Professional Video Game Voice Over by Dean T. Moody
In recent years, Videogames have become an even bigger market than movies, music and TV combined! Not only are they great fun to voice (unless all you do are battle shouts), but they’re just as fun to play! I’ve played several games such as Myst, Infamous, Red Dead Redemption, several versions of Call of Duty, Dishonored, Portal 1 & 2, Grand Theft Auto V, and LA Noire. I love losing myself in a good game!
But Why Are Videogames So Darned Fun?
There have been many studies over the years to figure out what is so attractive about Videogames. Some of the reasons scientists have discovered are these…
Experience Other Realities
Firstly, they allow the player to “try on different hats,” or imagine what it would actually be like to be someone else in a different time or reality. A fan of the WWII games like Call of Duty can learn to appreciate, in a very small way, what their ancestors might have experienced in real war. I think that’s a pretty valuable experience right there. Of course, sometimes it’s fun to just imagine you’re a time-travelling assassin, a Wizard with magical powers, or an astronaut stranded on a distant hostile planet teaming with nasties. What’s not to love?
Video Game Videos
Rhythm Doctor
The Push to Achieve
The drive to succeed at something is essentially inbred in the human brain. When we are faced with a challenge, even one that’s imaginary, our minds are chemically driven to want a blast of dopamine, that pleasure-giving jolt that comes when we achieve some new level in a game. (Of course, we also get jolts of dopamine when we go gambling, so suffice to say, there can be a dark side!)
Immerse Yourself!
The technical aspects of good games are worthy of note all by themselves. I am always blown away by the visuals (mind you, most of the games I’ve played were either PC or on my PS3, so I know they’ve gotten even better in recent years). Not to mention the Audio—the sound design in videogames is an industry unto itself. The layers of sound effects, music and voice work are some of the real reasons that videogames are so immersive. Put on a pair of good headphones, and you’re gone, baby. One of the reasons why I love doing voice work for games–I get to be a part of creating that world, building that reality that will draw the next player in. Finally, the writing. The storylines are downright astounding, rich with multiple character arcs worthy of great novels, or several seasons-worth of lush period-piece television. These immersive qualities really make one understand why the industry has taken off in the last decade or two–you can really get lost in them. I’ve noticed that when I get involved, hours go by like nothing–and I look up at the clock and it’s already 2am!