Should every game have a completely unique hairstyle and voices?

TheScavenger

One of the issues games have is copying hairstyles. This shows a lack of creativity and is also stealing someones design, which makes it viable for a lawsuit.

The other thing that developers take are voices. If the game is voice acted, it often has very similar voices of another game a lot of the times. Many times I'm playing a game...like Witcher 3 with Geralt. Suddenly I'm playing Spellforce 3 and hear Geralt again! Obviously they took his voice from Witcher 3 and used it. Even though Spellforce 3 is made by an entirely different company and has nothing to do with Witcher at all.

The recent thread about Cyberpunk  in this section, made me think of all the things that are taken from other games. Hairstyles and voices being the most obvious of these

Thourne

I donno, 6/10.

It's good but a little obvious

AlBQuirky

Wouldn't that severely limit the number of games able to release? There is only so much one can do with hair and only 7 billion people on the earth, not all "voice actors" (though I'm sure a good number wish they were).

How about we get rid if voice acted dialogues, because I'm perfectly capable of reading and games without voice acting never fail to "sound right" to me.

I would like to see many more hairstyles available, though. Unique to each game? Not for me. I've noticed that the current trend in hair seems to be "the whackier the better!"

TheScavenger

AlBQuirky said:

Wouldn't that severely limit the number of games able to release? There is only so much one can do with hair and only 7 billion people on the earth, not all "voice actors" (though I'm sure a good number wish they were).

How about we get rid if voice acted dialogues, because I'm perfectly capable of reading and games without voice acting never fail to "sound right" to me.

I would like to see many more hairstyles available, though. Unique to each game? Not for me. I've noticed that the current trend in hair seems to be "the whackier the better!"

As for the voice part. Text dialogue often added more to the game than voice dialogue.

Look at Morrowind. You had novels worth of lore and information through text...every single NPC had things to say or hints or things to give you

Skip to Oblivion and then Skyrim...nothing like that at all. Linear lines of words used, and the same voice actor repeated over and over. Barely any lore or anything except through books. The NPCs dont give you hints, or even barely tell you where the quest will be located or any information about that quest.

Voice dialogue for it to be unique and not risk copyright of using the same character from another game, is a lot more expensive as well than just reading text. You actually have to pay for the voice actors and most of the time the voice actor isn't very good anyway. Or if they are good, its cause they cost a lot of money. 

Going back to heavy text makes a lot more sense, and added a lot more to the game (as seen by Morrowind, and then compared to newer elder scrolls).

Xasapis

Heavy text based narrative was more prominent because of the technology limitations. When more and more of those limitations are lifted, going backwards will just be perceived as cheapening the experience.

As for listening to the same voice actors in different games, I would argue that nobody makes the argument that different movies need unique actors every time. It does get weird when the same voice actor take the burden of voicing multiple people in the same game, but that's more related to budget limitations.

Ultimately, given the option to buy a fully voiced game (even with the same actors performing for multiple people) and a game with zero voice, the majority will pick the voice acting. Maybe people will complain about it after the fact, but the most sought after copies will still be the voiced ones.

Ungood

did you ever stop to think that maybe they look copied, because they are popular? Maybe the voice actors sound the same because they all hire the same people?

Good hell I went to get my hair cut.. did you notice that they all have the same books to chose from and these hair styles even have names.. 

Keller

I want proper coded hair. 

Not when I created a bald toon and whenever he puts a hellmet on his head, he grows magical hair that comes out at the back of the helm.

Or when I have this awesome ponytail, but it remains static when I move, like a piece of dried up clay that is attached to my head.

As of uniqueness, there are only so many haircuts. Plus some haircuts are iconic and players would like to see those in all games. I don't really care.  6/10?

AlBQuirky

Xasapis said:

Heavy text based narrative was more prominent because of the technology limitations. When more and more of those limitations are lifted, going backwards will just be perceived as cheapening the experience.

As for listening to the same voice actors in different games, I would argue that nobody makes the argument that different movies need unique actors every time. It does get weird when the same voice actor take the burden of voicing multiple people in the same game, but that's more related to budget limitations.

Ultimately, given the option to buy a fully voiced game (even with the same actors performing for multiple people) and a game with zero voice, the majority will pick the voice acting. Maybe people will complain about it after the fact, but the most sought after copies will still be the voiced ones.

The double-edge of technology. In this case, the added gigabytes in file size is not worth the "advancement", in my opinion.

