Sat, Oct 15, 2011 | 19:39 BST
Batman says video games are a tough performance
Think acting for a video game means nothing more than standing in a booth reading your lines? Well, Batman himself has some words for you.
The actor who played Batman in both Batman: The Animated Series, and Arkham Asylum/Arkham City spoke with Destructoid briefly before a panel at the New York Comic Con this week and offered some words about what it’s like being a video game voice actor.
“It is such a different experience in recording a game than recording a show,” said Kevin Conroy. “You’re alone in a booth for 4 hour blocks, and you have to be true to the character, without any of the other actors bouncing off you. It’s so much harder.”
“You’re working in a vacuum, so you have to be your own reality check, you own motivator. You’re doing variations on a line, giving four or five emotional readings, and then you’re doing 20 different lines depending on which way the game is being played. It’s all disjointed — you don’t know how it’s going to be put together.”
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Posted in: Action, Warner Bros.
Tags: Batman: Arkham Asylum, Batman: Arkham City, rocksteady studios, voice acting
9 comments
#1
ultramega
15/10/11, 7:49 pm
An interesting insight, but it should be noted that much of videogame voice acting is no longer done like this. For example, I believe Naughty Dog does their voice acting while doing the mo-cap.
#2
Talkar
15/10/11, 8:30 pm
I guess it was easier to be a voice actor for Pac-Man than Batman eh? xD
#3
Butcher8
15/10/11, 9:06 pm
You’re wrong ultramega, NG may do it like that (to great effect I might add) but most do it Rocksteady’s way still. It seems archaic sure but that’s the reality of it and it needs changing that’s for sure.
#4
ultramega
15/10/11, 9:22 pm
@3
You could be right, I have no statistical facts to support my assertion. I just see many studios finally investing in technologies similar to ND’s. Maybe they aren’t as widely used as I was making it sound yet, but I believe there are quite a few higher profile studios trying out similar technologies. But like I said, this is purely a speculative observation from reading different articles over time.
#5
OrbitMonkey
15/10/11, 10:16 pm
^ I think Ninja Theory are another company who do the lines alongside the mo-cap. Certainly seems to help the characters of their games shine through.
#6
Phoenixblight
15/10/11, 10:27 pm
^
I also believe that Silent Hill series uses the same method.
#7
tmac2011
16/10/11, 2:14 am
kevin conroy will always be the real voice of batman, christian bale just doesn’t have the voice. growing up watching the tv series the animated series of batman and the new TAS, was a great series. i’m excited to go get this game on monday night, i’m paying it off tomorrow
#8
Teabag
16/10/11, 4:46 am
So, why exactly can’t they manage dates and put actors together for lines recording? It would take a long time, especially when you have celebs like Conroy. But if it gives a better product, then why not?
Maybe secure his, and other’s, dates for a 3-week block and get it done!
#9
brotherhoodofthewolf
16/10/11, 10:56 am
a swipe at the VO production team if ever there was one! trouble is, i suspect it isn’t always straightforward to have so much of the dialogue written and briefing info collated in enough time, given there is so much needed and the dev teams are already highly overworked; nor with enough budget, to secure the availability of multiple actors for the same time.