Whether you’re a fan of video games or not, it’s impossible to ignore that the world of gaming has come a long way since the old school 2D arcade games of the 1970s and 80s. Today, video games are considered a sophisticated artform and an exciting method of storytelling. Not to mention, with the global gaming industry valued at over 300 billion dollars (yes, that’s billion with a b), the business has never been more profitable!
When analyzing how and why video games have become such a popular form of entertainment in the last few decades, one could point to the rich and exciting storylines, the increasingly realistic graphics or the insanely addictive nature of gaming itself, but here at Cope Management we believe it’s all about the voices.
In order for a game to truly shine in today’s ever-competitive market, the voiceover must be on-point and impressive. That’s why we here at Cope Management shine in the world of video game voiceover work, because our voice actors can be heard on everything from cinematic game trailers to motion capture character voices and everything in between.
In other words, we’ve got the best voices in the game. Pun intended.
So strap yourself into your big, black leather gaming chair with extra lumbar-support and venture into the wild world of video game voiceover with us. In this blog, we’ll introduce you to a few of the top voices behind your favorite video games, as well as learn a bit about both the upsides and challenges that come with the gig.
CISSY JONES
In 2017, Cissy Jones won the award for Best Performer at The BAFTA Game Awards for her work as Delilah in Firewatch. “Firewatch has had such an impact on my career and my personal growth. It was my first leading role, and it put me on the map in a way no other game has done before or since”, Cissy said when asked about what video game credit she is most proud of. Cissy has had an impressive twelve year career booking video game voiceover work that all started with an audition for The Walking Dead game, which was developed and published by Telltale Games. “The Walking Dead was my first audition almost twelve years ago,” Cissy said. “Since then I’ve been lucky enough to work on some amazing indie video games such as Firewatch and Life is Strange, as well as some major AAA blockbusters like Call of Duty: Black Ops.” When asked how videogame VO is different from commercial or promo work, she mentioned how much more in-depth and detailed you’re expected to go while working in the videogame field. “Commercials and promos are wonderful, but you’re only allowed a few seconds to get into the meat of a story, whereas a game could literally be hundreds and hundreds of hours of work. It’s just a different beast.”
PIOTR MICHAEL
Piotr Michael is an actor and comedian with a wide vocal range and impeccable improvisational skills. His voiceover work ranges from high-energy cartoons to more straightforward promos and commercials, but his experience as a video game voiceover talent is especially vast and impressive. “I’ve worked in every genre of game, from first person shooters to role playing video games. I tend to portray characters that are darker in personality, varied in accent and wise in age” Piotr explained. “My specialty being old Brits, kooky mad professors and raspy voice demons!” Although Piotr is a modern master of video game voiceover, he did mention that the gig has its challenges.“Screaming for hours on end as a demon tends to hurt your throat and can give you a headache!”
COURTENAY TAYLOR
Courtenay Taylor has been doing voiceover work in the video game space since 2002 and has voiced nearly 150 video games! Courtenay cites her favorite thing about voice acting for video games is the wide variety of roles she’s able to imbue. “I’m not limited by my appearance or native accent or corporeal body, so the possibilities are endless!” Courtenay said, before listing off some of the strange and unique characters she’s had the privilege of voicing: huge orcs, vampires, little British boys, talking sushi rolls and angry spiders, to name a few. Courtenay admits it’s hard to pick her favorite video game role, but said she’s very proud of her work as Jack from Mass Effect. “She is different from a lot of the women being written for games back in 2009. She’s tough,unconventional looking, and has gone through such brutality and betrayal, but in the end, is greater for it. Ultimately, she finds peace while keeping her core strength and sass, and hey, isn’t that what we all want?”
DAVE FENNOY
Dave Fennoy has been one of the most sought after voiceover actors working in Los Angeles since the early 1990s, and one of the most versatile voices in the industry providing voices for commercials, narrations, promos, award shows, animation and – yes of course – video games. “I’m proud to say that I’ve been in more than 500 video games and IMDb named me one of the 20 best male game voices of all time” said Fennoy when asked how long he’s been doing voice work for video games. In fact, Fennoy has a long history of voicing iconic video game characters, including Bluebeard in The Wolf Among Us, Finch in Tales from the Borderlands, Gabriel the Warrior in Minecraft: Story Mode, and Satan in Afterparty (yup, that’s right. Fennoy voiced the devil himself!) When asked what his favorite video game credit was, Fennoy had a hard time choosing because “he loves all of his children equally” but ultimately landed on Lee Everett in The Walking Dead. “In 2012, when the game was released, I was already well-known in the world of video games, but playing Lee Everett put me on the map in
a way I had not been before. The game won more than 100 Game Of The Year awards. I was even nominated for a BAFTA and got to go to London for the ceremony, which was a once in a lifetime event that I will cherish forever.”
JON BAILEY
Jon Bailey – aka @EpicVoiceGuy on social media – has over 132,000 YouTube subscribers, 17,000 Twitter followers, 17,000 Facebook fans and 10,000 Instagram followers. On top of all the social media clout, he has narrated over 100 trailers and lent his voice to dozens of video game projects. Jon’s first AAA video game was the science-fiction strategy game XCOM and has since voiced dozens of NPC’S (non-player characters) in top-tier games such as LEGO, World of Warcraft, Halo, Street Fighter, Mega Man, God of War and Transformers. Jon’s favorite thing about working as a video game voice actor is “the freedom to create new characters while being paid to have the most fun a creative can have. It’s just the best!”
ALICYN PACKARD
Alicyn Packard has been working as a video game voiceover artist since 2006 when she booked her first role as the Blood Elf in World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade. Since then, she has voiced dozens of characters in various games, but her most recent role as Neon Red, a fierce, red-haired assassin in Annapurna’s Neon White, is the project she’s most proud of. “At first glance, Red is sexy, seductive, and mysterious. As the game unravels, we see more of her heart,” Alicyn explains when asked about her character in Neon White and why she enjoys working in the world of video games so much. “There’s nothing greater than being able to create a character without the use of props, sets, or even other actors. It just comes down to being fully present in the moment so you can react to the imagined circumstances.”
CHRIS TERGLIAFERA
Chris Tergliafera is an American voice actor most notably known for his extensive work in video games and animation. Chris is often cast as the “bad guy or heavy” and most notably plays the main antagonist Sigma and Ultron Sigma in the massive video game property, Marvel VS. Capcom: Infinity. Chris has also been featured in other huge franchises such as God of War 4, Grand Theft Auto 5, Halo Wars 2, Mass Effect: Andromeda, Star Wars: Uprising and the cult favorite, DanganRonpa. As someone who grew up playing video games, he’s thrilled to be working in the space and feels as though his experience as a teenage gamer helps him better understand how to lend his voice when a video game audition or job comes his way.
Alright, folks. That’s all we’ve got for you today. We hope you enjoyed getting to know some of the top voices behind your favorite video games. Whether you’re developing a AAA, indie, or even mobile title, casting the right voiceover artist for your characters can make the difference between a good game and a groundbreaking one. So, if you’re out there looking to audition and ultimately hire a voiceover talent, look no further than Cope Management. We’ve got the best voices in the game. Pun is still very much intended.
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