Egos and Immersion: Why Rockstar Won’t Hire Famous Actors Anymore
Rockstar co-founder Dan Houser says the developer has moved away from using name actors in recent games, citing egos and player immersion.
Speaking to Vulture, Houser explained: "We don’t bring in name actors anymore because of their egos and, most important of all, because we believe we get a better sense of immersion using talented actors whose voices you don’t recognize.”
Houser specifically brings up his experience directing Burt Reynolds in GTA: Vice City, who apparently shouted "get the limey out of here" after an argument. Houser also had to ask another director to take over following disagreements with Public Enemy's Chuck D while making GTA: San Andreas.
Special Edition Diablo 3 Nintendo Switch Bundle Announced
Nintendo has announced the Nintendo Switch Diablo III: Eternal Collection Bundle that includes an exclusive Diablo III-themed Nintendo Switch console and dock, carrying case, and a download code for the upcoming title.
Available on November 2, 2018, the Diablo III: Eternal Collection bundle will cost $359.99 USD and comes packaged with standard gray Joy-Cons and the console and dock adorned with Diablo artwork.
In the US, the Nintendo Switch Diablo III Eternal Collection Bundle is only available at Gamestop.
The Diablo III: Eternal Collection on Switch includes the original version of the game, both the Reaper of Souls expansion and Rise of the Necromancer pack, and all content updates.
Pokemon: Let’s Go Is Relaxing and Approachable by Design
For anyone unfamiliar, Pokemon is an easy series to underestimate. On the surface, it’s bright, cute, and basically the opposite of what a lot of people think when they hear “competitive multiplayer” or “deep RPG.” But as any experienced player will tell you, the core Pokemon series is full of elements like breeding, hidden abilities, and a ton of other factors that require meticulous stat tracking and battle strategies.
For that reason, Pokemon: Let’s Go is designed as an entry point for kids and new players. Normally, those people might pick up a traditional Pokemon game expecting something simple and find themselves intimidated by the many facets of battling and training. But after playing a bit of Let’s Go Pikachu and Eevee, it’s clear that Game Freak has succeeded in making a much simpler, more friendly Pokemon experience.
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Red Dead Redemption 2’s Campaign Is Around 60 Hours Long
You'll be spending a long time with Arthur Morgan it seems, as a new report says the game's story will be roughly 60 hours long.
Vulture, following an interview with Rockstar's Dan Houser, reports that 5 hours of content were recently cut from Red Dead Redemption 2, which stood at 65 hours long.
The report also includes the detail that protagonist Arthur will have a love interest in the course of the game. The dropped content included a second romantic plot, but Houser explains that “we decided one of them didn’t work”.
Other missions were also subject to cuts, including "a mission on a train where you had to deal with bounty hunters". Thankfully, you can recreate that particular experience organically, as we found out in one of our hands-on sessions with the game.
How Fan-Based Projects Are Helping Preserve Video Games History
Video games history is in danger of disappearing. There are many reasons for this, from cartridge rot and optical disc degradation through to a lack of consideration of the future on the part of developers or publishers.
Rather than a concerted, industry-wide effort to tackle this, however, preservation efforts are largely piecemeal; taken on by a variety of passionate groups and organisations. Some of my favourite examples have even been spearheaded by the gaming community - by fans.
The Lay of the Land
These efforts have often been at odds with archaic and rigid copyright law, meaning that many of the third parties and fan teams looking to save - or recompile - data before it disappears have essentially been working illegally or at best in legal grey areas.
My Hero Academia Offers More Relatable Superheroes with Refreshing Motivations
When I think of superheroes, the general idea of their origins tend to lean towards a higher calling, a greater purpose that shifts their path in life from that of a normal citizen to that of a protector who uses their power to help others. There is often some force — a tragedy like with Batman and Spider-Man, some kind of larger destiny as with Green Lantern, the greater good as seen with the X-Men, etc. — that pushes a person to become a hero, effectively moving them away from a normal life and instilling them with an unrelenting desire to help others. These stories have been revisited quite often over the past few years in movies, games, and comic reboots, and though enjoyable, I’ve been wanting a different kind of superhero story. I found that change of pace in the world of Kohei Horikoshi’s My Hero Academia, where the usual character motivations of superhero narratives are subverted to make the path of a hero a choice, and a very personal one at that.
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Why Is the PS5 “Necessary?”
Welcome back to Game Scoop!, IGN's weekly video game talk show. This week we're discussing next-gen consoles, Assassin's Creed Odyssey, Rockstar, and more. Watch the video above or download the podcast below.
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Star Trek: What’s Next for Emperor Georgiou After the Mirror Universe?
Emperor Philippa Georgiou is back! Well, former emperor anyway, because in Star Trek: Discovery Season 2, Michelle Yeoh’s Mirror Universe character will now be serving as a member of Section 31, Starfleet’s black ops arm. With her long history of assassination, intrigue, and arrogance, she’s perfect for the job, don’t you think?
I caught up with Yeoh at New York Comic-Con, where she filled me in on Georgiou’s new gig, her ongoing relationship with Michael Burnham, how the character feels about being stuck in the Prime Universe, and more. Read on for the full chat…
Michelle Yeoh as Philippa Georgiou