Movie News/New Stuff of Interest

Honestly, I think the need for full voice acting has made games worse. Particularly RPGs. But I still support the strike, the demands seem pretty reasonable to me.

Let's just take RPGs as an example.

For me, RPGs live and die on the strength of their writing. Often, that means having *more* writing, to flesh out characters and plot details, to have multiple solutions for quests that take into account all your actions, etc etc.

When you add an expectation that all lines be voiced by a professional voice actor, though, more writing translates into more expense. Like, *vastly* more expense. Every line you add increases the cost. So unless studios have a shitload of money to play around with, they respond to the need for voice acting by... writing less. And to me, that is not good for an RPG.

Which of course doesn't mean that voice actors shouldn't get full compensation for the work they do! I just don't think every game needs voice acting.

Yeah I dunno, I don't think RPGs have really benefited from it that much.

Even discounting the "more voice acting = less writing" thing, there's also a strong element of "you can write this shit George, but you can't say it". It can really take me out of something when a stupid line gets said out aloud.

Just give me a sense of what the characters sound like, then I can imagine them saying the rest of the lines. That's what, say, Planescape Torment did, and people still rightly call that one of the best RPGs ever made.

I think it’s a nice option to have but the quality of acting has to be very good and the script has to be very good along with the story. There aren’t many games that achieve any of those let alone all three.

More voice acting doesn’t necessarily mean less writing though, take Disco Elysium as an example.

Bambi is a right-wing incel.

Who's going to see Killers of the Flower Moon at the cinema? They've got IMAX screenings at the Trafford Centre. Very tempted to go.

Didn't realise it was that long. Had to take a day's leave to watch The Irishman!

Universal could change who’s in charge of the DC.

I can see all the Snyder fans hoping they bring him back.

Interesting development over the Hunger Games prequel, SAG-AFTRA have reached an agreement with Lionsgate that as they're not but of AMPTP the actors can do promotional work for it. Probably just as well as the film looks like it really needs a push as I'd completely forgotten it's out in less than three weeks and I don't think it's really on anyone's radar.

variety.com/2023/film/news/hunger-games-prequel-ballad-of-songbirds-snakes-sag-aftra-interim-agreement-1235773307/

Soon he will cover most of the earth's surface.

Oooooo. Sequel to It Follows has just been announced.

It Followses