Time for voice actors rather than real commentators?

[K0ZZ]

Am I the only one that feels this could be a great step to a more dynamic presentation style. I understand there is a certain connection to listening someone that you can see on a Sunday morning, but I feel like it is interfering with the potential of what the game could be.

Wether it is the NFL or NCAA game, the true commentators even in the offseason are busy, they still have a job they still have to research and keep doing their job making voice acting a secondary job, not only that but EA has to most likely pay extra royalties ontop of the flat salary of voice acting in order to keep them without issues to their associated station and personal representation.

With voice actors it would provide an entirely new set of commentary, not only that it most likely would be cheaper after all, who theoretically would cost more, John Madden or a voice actor? That and it would free up more time for actually preparing lines of speech and actually putting in hours after all it wouldn't be a secondary job, rather their primary income.

Not only being most likely cheaper but they might actually do better. Nothing against current commentators but their jobs are more-so to call the games as it happens and reading from papers / screens tends to become mechanical, where as voice actors are trained to make their speech realistic.

Am I the only one that feels that real commentators are holding the games presentation back?

[themassacre771.1]

Re: Time for voice actors rather than real commentators?

Not only would it be the things that you said, but with voice actors they could also have about 5 different sets of commentators. One for Monday night, Sunday night.. etc... I like this idea.

[je_2512]

Re: Time for voice actors rather than real commentators?

IMHO, it has NOTHING to do with the people they use as commentators...it is all about the technology and the people they have in charge of the audio.

Yeah, Hammonds was lifeless and boring...as he is in real life (imo).

But they managed to make Gus Johnson sound absolutely HORRIBLE last year. And this is a guy I normally enjoy listening to. Yeah, he is a bit over the top many times. But, the way EA used his "emotion" is game was horrid...putting his over the top emotion in at the wrong places. "He makes to catch for a first down. Welker now has FOUR CATCHES IN THE GAME!!!!" It made me turn off commentary for the first time in Madden.

Then the absolute silence between plays...almost could hear the crickets chirping. It is the people in charge of audio, even the crowd noise, that creates the lifeless and boring audio.

[dannyisastud]

Not only would it be the things that you said, but with voice actors they could also have about 5 different sets of commentators. One for Monday night, Sunday night.. etc... I like this idea.

This would be awesome. And they can swith commentators every super bowl

Sent from my VM670 using Tapatalk

[Kahuma]

Re: Time for voice actors rather than real commentators?

I don't like the idea of voice actors. Everything they would say would be scripted and the feel would not be as good as the real deal. Honestly what they need to do it take Chris and Gus and have the actually commentate a few, if not every, Madden Game like they do on gameday IRL.

That right there would greatly enhance the commentary.

[K0ZZ]

Re: Time for voice actors rather than real commentators?

I don't like the idea of voice actors. Everything they would say would be scripted and the feel would not be as good as the real deal. Honestly what they need to do it take Chris and Gus and have the actually commentate a few, if not every, Madden Game like they do on gameday IRL.

That right there would greatly enhance the commentary.

It's a lot more scripted now, voice actors would be able to record more lines, even in the offseason commentators have to cover off the field news, stay up to date on transactions and so on, moving to voice actors give you someone whose top priority would be voice acting.

[je_2512]

Re: Time for voice actors rather than real commentators?

It's a lot more scripted now, voice actors would be able to record more lines, even in the offseason commentators have to cover off the field news, stay up to date on transactions and so on, moving to voice actors give you someone whose top priority would be voice acting.

I really don't feel time is the issue here....nor should money be, since Madden IS EAs flagship game. I think it all boils down to the team in place creating the audio, as well as EA just not placing that much importance on it (at least in the past). Madden has ALWAYS had pretty vanilla, and sometimes just terrible commentary.

[Exonerated]

Re: Time for voice actors rather than real commentators?

They already had a voice actor: The EA radio guy. Everyone hated him.

[Unlucky 13]

Re: Time for voice actors rather than real commentators?

If they cant improve the commentary with the "real" guy doing the work, then yes, Im in favor of bringing in voice actors, and I love the idea of having a different set depending on the network that the game is shown on. On that not, they should also be able to devote much more time to a halftime/postgame show, with a voiceactor recording practically countless different situations for highlights.

I would love, love, love to have the time between plays spent with the guys talking about the stats of the game, players stats so far on the season, team standings, the playoff chase, ect. Other games, such as The Show, do a much better job.

[bostonsports]

Re: Time for voice actors rather than real commentators?

Didnt 2k do this? I dont completly recall but I thought they did and it was pritty solid.

Nfl commentators are great, until they realize that they only record lines for about 2 days and their all scripted. Hiring some real actors who can handle scripted lines better and can give you far more lines would be far better.

Hire out 6 different actors even and have 3 different crews. Im wondering if anyone knows how much ea pays gus johnson? I wouldnt think actors would cost much more.

[Thinking Out Loud]

Re: Time for voice actors rather than real commentators?

While I agree with the general premise of using voice actors to better allocate resources, I think doing so right now would be "putting the cart before the horse". What I mean is, 2k has used voice actors in NFL2k5 and real commentators in NBA2k11 with both sounding good. That shows that's it's possible to have good commentary with either one but suggests that the implementation, not the voices, of commentary is the key.

Until EA can resolve whatever implementation issues they seem to have concerning commentary, going to voice actors would probably do more harm than good. Imagine continuing the same quality of commentary that's currently in Madden while switching to voice actors and losing the marketable name recognition that came with real commentators.

Multiple sets of voice actors doing current Madden quality commentary would be multiplying the issue, not solving it. No need to do it more or potentially cheaper until they figure out, how to do it right.

[roadman]

Re: Time for voice actors rather than real commentators?

As long as the voice actors sounded different and not the same.

Sorry, after awhile, Dan and Peter sounded like fingernails on a chalkboard.

[jmurphy31]

Re: Time for voice actors rather than real commentators?

I agree that it is not the commentators fault for the poor audio, it has more to do with the implementation. Look at last year, there was just random gaps of no audio while you were at the line of scrimmage (i think that had to do more with Gameflow and the coordinator audio). Plus they dont really call the action, they just announce things it in the middle and end of plays...

[TheShizNo1]

WTF? what? How the hell do people complain about realism, then wanna get rid of something.....uh.....real?!

[The GIGGAS]

Re: Time for voice actors rather than real commentators?

As long as the voice actors sounded different and not the same.

Sorry, after awhile, Dan and Peter sounded like fingernails on a chalkboard.

Dan and Peter were awesome, roadman. IMO, those guys sounded like they should be broadcasters. They're one of the reasons NFL 2k5 still has a fuzzy place in my heart.

/NFL2k5talk