EQ2 Voiced By Hollywood Actors 185
An anonymous reader writes "Sony is going to have well known actors voicing major roles in its upcoming Massively Multiplayer Online Game. Christopher Lee is doing the voice for the Evil Lord Sir Lucan D'Lere, leader of the city of Freeport, and Heather Graham is doing the voice for Antonia Bale of the good city of Qeynos. An interview with Christopher Lee is also available on the Sony site." It will be interesting to see how this affects the fight between EQ2 and World of Warcraft, which are rumored to be coming out on the same day.
EQ2 (Score:5, Informative)
Re:EQ2 (Score:2)
Re:EQ2 (Score:1)
Re:EQ2 (Score:3, Informative)
Re:EQ2 (Score:1)
Re:EQ2 (Score:1)
Re:EQ2 (Score:5, Insightful)
...and the immersion shatters the second anyone utters anything about phAt l00t. Thanks, but I think I'll pass. MMORPGs have this nasty habit of being really cool until you let the other players in =)
Re:EQ2 (Score:3, Funny)
Re:EQ2 (Score:2)
Re:EQ2 (Score:2)
They're role playing in the same way a football player has a role (block, pass, catch, run, etc.) and plays his role to the limit of his capabilities. Phat Lewt is a means to an end, without it you can't take on the harder bosses (which d
Re:EQ2 (Score:2)
Older news.. (Score:3, Informative)
Unfortionatly, these features are making the game itself HUGE..
In the beta right now, the client download is like 3 gigs..
But I gotta admit. The end result is simply amazing compared to EQ itself..
Re:Older news.. (Score:2)
What's "new" about this new develeopment is that they are using Christopher Lee and Heather Graham as opposed to their brother-in-law to do the voice acting.
Christopher Lee -> Saruman in LOTR, 'nuff said. (plays Lucan, the bad guy in charge in freeport)
Heather Graham -> Hot chick from Austin Powers. (plays the good chick in charge in qeynos)
Re:Older news.. (Score:1)
That goes against everything we know about Fantasy world villain leaders and good people leaders...
Villains are supposed to come from places with hard to pronounce or oddly named places, like "Qeynos" and good people are supposed to come from places like "Freeport"...
This flies in the face of conventional wisdom. I for one do NOT welcome our convention thwarting ov
Re:Older news.. (Score:1)
Re:Older news.. (Score:2)
Re:Older news.. (Score:2)
Re:Older news.. (Score:1)
In the old days, SOE could push a new quest live and it was a small DL. With all NPCs having associated audio files for voice, pushing a quest live could mean a pretty hefty download.
Fortunately, it's unlikely I'll be playing EQ2. Ever since I quit EQ a couple years back, I've decided that I enjoy having what little life I have...
I'd get back into MMORPG gaming if someone would get a clue that you shouldn't have
Re:Older news.. (Score:4, Informative)
Sorry. (Score:1, Interesting)
Especially when Sony is behind it. Ugh. I just have problems giving that company my money. I used to respect Sony... No longer. Their actions in the past few years have not been good.
Actors? (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Actors? (Score:5, Funny)
Unless that voice is saying "Harder, big boy" while panting heavily.
It's twue! It's twue! (Score:4, Funny)
But what do I know? If Heather Graham can get hired as a voice actor maybe there's still hope for me to make it as a pop star.
Re:Actors? (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:Actors? (Score:2)
Re:Actors? (Score:2)
Man, the game looked awesome from all the previews. But whoever did the voice acting needs to be shot, and I'm not even making that up. It's more than painful. Every review of the game mentions the terrible voicework. The game would have been about 3 times better with only subtitles. You have to skip all the cutscenes and ignore all the dialog just to manage to get through the whole thing without vomiting all over your couch--- it's that bad!
Re:Actors? (Score:1)
"I cannot be caged. I cannot be controlled."
Good Voice Acting (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Actors? (Score:2)
Re:Actors? (Score:3, Informative)
As for the money... It just doesn
Teh circle of MMOG life (Score:2, Funny)
5 Months From Now: omg eq2 is just SWG with teh elves and count dookie as Sir Lucas!!
Who needs Hollywood? (Score:2)
Who's with me here?!
