Voice Actors

RangerOfIthilien · Sep 23, 2013 10:49 PM

So I got to thinking recently... why do the Legend of Spyro games have so many Hollywood actors and experienced voice actors (a-la Billy West)? More often than not games will have one or two hollywood celebrities in the cast and every other voice actor will be from the video game and anime voice actor communities. And even when this is the case it's usually a hugely anticipated and popular game. And let's face it, whether or not you like TLoS it was not in the caliber of something like GTA or the Arkham games. Why would they spend so much money on all these household name actors instead of just getting the more affordable but equally good game and anime voice actors?

Latias fan · Sep 23, 2013 11:09 PM

I want to say it's for advertising. Like on the cover of the box FEATURING BOBO BEGGINS AND CASPER THE GHOST on the cover of DotD or something. And someone looks like at it and buys it for that.

Flapjacks · Sep 24, 2013 12:37 AM

KingLambda wrote:

So I got to thinking recently... why do the Legend of Spyro games have so many Hollywood actors and experienced voice actors (a-la Billy West)? More often than not games will have one or two hollywood celebrities in the cast and every other voice actor will be from the video game and anime voice actor communities. And even when this is the case it's usually a hugely anticipated and popular game. And let's face it, whether or not you like TLoS it was not in the caliber of something like GTA or the Arkham games. Why would they spend so much money on all these household name actors instead of just getting the more affordable but equally good game and anime voice actors?

Well the problem isn't the actors, because the actors are great in other works. I think either their motivation or pay from the game was unsatisfactory.

RangerOfIthilien · Sep 25, 2013 12:06 AM

Well what I mean is why would they invest so much money into well known actors and voice actors. I think you are correct Latias fan, but I'm still amazed. It must have cost a pretty penny out of their budget to get them all... maybe that explains the rest of the game

36IStillLikeSpyro36 · Sep 25, 2013 3:06 AM

maybe those are literally the only people they could get to do the voices they required. just throwing other ideas out there but Latias is probably right.

Clock-la · Sep 25, 2013 5:01 PM

KingLambda wrote:

Well what I mean is why would they invest so much money into well known actors and voice actors. I think you are correct Latias fan, but I'm still amazed. It must have cost a pretty penny out of their budget to get them all... maybe that explains the rest of the game

As furry said, advertising, it like on that film EPIC, I still haven't seen it but it had A LOT of stars in it...like Pit bull, and I think he's in it for like one scene.

So instead of getting some one who isn't a household name to do the job, they got Pit bull, just so they can put on the poster

"look, we got pit bull!!!!"

Like I get for the main leads at times, but Christina Ricci as Cynder? Who thought that one up? Why her?

Mae Whitman and Cree summer, both did fine enough jobs, so getting Christina Ricci relay was just so they could say "Hey look,it is the girl from the Addams family! she was good in that so she MUST be good in this to!"

Stormy · Sep 25, 2013 6:18 PM

I wonder why other less-well-known games don't try this kind of marketing ploy, though. I mean, it was probably bad idea because it doesn't seem to have actually worked... but what made these particular developers think it was a good idea in the first place? Like KingLambda said, I'm sure it cost them a good portion of their budget that they could have spent on making the rest of the game better.

Spyrofriend · Sep 26, 2013 12:09 AM

i frankly would have preferred that they have brought either cree or mae back. but in voice acting you have to compete with budget concerns or availability. ricci's a good actress, but shes not a voiceover actor,. and imo it showed in the game. wood was ok in his performance, but the game overall didnt work out, it was a combo of story, timing and acting performances by the actors.

36IStillLikeSpyro36 · Sep 26, 2013 1:35 AM

if i remember correctly, they didn't even advertise the voice actors much. why would they do it for marketing purposes if they didn't mention it much? or maybe they did and i just missed it?

Stormy · Sep 26, 2013 1:56 AM

I was thinking they hoped it would spread through word of mouth, because plastering neon colored bubbles all over the packaging saying stuff like "FEATURING THE VOICE TALENTS OF GARY OLDMAN" just looks gimmicky. But who knows, really.

They could've legitimately thought the famous actors would improve the quality of the game, but like Spyrofriend was saying, they didn't end up doing a very good job.

Clock-la · Sep 26, 2013 2:01 PM

36IStillLikeSpyro36 wrote:

if i remember correctly, they didn't even advertise the voice actors much. why would they do it for marketing purposes if they didn't mention it much? or maybe they did and i just missed it?

They had a few interviews :-P but that was it

Swaffy · Sep 28, 2013 6:27 AM

To be honest, I could care less who famous people are. They sell their souls
to the world. I'd rather the game company hire someone who is unknown but
has a passion for what they are doing. So real heart-felt work will be put into
the game instead of work from half-*bleep*ed rich people.

NeoReaper · Sep 28, 2013 3:53 PM

Swaffy wrote:

To be honest, I could care less who famous people are. They sell their souls
to the world. I'd rather the game company hire someone who is unknown but
has a passion for what they are doing. So real heart-felt work will be put into
the game instead of work from half-*bleep*ed rich people.

This ^^

#1 Sep 23, 2013 10:49 PM

Voice Actors

#2 Sep 23, 2013 11:09 PM

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#3 Sep 24, 2013 12:37 AM

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#4 Sep 25, 2013 12:06 AM

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#5 Sep 25, 2013 3:06 AM

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#6 Sep 25, 2013 5:01 PM

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#7 Sep 25, 2013 6:18 PM

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#8 Sep 26, 2013 12:09 AM

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#9 Sep 26, 2013 1:35 AM

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#10 Sep 26, 2013 1:56 AM

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#11 Sep 26, 2013 2:01 PM

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#12 Sep 28, 2013 6:27 AM

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#13 Sep 28, 2013 3:53 PM

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