Development Info Fallout fans ask - <i>Who's your daddy?</i>. Bethesda Answers.

[Section8]

Tags: Bethesda Softworks; Fallout 3 (Van Buren)

That's right, folks! It's now official. Joining the likes of Patrick Stewart, Sean Bean and General Zod, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000553/">Liam Neeson</a> is the latest actor to have his name struck from the artistic roll call, by signing on to give voice to "the player's father" in Fallout 3. Bethesda recently released a <a href="http://www.bethsoft.com/news/pressrelease_050807.htm">press release</a>, and here's a snippet:
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<blockquote><b>May 8, 2007 (Rockville, MD)</b> – Bethesda Softworks® is pleased to announce that highly acclaimed international actor Liam Neeson will lead the cast providing voice work in <b><i>Fallout 3</b></i>. Neeson will play the role of the player’s father and will appear prominently throughout the game. <b><i>Fallout 3</b></i> is currently under development at Bethesda Game Studios, creators of <b><i>The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion®</b></i>, which won numerous Game of the Year and RPG of the Year awards in 2006.
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“This role was written with Liam in mind, and provides the dramatic tone for the entire game,” said Todd Howard, Executive Producer of Fallout 3. “Liam is absolutely amazing to work with.”</blockquote>
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Fallout fans can rest easy, knowing the important questions are being answered, and Bethesda continues to maintain their unquestionable integrity toward quality games.
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[Jaesun]

Liam: "War, war never changes. My son." D:

 

[Man-Fred]

At least it isn't Shatner

 

[Section8]

I have to say, this is the first clear evidence of the sort of shit that has been foreshadowing for ages now. Having a father that features "prominently throughout" the game is a pretty clear indication that Bethesda are doing away with Fallout's solitude, blank slate RPGing and focus on player authored narrative. It's also showing that they don't seem like straying from Oblivion's blockbuster formula, where big name actors take precedence over any kind of development talent or integrity.

Not that I really expected anything other, but even highly improbably dreams can take a kick in guts.

 

[Kingston]

"A dramatic tone." How exciting.

 

[taxacaria]

That's the new style of Beth's babysitting - no more quest compass, instead of that the player's father will put him by the hand and lead him through the game. *shudders*

 

[Vault Dweller]

It's also showing that they don't seem like straying from Oblivion's blockbuster formula...

Why would they?

"...Bethesda Game Studios, creators of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion®, which won numerous Game of the Year and RPG of the Year awards in 2006, [including the much coveted "a shitload of copies sold!" award]."

 

[Micmu]

One or two more announcements like this and even the biggest optimists will be convinced that this will be yet another Action/"RPG" for consoles.

 

[MessiahMan]

“It’s been a pleasure bringing the father to life and working with the wonderfully talented people at Bethesda on Fallout 3. I hope the fans of the franchise and the game will be excited by the results.”

Heh! He sounds like such a robot.

 

[mister lamat]

same thing was said about shaloub. oh well.

 

[Andyman Messiah]

I like Liam Neeson a lot but I dislike Bethesda a lot. I'm gonna need something to make the cup run over.

 

[Texas Red]

Good job! Instead of hiring actors that are specifically in the gaming business, you get some Hollywood name without any experience! Hype in turn for quality.

But who cares? We already saw that Oblivion recieved nominations and awards for Best Voice Acting from such respectable websites as Gamespot.

This would fbe funny if it wouldnt be so sad.

So whats the story? You start out in a small village labouring under the sun in the farms? Then your father one day tells you a terrible secret that forces you to go out in to the real world?

 

[Zomg]

Bwah ha, Codex hype interpretation proves correct again.

Just hire everyone that was in Bloodlines if you want quality - meaning people that do VO as a vocation unto itself. Hire names to pop into a rented booth overseas and read lines off a page undirected for an hour if you want hype. I'm always embarrassed to read video game voice acting awards and see them stupidly give them to Hollywood actors who walked into a booth cold, read lines for the first time, then buggered off with a check for one day's worth of coke.

 

[Gwendo]

“This role was written with Liam in mind, and provides the dramatic tone for the entire game”

Please, someone explain me this. I'm about to have an heart stroke.

 

[SimpleComplexity]

We should thank Bethesda for the greatest Fathersimulator game ever made.

 

[Andyman Messiah]

I think there's a japanese hentai game series that's a great deal better in that genre.