Re: if it was Bollywood (Score:3, Funny)
Return with said recipe
Quest Leader Apu and hot Indian girl break into 20 minute song that you must pay attention to or you lose the entire plot thread of the quest.
Re: if it was Bollywood (Score:1)
Wasted money (Score:4, Insightful)
In my opinion, it would have been money better spent elsewhere. Like reducing the horrible monthly price they ask for this. And I don't even talk about the time investment required to 'do good' in these games... I saw numerous friends lose their life (job, wife, friends) to EQ1, playing 6pm-3am everyday. For 20$ (CAN) by month, I'll pass my turn, thanks.
Of course, if he (they?) did it for free (which I doubt), then I have nothing about this...
Is this a good idea? (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Is this a good idea? (Score:1)
Re:Is this a good idea? (Score:2, Informative)
The problem was E&B started advancing the plot very fast and the voice acting and dev cycle got out of sync.. about 3 month or so into the game they dropped the voice acting, it was really sad because at the time it was one of the things that set E&B above and beyond the rest of the MMORPG's out there...
Probably not a bad idea.... (Score:1)
Re:Probably not a bad idea.... (Score:1)
Apparently you haven't read the (limited) info Sony has released on the game!
EQ2 will NOT just be EQ. It has a whole slew of features which will fix problems and enhance gameplay not only from EQ1 but EVERY MMO out there so far
Fixed Battles is as far as I know an original idea.
Instancing dungeons, although done in a couple other MMO's (COH comes to mind [what a horrible game!]) will be a fantastic feature as well.
Not to mention that EQ1 is still the best MMORPG game out the
Voice can add a lot to a game. (Score:5, Insightful)
An MMORPG which nails great graphics, an interactive musical score ala old Lucasarts games, and good voice acting... well, then you've got one heck of an experience. As is MMORPGs seem to focus completely on the graphics. The audio side gets third billing at best.
Re:Voice can add a lot to a game. (Score:2)
Re:Voice can add a lot to a game. (Score:5, Insightful)
You may thing this is true, but my experience would be different. They recently added voice into EQ: things that other players can trigger like "Follow me" and "Run."
My wife was playing with that particular "feature" and after about 5 seconds, I told her that if she didn't turn that off, I would. It was the most annoying thing.
CoH is a fun enough game, but they still haven't given us the ability to turn OFF specific repeating sounds (try playing with Fortitude on, and you'll know what I mean). I shudder to think of having villains and (gah) other players being able to spam me with spoken messages. I recall on the test server they had upped the volume of the "breathing while running" sound. They wisely did not continue with that.
So, if any game has sounds, make sure they can be turned off without detriment to the gameplay.
Re:Voice can add a lot to a game. (Score:2)
But when I say voice in a game, I don't mean PLAYER TRIGGERABLE voice. That can be used as a tool for griefing people. (See also CoH's boomboxes.) I mean NPCs... monsters, trainers, whatever. The world reacting to you audibly as well as visually.
CoH is bottom barrel, audiowise. Production loop library music which o
Re:Voice can add a lot to a game. (Score:1)
Now Targeting Drone they never did fix before I cancelled, I guess I should read the patch notes and see if they ever did remedy that horror.
Re:Voice can add a lot to a game. (Score:2)
"Evil Lord Sir Lucan D'Lere" = EverSmurf (Score:2)
Rollergirl (Score:4, Funny)
What kind of game is this?
Heather Graham cameo (Score:4, Funny)
Wow! (Score:5, Informative)
I played EQ for 2 years and while I did have a lot of fun, I was never especially happy with how they handled customer interaction. It didn't help that every single expansion they released had numerous, major bugs, and unfinished content that would get implemented months after launch, and then immediately get broken by players doing things the developers never thought of. Then they'd rebalance that content, and it would still be broken, merely in a new and interesting way.