Personally, I'm not a three-year-old that needs someone to "read to them." Written dialogue can actually describe how the character sounds.

To be honest, I've not been a fan of voice acting in video games since it has "become a thing", and wonder why gamers feel "cheated" when a game releases without it. Are we really that lazy now?

TEKK3N

Wait what?
So you are saying that movies that use George Clooney as main actor can be sued by another company who had Clooney as their main actor in another movie?
Are you serious?

Scot

Scavenger has reminded me of something I noticed years ago about the entertainment media. It does not matter if it is films, TV or games characters have modern hairstyles an accents. Games are the least effected by this and MMOs do rather well in fact.

Now I understand why viewers would have trouble with every production set in say the Elizabethan era having Shakespearian accents, but do they have to have modern haircuts?

Even MMOs can be bad here in how many medieval setting MMOS have you seen boy band haircuts?

AlBQuirky

Scot said:

Scavenger has reminded me of something I noticed years ago about the entertainment media. It does not matter if it is films, TV or games characters have modern hairstyles an accents. Games are the least effected by this and MMOs do rather well in fact.

Now I understand why viewers would have trouble with every production set in say the Elizabethan era having Shakespearian accents, but do they have to have modern haircuts?

Even MMOs can be bad here in how many medieval setting MMOS have you seen boy band haircuts?

I kind of do a double take when I look at mods for games that allow them. So many are "lore breaking" because apparently lots of players want to be Sephiroth in Skyrim or XCom 2, or wield HUGE anime blades in every game.

It's not that there is a "right way/wrong way" to play games, but I wonder sometimes exactly why some players play some games

Xasapis

Anime blades? What about the shoulder pads?

Scot

AlBQuirky said:

Scot said:

Scavenger has reminded me of something I noticed years ago about the entertainment media. It does not matter if it is films, TV or games characters have modern hairstyles an accents. Games are the least effected by this and MMOs do rather well in fact.

Now I understand why viewers would have trouble with every production set in say the Elizabethan era having Shakespearian accents, but do they have to have modern haircuts?

Even MMOs can be bad here in how many medieval setting MMOS have you seen boy band haircuts?

I kind of do a double take when I look at mods for games that allow them. So many are "lore breaking" because apparently lots of players want to be Sephiroth in Skyrim or XCom 2, or wield HUGE anime blades in every game.

It's not that there is a "right way/wrong way" to play games, but I wonder sometimes exactly why some players play some games

It is part of the play anything you want style mash up that is increasingly prevalent. Want to look like a Dalek in a medieval fantasy game, sure no problem. But don't forget guys its "fun" that matters and that's the only reason we play any game.

Sovrath

TheScavenger said:

One of the issues games have is copying hairstyles. This shows a lack of creativity and is also stealing someones design, which makes it viable for a lawsuit.

The other thing that developers take are voices. If the game is voice acted, it often has very similar voices of another game a lot of the times. Many times I'm playing a game...like Witcher 3 with Geralt. Suddenly I'm playing Spellforce 3 and hear Geralt again! Obviously they took his voice from Witcher 3 and used it. Even though Spellforce 3 is made by an entirely different company and has nothing to do with Witcher at all.

The recent thread about Cyberpunk  in this section, made me think of all the things that are taken from other games. Hairstyles and voices being the most obvious of these

Well, that hair style in question is sort of iconic no?

As far as the voices, are they copying or are those games using the same voice actors? Which I bet is the real issue.

Unless you are actually saying that they lifted dialogue from witcher 3 and used it in spellforce 3?

alkarionlog

TheScavenger said:

One of the issues games have is copying hairstyles. This shows a lack of creativity and is also stealing someones design, which makes it viable for a lawsuit.

The other thing that developers take are voices. If the game is voice acted, it often has very similar voices of another game a lot of the times. Many times I'm playing a game...like Witcher 3 with Geralt. Suddenly I'm playing Spellforce 3 and hear Geralt again! Obviously they took his voice from Witcher 3 and used it. Even though Spellforce 3 is made by an entirely different company and has nothing to do with Witcher at all.