 

[stargelman]

Yupp, there we go. Long live the hype! Forget relevant details about the game, such as questions concerning gameplay, stats implementation and dialog and learn all the alarmingly fascinating next-gen(tm) factoids that matter today!

 

[Lumpy]

This is finally something seriously fucked up, unlike the pictures which weren't bad and the music which was only partially fucked up.
Eh, who cares?

 

[Kingston]

I can already see it. Your crrapshack village is under attack by mutants, so your father decides its time to leave and takes you with him. He teaches you the ropes, looks after you, puts his life on the line and is dragged away by commie mutants. You have to rescue him.

You see the corpses of the mutants, their ragdolls clipping the ground. You open the cell door.

Your father approaches you.

"Who are you?", you ask.

. . .

"I am the Vault Dweller"

 

[Amasius]

Uncle Petes hypemachine is so fucking predictable.

 

[Bradylama]

Well fuck.

 

[Jim Kata]

I have to say, this is the first clear evidence of the sort of shit that has been foreshadowing for ages now. Having a father that features "prominently throughout" the game is a pretty clear indication that Bethesda are doing away with Fallout's solitude, blank slate RPGing and focus on player authored narrative. It's also showing that they don't seem like straying from Oblivion's blockbuster formula, where big name actors take precedence over any kind of development talent or integrity.

Not that I really expected anything other, but even highly improbably dreams can take a kick in guts.

I was thinking the same thing. If anything, it seems worse than oblivion.

I mean, you *father*?

Now they are drawing from the same cliche bullshit BG/NWN2 as well as their own bullshit.

Also, why the fuck would anyone in the US have an accent like Liam?

 

[Red Russian]

...“This role was written with Liam in mind, and provides the dramatic tone for the entire game”

Please, someone explain me this. I'm about to have an heart stroke...

They could be developing the father's character around Liam's voice and/or personality. Meaning that instead of choosing an actor that can act out the role they designed, they design out a role of the character around an actor's voice. No?

Anyway, it's just another "marketing" method used to rake in the idiots who will no doubt fall over themselves to post OMG LIAM NEESON!!! THIS GAEM ROCKZ!!!! on every fucking forum.

TES V - brining you Tom Cruise...

 

[aries202]

As I see it, there is no difference in doing voice over acting for animated films like The Hedge or Flushed Away or Madagascar and dojg voice overs for a game like Oblivion or Fallout 3.

And be glad they at least hired someone talented and one that is going to be there throughout the game, not just the first 10-20 minutes like Patcrick Stewart was in Oblivion. Or maybe you would have liked it, if Bruce Willis played the father of the player's character (bruce willis played the main character in the animated movie 'over the hedge').

The only problem will probably be how to explain Liam's very distinct Irish accent, but that's maybe just me I consider Liam Neeson on of the finest actors in the bizness, and one who as appeared in many not so commercially productions, too.

At least we know two tings we didn't know before:
1) There will be a father figure 2) there will be a player figure. And what the the rest of the story is about still remains to bee seen. We may alo know that the game, Fallout 3, seems to be written as Todd says that the father figure in FO3 was written with Liam ib mind. This sound to me as the game os much nearer completion than any of us though possible, but again, maybe that's just me.

 

[MountainWest]

can already see it. Your crrapshack village is under attack by mutants, so your father decides its time to leave and takes you with him. He teaches you the ropes, looks after you, puts his life on the line and is dragged away by commie mutants. You have to rescue him.

You see the corpses of the mutants, their ragdolls clipping the ground. You open the cell door.

Your father approaches you.

"Who are you?", you ask.

. . .

"I am the Vault Dweller"

That's too original.

"You're born under a special constellation of stars. Prophecies have foretold that the ONE born under this very,very, VERY special constellation of stars is destined to fight the über-mutant LeChuck of the deadly wastlands.

On your eightenth birthday, mutants attack your vault. Your kindred bravely fight off the first wave, but not without serious losses.

Your father, being a loving but very sensible man, understands that the mutants want nothing but YOU. To save his people from certain doom he makes the hard decision. With an inspiring, tear-producing - as dumb as only Bethesda is capable of writing it - speech he sends you out in the wastlands to meet your destiny. To close shut the jaws of LeChuck. Dum dum di dum, dum di dum, duuum di duuuuum.