Then there was the incredibly variable customer service. GMs were given an extremely wide latitude about how they could do things, which led to a lot of situations where someone did X, and was told it was okay, and someone else later also did exactly X, and was warned/suspended/banned for it. I was a Guide for six months on Brell Serilis (Tovarax Two Tone, troll bard), and we had a cool GM (Hi Oribi!) but a lot of other servers weren't so lucky. Even some of our guides were anal-retentive assholes, while others were easygoing. This kind of thing led directly to the impression that EQ customer service was capricious and cruel. It didn't help that there was no guarantee that a CS person would be online at any given time, so you might have an issue and have no chance of it being resolved before you had to log off.
Don't even get me started about the disaster that is Star Wars Galaxies. (It's not a game, it's an economy simulator with a Star Wars-themed front end.) Unless you saw it, you can't imagine the pandemonium on the beta boards when they announced that the game was launching in 9 days. Everyone thought SOE was nuts. The game was released less than half-finished, and over a year later it's still got huge problems.
I'm sure EQ2 will be pretty and flashy and have lots of cool stuff. But I have severe doubts -- well-grounded in history -- about SOE's ability to keep things good in the long run. Certainly wouldn't mind them proving me wrong.
Meanwhile, World of Warcraft in beta is already a better game than EQ was three years after it launched
Re:Wow! (Score:1)
Re:Wow! (Score:2)
Better sound and graphic? So, i don't care. (Score:3, Interesting)
Try this other game (Score:5, Funny)
You should try this other MMORPG called "ebay" [ebay.com]. It's about items, items, items, buying, selling, and becoming more powerful.
Re:Better sound and graphic? So, i don't care. (Score:3, Funny)
The story rocks, too.
Re:Better sound and graphic? So, i don't care. (Score:2)
Yes, I can make fun of my own OS choice, even with stereotypes that aren't true.
Who's doing Firiona Vie? (Score:3, Funny)
There goes my karma.. oh well..
"Well known Actors" (Score:1)
Re:"Well known Actors" (Score:1)
Christopher Lee [imdb.com]
Of course they have real voices (Score:1)
They have to add something to try and make up all that goodwill they've blown with the customer base over the years. What with snotty customer service reps and a community liason who took every opportunity to insult the players, its a wonder the game has stayed as popular as it has.
Most people are still playing EQ becuase their friends are. They better count on enough of that carrying people over into EQ2 to make it profitable.
These are the same people that wielded the ban stick far too indescriminately
Oh lordie (Score:3, Funny)
Anybody wants to buy a girlfriend?
Re:Oh lordie (Score:2)
Re:Oh lordie (Score:3, Funny)
Anybody wants to buy a girlfriend?
Just deflate her and stick her back in the closet
Re:Oh lordie (Score:2)
Other EQ Voice Ventures (Score:2, Interesting)
The voice system has been generally agreed upon as crap in t
Repetition? (Score:5, Insightful)
Okay, so the voice actor comes into the studio one day, records fifty lines he or she has never thought about before, and leaves. They might sound good the first time around, but these will get so tired, so fast.
First encounter at the camp: "Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more; Or close the wall up with our English dead. In peace there's nothing so becomes a man As modest stillness and humility: But when the blast of war blows in our ears, Then imitate the action of the tiger; Stiffen the sinews, summon up the blood, Disguise fair nature with hard-favour'd rage; Then lend the eye a terrible aspect; Let pry through the portage of the head Like the brass cannon; let the brow o'erwhelm it As fearfully as doth a galled rock O'erhang and jutty his confounded base, Swill'd with the wild and wasteful ocean."
The next day, arriving at the camp. "Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more; Or close the wall up with our English dead. ... " yeah, yeah, whatever, gramps
Ten minutes later, walking past. "Once more unto the breach, ..." shut UP already
Five minutes later, walking past. "Once more ..." mute button
Single Use! (Score:4, Informative)
UO (Score:1)
the days before they runined it with a series of
everquest clone patches.
Re:UO (Score:1)
Ultima Online might not have that eyecandy 3d-graphics or earcandy sound...but its still my favourite as well.
IMHO it has depth and the possibilty to make real RP, the other (granted, I never played them or at least not really long) didnt really appeal to me.
