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Movies Stars Seek More Control Over Videogames
stoolpigeon writes "MSNBC has an article about major actors and their relationship to videogames, saying: 'The trickle of A-list talent appearing in games has turned into a torrent of late and beyond publicity, the trend has triggered changes in game development. Stars now work with game producers on story and character development as agents and lawyers try to figure out how an actor can maintain his 'image,' in an interactive environment.'"
I would have to disagree with this statement. While he is known for those movies he did 30 odd years ago, for the last ten years Mark Hammil has been a professional voice actor lending his talent to a huge number of animated shows. Just from listening to his definitive Joker in Batman the Animated Series you can tell he is one of the best voice actors around.
I couldn't load this in Firefox for some reason so here's the text from IE
... everything would be digital.
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Electronic Arts
"Oh James!" Pierce Brosnan and Mya in 'Everything or Nothing'
By Tom Loftus
Columnist
MSNBC
Updated: 1:17 p.m. ET Feb. 19, 2004You know the love affair between Hollywood and video games is in full bloom when Judi Dench appears in a game. Yes, that Judi Dench, noted Shakespearean actress, Dame of the British Empire, Oscar winner and now star of Electronic Arts's upcoming James Bond title, "Everything or Nothing."
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The trickle of A-list talent appearing in games has turned into a torrent of late and beyond publicity, the trend has triggered changes in game development. Stars now work with game producers on story and character development as agents and lawyers try to figure out how an actor can maintain his "image," in an interactive environment.
When Electronic Arts decided to create a new James Bond game, among its first actions was to make an offer to Pierce Brosnan, the actor who has played 007 for the last four years.
The offer was unusual: There was no film to support the game's release. The script, the soundtrack, the girls
Producer Joel Wade remembers Brosnan's reaction. "Pierce thought it would be odd if someone else played him," he said.
Such an exchange was nearly impossible just a few years ago. A 40-plus-year-old A-list actor pondering whether or not to appear in a game? Heck, even Roger Moore would have been loathe to actively participate in what was once the perceived domain of momma's boys.
"Traditionally, Hollywood signed away rights without any expertise or any idea of the plot lines," said industry analyst P.J. McNealy.
Several factors helped change Hollywood's mind. Technology advanced exponentially, making it possible to accurately recreate the voice, looks and movements of real people. Another factor was the Sony PlayStation 2. Or to be more exact, 60 million PS2s, GameCubes and Xboxes sold in the United States alone.
As games became synonymous with mass entertainment, Hollywood got it. The movie executives who chanted "cross-branding" and "synergy" at power lunches got it. Game developers got it. Even the actors got it. Soon Electronic Arts was convincing not only Brosnan, but Bond regulars John Cleese ('Q') and Judi Dench ('M') as well as William Dafoe, Heidi Klum and Mya to join "Everything or Nothing."
And the sound of "ka-ching" rumbled down the California coastal range from Silicon Valley to the Hollywood Hills.
From co-stars to co-creators
It's not only about the money. As more and more stars realize the impact a game appearance can have on their careers, they are starting to contribute to the creative process.
Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc.
Jet Li in "Rise to Honor"
While developing Sony's upcoming martial arts game "Rise to Honor," producer Jim Wallace hit a potential roadblock. The storyboard called for a scene where the protagonist Kit Yuen, a Hong Kong gangland tough, would have to battle an evil nurse.
That was a problem. Yuen was voice-acted by action star Jet Li who, in his films, was known to reject any scene that called for him to fight women.
"I called Jet up and said 'hey, is this cool?'" Wallace said. "And he said, oh yeah, that it would work."
Such double-checking isn't unusual in films; actors, depending on their leverage, regularly have a say. But in the comparatively cloistered world of game development, such level of involvement is new.
And with increasing frequency, game publishers are learning to listen.
For "Rise to Honor," Li not only vetted scenes with Wallace, but brought along his longtime collaborator Corey Yuen, who worked with Sony on the fighting system -- the underlying combat technology -- so that it dovetailed with Li's signature moves.
The middlemen
"It's very important that the closer the game developers are