For anyone who doesn’t consider themselves a serious gamer, the news that one of Hollywood’s elite is transitioning to the medium and lending their likeness to a new title can seem a little surprising. For the most part, gaming moves along in parallel with the movie industry, and yet the two worlds remain largely remote.
The fact is, however, that the two worlds collide frequently. Ellen Page, Kit Harington, and Conan O’Brien are among those who have already featured within blockbuster gaming titles over the past few years, and now Keanu Reeves can be expected to appear in the long-awaited Cyberpunk 2077.
So, why is Reeves – and, in a broader sense, so much of Hollywood’s elite – so interested in video game appearances? Read more below.
[INSERT IMAGE: https://unsplash.com/photos/_Q96YBb998E ]
Game Development has Grown into a Serious Creative Medium
Long gone are the days when games were seen as easy entertainment for a niche market. These days, titles can be as compelling and varied as any other arm of the entertainment industry – and, in some instances, more so.
In online gaming, for instance, the gambling industry has ensured that choosing casino bonuses offers as much excitement and variety as the real-world counterpart. In the world of RPGs (or role-playing games) players can invest innumerable hours into recreating themselves within an alternate world, and controlling every aspect to create their own complex story.
Franchises can subsist across decades, and plots can be drawn out over many years to create plots that are, in some cases, even more intricately woven than those put out by the movie industry. This offers an incredibly exciting opportunity for gamers and creators alike.
A New Challenge for Actors
Voice acting is incredibly difficult – and represents a totally different ballgame to those who have spent the majority of their careers acting in more traditional roles. Video games place significant demand on even the most experienced actors, particularly when those games do not feature a linear storyline, and offer the potential for many alternative outcomes and endings.
For those who have been acting at the top of their game for many years, the opportunity to lend their voice and, at times, body to the genre are taking on a brand new challenge, and an exciting alternative to traditional movies.
In fact, Keanu Reeves enjoyed his role so much that he elected to double his screen time in order to add further complexities to his character.
Variety
While the movie industry has always been able to cater to an incredibly diverse audience, the mainstream remains locked into a few fan-favourites, such as the widely adored superhero genre. The gaming industry has, in recent years, proven itself to be just as adept at catering to a diverse fanbase, and, now more than ever before, actors face a massive amount of choice as they move into the medium.
While it may not be that these actors are shirking Hollywood productions altogether, it is becoming increasingly clear that the gaming industry offers a welcome break – and a new challenge – for those who may have grown a little too comfortable in their usual roles.
Comments are closed.