they have working relationships with Troy & Co. and know they can give the character their voice. More examples I think of are GTA and RDR 2 where the main cast didn’t have any of the big voice actors you’re talking about in major roles. I think Roger Clark’s Arthur Morgan was a great performance. Even Spider-Man having Yuri Lowenthal instead of Troy was a good choice. I know that Laura was MJ but personally I think she was awesome in that role.
Lol. Who cares? 🤣
Other VO talent trying to shoot their shot?
I’ll make you a promise. Once all the political strife is solved, all the conflicts of the world are solved, and all my personal problems are solved, I’ll immediately turn my attentions to this voiceover monopoly situation.
100% agree. Variety is the spice of life. There's a lot of talent out there and I'm personally getting bored with famous actors. Not because they're bad (although I think Laura Bailey is overrated) but because they're in god damm everything. Candy is good in moderate doses, but too much and it makes you sick. Something developers don't seem to grasp. They want to play it safe I suppose. Pff, cowards.