The gaming industry has presented various voiceover performances throughout the years after it was first introduced in Disney’s “Dragon’s Lair” in 1983. Since then, the voiceover in video games has developed into incredible lifelike experiences. It includes the player in a whole new way and today it can make or break the experience of a game. The gaming community is highly attentive when it comes to voice acting in a new AAA game. AAA games, or triple A games, are games from the biggest gaming companies in the world. They have bigger budgets and other ressources and therefore there are higher standards for their audience. And they will react upon it if it doesn’t meet their expectations! Be sure of that!

 

 

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However, there are many types of games and for many platforms. Although the voiceover is still important in games with a simpler storyline, the voice acting and the method for recording it differs greatly. We’ll cover the different types of voiceovers in games on different platforms in this article.

So, sit back, put down your controller for a sec, and get ready to get an insight of voiceover in gaming!

Voiceover in games

Voiceover and voice acting in games are different from ordinary acting in movies. In movies it’s a passive experience where you just lean back and watch the actors do the work. In video games it’s an interactive experience where you play and, in some cases, determine yourself how the storyline progresses. This is based on your in-game choices and that makes you the story maker. Therefore, it is expected that the dialogue makes sense, and the right emotions are clear.

The narrator role

Another type of voiceover is the narrator role, where it doesn’t follow a certain character in a game. This type of voiceover needs to inform the player of the storyline, the rules, how to play the game, and progress during the game. The narrating voice actor must be skilled in maintaining the attention of the player since the player typically wants to get started playing as quickly as possible.

The voice actors need to create a believable and conversational delivery for the characters and that can be difficult! To be able to follow the character and their emotions, energy and attitudes and make each dialogue able to stand on its own is a rare skill. Here’s an example of a voiceover performance that follows the character to perfection!

To find yourself a skilled voice actor for gaming content is difficult, but we’re here to help. Our professional sales team has experience with voiceover in the gaming industry and can help you in finding the right voiceover for your gaming project.

 

AAA games – the top shelf of gaming

These games are the crème de la crème. The companies producing these high-quality games have big budgets and the technology to produce some great voiceover in their games. These are companies like SEGA, Ubisoft, and Sony etc. The voiceover in these games is very well-considered and typically relies on technologies like “Motion capture” and “Performance capture” like in God of War 4 from Sony.

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Convey the emotion and meaning!

But there are still AAA games like League of Legends, Diablo 3 (and the upcoming 4) or Total War: Warhammer 2 (and the upcoming 3) that don’t utilize this technology because of the game design. The characters in these games are not supported by motion capture or performance capture. That’s why it’s crucial that the voiceover in these games perfectly conveys the emotion and meaning only with their voice!

At VoiceArchive we have a great understanding of how to find the perfect voice for your gaming project. Let us know what type of character that should be played and how you want it to be played. Then we’ll make sure to find a wizard, a warrior or maybe a talking tree for your project – or at least a voice of it!

Games on your smartphone

The demand for mobile video games has increased over the years. More or less than 50 % of all mobile users open a gaming app during a week and there are more than 2.2 billion mobile gamers worldwide. Voiceover is a part of these types of games and since the demand is growing, the demand for high-quality voiceover experiences would not be unexpected. And mobile games are a huge thing in Japan. There, in the land of the rising sun, mobile games has taken a new interesting turn!

With more than 20 years of experience we’ve worked on various gaming projects. If you’re in need of our expertise, contact us for a free consultation about your project.

Anna Sticken

Global Key Account Manager