Origin made a breakthrough (I am aware, there were some before Origin) and brought MMORPG to the masses.
And before someone just thinks about arguing that UO is only "l33t roXor wtf n00b"-stuff...there are really good Freeshards
Christopher Lee (Score:2, Funny)
No contest for mac owners (Score:1, Troll)
*DOH*
But if I did....it would be WoW all the way!!!
Christopher Lee as Lord Lucan? (Score:2)
Not the first such game (Score:2, Interesting)
Haley Joel Osment - Sora
David Gallagher - Riku
Hayden Panettiere - Kairi
David Boreanaz - Leon
Mandy Moore - Aerith
Christy Carlson Romano - Yuffie
Lance Bass - Sephiroth
Sean Astin - Hercules
Dan Castellaneta - Genie
I guess this would be the first MMORPG with Hollywood actors, though. Doesn't seem like a real big deal to me.
WoW will destory EQ2 (Score:4, Insightful)
Mean while, there combat, quest system, (no PVP) are all badly under developed. EQ2 is Alpha quailty marked with Beta. This game would not be ready for at least another year and a half.
Sony and there great ideas, have decied they are going to release EQ2 on the same day as WoW, ready or not. They don't care if the game works or not. They are going to pull another SWG.
Blizzard on the other hand, is making it right the first time. They aren't going to release until the game is ready, end of story. So far, WoW (yes, I am in the beta) has a serious edge on EQ and EQ2. They fixed all the serious MMO problems. For example: Instead of killing the same mob all day, for 2 weeks straight in order to get 5 levels, you get most of your exp from quests. PVP already works 50 times better then EQ PVP. (I played on SZ for 3 years)
The biggest problem Sony has is QA and customer service. It takes them 8 - 10 hours to respond to an ingame ticket. Meanwhile, Sony cuts there GM force down by half
Blizzard DOES care. I get a response from a GM within 2 mins. The listen to the customers on what they would like to see. Hell, I have personally suggested at least 5 large changes that made it into the game.
With EQ1, there are large problems with the game that have been there for over 4 years. They KNOW how to fix it, they just don't care.
This is why I could careless about EQ or Sony. They will continue to release shit until the end of time.
Re:WoW will destory EQ2 (Score:3, Insightful)
Yes, because Blizzard has such a great track record with their online games.
Re:Blizzard does NOT necessarily care. Look at D2. (Score:2)
EQ2? Oh, you mean EverQuest 2! (Score:1)
At Sony headquarters... (Score:2, Funny)
Hollywood celebrity: Are you shitting me? No fscking way I do the voice of a troll!
Sony Executive: Look at your contract. You are my bitch.
Hollywood Celebrity (looking at contract): Hey, wait a... I know what I'll do! I'll change my name to the symbol "%&$()*&" and you won't own me anymore!
Sony Executive: Sorry, this is already taken by Matt Damon. You are starting tomorrow.
Hollywood celebrity: arrrrrrg
About the so-called EQ killers.. (Score:2)
In fact, I don't expect EQ2 to be an Everquest killer either, even though it is supposedly the "next generation."
This reminds me of all the hype about so-called "superior products" that never caught on, from NeXT to the Betamax. It's more than just higher-r
Re:About the so-called EQ killers.. (Score:2)
There's no need for another MMORPG to come and destroy EverQuest.
SOE is doing quite alright at that already.
Plat duping, rampant farming for real life cash, accounts being traded left and right (again, for cash), no customer service.
Did I forget to ment
Re:About the so-called EQ killers.. (Score:2)
Plat duping, rampant farming for real life cash, accounts being traded left and right (again, for cash), no customer service.
Did I forget to mention the ability to change your name for a small fee so you can buy an account, change the name on it, and then pretend it's one that you leveled up?
Or how about that since they made travel completely free that only the highest ZEM zones get played in? Kinda removed the need to explore from EQ, didn't it? Why go visit La
Re:About the so-called EQ killers.. (Score:2)
Re:About the so-called EQ killers.. (Score:2)
With all due respect, what a ridiculous assertion. The game isn't even in beta. There's no way to tell how robust the game is, much less how the playable the game will be once it goes public. There's virtually nothing that's been said about WOW that wasn't hyped up t
Substance over style (Score:2)
Blizzard has a long track record of focusing on gameplay gameplay develo....err....gameplay whereas Sony has proven time and time again that they will throw lots of money into flashy graphics, this new voice talent, lots of marketing, etc.