The recent thread about Cyberpunk  in this section, made me think of all the things that are taken from other games. Hairstyles and voices being the most obvious of these

hi kano alt account?

now serious, every single people around do have a unique hair style? or we do see several people with a similar hair style? the voices would be nice, at least we wouldn't have a problem of running more then one game with the same VA, and lets get real, a lot of VA have a serious problem on making they voices new, or the very least not being used to more then one character on the game, but that is more wishfull thinking and kinda would raise the cost of a game for a fluffy thing most don't even notice. unless its skyrim with the arrow on the knee, talk about boring and repeated line

JeffSpicoli

For some reason every one of my characters in Bethesda games ends up with the bouffant hairdo like one of the guys from Grease


so much awesome male toxicity in this scene!

Amathe

You can't assume that your encounter with seemingly copied content is all that it appears.

It may have been licensed for usage by one company to another.

It may have been used with the creating company's permission.

The creating company may not have protected their IP and therefore lost some of all of their rights to it.

Both companies may have obtained some or all of the content from a vendor (which is why it turns out the same).

There are many more possibilities.

Octagon7711

Do most or all games copyright their characters? Or is it only done by big companies?  I know Disney is very focused on that and is seeking to have public domain use after a certain number of years changed in the legal system.  Mickey Mouse should have been public domain a long time ago and I would love to play MM as a Reaper in GW2.

FlyByKnight

TheScavenger said:

One of the issues games have is copying hairstyles. This shows a lack of creativity and is also stealing someones design, which makes it viable for a lawsuit.

The other thing that developers take are voices. If the game is voice acted, it often has very similar voices of another game a lot of the times. Many times I'm playing a game...like Witcher 3 with Geralt. Suddenly I'm playing Spellforce 3 and hear Geralt again! Obviously they took his voice from Witcher 3 and used it. Even though Spellforce 3 is made by an entirely different company and has nothing to do with Witcher at all.

The recent thread about Cyberpunk  in this section, made me think of all the things that are taken from other games. Hairstyles and voices being the most obvious of these

You're so obnoxiously and stupidly wrong on things you'd make a fireman turn into an arsonist.

You're are a handicap to every issue you discuss. You were the kid who'd make everyone sigh if you got picked to be on their team.

#sorrynotsorry

I apologize. You're just... 

Thourne

thunderC said:

For some reason every one of my characters in Bethesda games ends up with the bouffant hairdo like one of the guys from Grease


so much awesome male toxicity in this scene!

It's called a Pompadour, a bouffant is an extremely high female hair style

Thourne

Also, "Go grease lightning!"

JeffSpicoli

Thourne said:

thunderC said:

For some reason every one of my characters in Bethesda games ends up with the bouffant hairdo like one of the guys from Grease


so much awesome male toxicity in this scene!

It's called a Pompadour, a bouffant is an extremely high female hair style

You are right its a Pompadour, i was trying to find the right word for some reason bouffant came to mind but you are absolutely correct on a Man its called a Pompadour. 

Thourne

thunderC said:

Thourne said:

thunderC said:

For some reason every one of my characters in Bethesda games ends up with the bouffant hairdo like one of the guys from Grease


so much awesome male toxicity in this scene!

It's called a Pompadour, a bouffant is an extremely high female hair style

You are right its a Pompadour, i was trying to find the right word for some reason bouffant came to mind but you are absolutely correct on a Man its called a Pompadour. 

Happy to help!

Mendel

I'd be much happier without voice overs in games.  If a company is going to put money into a game, give me AI generated content over scripted dialog.

Scot

Thourne said:

thunderC said:

Thourne said:

thunderC said:

For some reason every one of my characters in Bethesda games ends up with the bouffant hairdo like one of the guys from Grease


so much awesome male toxicity in this scene!

It's called a Pompadour, a bouffant is an extremely high female hair style

You are right its a Pompadour, i was trying to find the right word for some reason bouffant came to mind but you are absolutely correct on a Man its called a Pompadour. 

Happy to help!

Glad we got that straight, otherwise my barber could have given me the wrong cut.

Reflox

Well the hairstyle in games reached the limited long time ago. Sure it's now much better customized, you have thousands of variations, not like the old days with 10-16 fixed haircuts tops. 
I've been through so many character creation screens, i don't even pay attention now to the hair of my character, i'd want to make it fast and run the game asap. I think the customization option gave the reason to do a mockup character with crazy troll hair, or spend an hour going for a realistic haircut. 

As of voice acting, i wouldn't mind finding out that Peter Griffin voice actor was used in 10 MMORPGS as a side-quest character voice. Voice acting was never a problem for me, i usually don't notice differences between games and if some characters sound familiar or not. It's like with the hairstyle customization, you really don't notice much difference