Both games will attract different and similar crowds, but I think the mature gamers will appreciate the depth of WoW whereas the younger people who have all day to spend camping and powerleveling will stick to EQ.
F
Re:Heather Graham? (Score:2)
Re:Christopher is dead (Score:2)
Actually... (Score:3, Insightful)
First, Superman could fly. Then, Superman couldn't even walk. And now, Superman can fly again. Peace be with you, Christopher.
Re:Christopher is dead (Score:1)
Re:WoW wins hands down (Score:2, Funny)
How will World of Warcraft differ from other MMORPGs?
As long as it is not as bad as Lineage 2 where you have to:
spend two or three 8 hour days to level up and a week to upgrade equipment.
download 1/3 of the game when there's an update.
scammers & farmers dominate the game.
2 hours server maintenance
Re:WoW wins hands down (Score:1)
Yeah, we've all heard that before. All it means is you're a wimp compared to the no life junkies that play 12 hours a day who own the server and all it's content, holding you back even more.
WOWs graphics look chincy. EQ2's kick it's butt to hell and back. And while there are loads of Blizzard fans, I'm sure as hell not one of them. Warcr
Re:WoW wins hands down (Score:2, Insightful)
Sniker..Sniker
Re:WoW wins hands down (Score:1, Insightful)
Wow, I didn't know that having a life equaled to slacking.
Hardcore gamers will still level up more than casual gamers, but that system will prevent the casuals from being completely overwhelmed. I for one think it's a go
Re:WoW wins hands down (Score:2)
Re:WoW wins hands down (Score:5, Informative)
1) The rest system is not a big deal. It doubles the EXP for kills for a short while, but it's not a free ride. If you don't log on for a whole week, you might gain enough "free" doubled EXP for a single level. (Also, I disagree with your premise is that the point of an MMORPG is to "work" at the game. WoW is not a level grind to be the first Warrior to hit 60. We'll always have EQ for that.)
2) The servers are split as follows: Asia, North America, Europe. There is no case where two people from the same continent will be unable to play with each other. The reasons are partly practical and partly business; aside from language barriers and the late European launch, the non-US servers are being run by different divisions and even different companies. Even considering that, Blizzard has publically stated that there will be some way for guildmates to play with each other internationally some time after the European launch.
Really, these are non-issues. WoW is a very enjoyable game, not a "clusterfuck". I do have some issues with the way that Vivendi is handling the launch, but this is not a SOE-level disaster.
Re:WoW wins hands down (Score:1)
Oh, well, I suppose that solves everything.
What about guilds where half the members are in Europe and half are in North America? Some of these people have been playing MMOG's together since Ultima Online 6 years ago. Now they're being told they should stop grouping together "for their own good".I wonder why they're so pissed off?
Re:WoW wins hands down (Score:3, Insightful)
Nobody claimed it was a perfect solution. The European launch will be much later than the US launch, probably delayed by 4-5 months. I'm not exactly thrilled about that. No doubt that Vivendi has something to do with that.
But, all you need a North American billing address to play the US version of the game. It shouldn't be too hard for trans-atlan
Re:WoW wins hands down (Score:2, Funny)
See the main flaw in your argument is you consider clicking buttons and staring at an MMORPG window for hours on end to be "working your ass off".
Re:WoW wins hands down (Score:2)
1) If you played the game you would know this is a non-issue. At most you get an extra bubble bonus (total) from the first few kills after being offline all night. It's just an incentive to log out at an inn.
2) It's an issue with the way billing is handled. From what I understand they don't have the infrastructure set up for international billing (outside of the native co
Re:WoW wins hands down (Score:2)
Personally, I prefer a game that lets me enjoy it without dedicating full 8+ hour shifts just to grind XP on mushrooms.
Re:No way in hell (Score:1)