308 replies to this topic

[Expert]

their imagination blurs the rest of the details because David's voice is so strongly linked to the character.

That's the problem to who plays at the original version.

[Watson]

That's the problem to who plays at the original version.

It's true that Bateson himself is so strongly linked with the character of 47. I think this is why a majority of people feel unhappy that he's not in Absolution. I really hope it all works out and that we'll be playing a good Hitman game this time next year.

[daniel.ben-noon]

how much will this engine 'transform' 47's appearance compared to the G1 engine?

while the engine and renderer as such wont dictate his looks and never did, of course with g1 and previous generation platforms there were some obvious limitations that restricted what could be done- blocky character meshes, low resolution textures, lack of skin shaders and facial expressions- so in that sense g2 is big step forward which to a much larger degree can bring a realistic and specific look to him. a lot of small improvements such as real depth and shading to his eyes, detailed wrinkle maps and skin sub-surface scattering will all piece together more realistic characters. animations, blending and variations in his movements will be improved greatly as well which adds another layer of realism.

remember game characters are extremely designed to bring specific emotions and associations. just look at the classic adventurer look of uncharacted or the soldier of gears of war. those looks are also defined by the time and age they are created in. a few years back you would expect more of a bodybuilder, clean and cut in stone while that same character designed today would be more lean and mean, maybe unshaved to roughen him up a bit and make him more appealing for the players to associate them selves with him. all re-appearing game characters are taken in specific directions between games to better communicate the game its setting and the time and age its released in. some times its very subtle changes while other times its more extreme, lara croft being a good example.

/daniel

[Expert]

However the French voice is likely to change as well.

And I like the new voice.

[Watson]

^ Thanks for that Daniel. G2 is definitely a big plus for Absolution, hopefully we'll see more of this tech soon.

[sgg847]

I see some members try to find parallel lines with James Bond series.
Hmm...I also want to take part in this comparison.
1. IOI fans of JB otherwise we did not see numbers 007 on logotype of ICA.
2. Sean Connery as first JB was replaced by George Lazenby in OHMSS but returned in DAF.
3. George Lazenby former pupil of Bruce Lee. As we can see from one of the topics here that devs were inspired by films with Bruce Lee.

Three quick and obvious differences:
* ...
* David has shallow set eyes and ..., 47 has deep set eyes and ...
* ...

What is a color of Bateson's eyes? 47 has clear blue.

Edited by sgg847, 12 September 2011 - 12:18 PM.

[Coot]

We should spark some massive protest against the replacement of 47's voice actor.
Why don't we all try to put "Bring back Bateson" on our member titles? Maybe that will get noticed? Or go to that other forum that's mentioned on hitman.com. Let's just TRY to do something at least...

[Keyser Soze]

There's already an online petition with over 2,000 signatures. It's mentioned relentlessly in damn near ever topic in this section of the boards, even though we've asked repeatedly to keep the discussion about Bateson to the relevant threads. What, exactly, do you think isn't getting noticed? They've noticed, and the decision (however much you/we may not like it) has been made. Bateson is not voiceing 47 in Absolution, there will not be a Bateson voiceover DLC, there will not be a last minute 'LOL, j00 got trolled' moment from IOI. It's just over.

[Choronzon]

We should spark some massive protest against the replacement of 47's voice actor.
Why don't we all try to put "Bring back Bateson" on our member titles? Maybe that will get noticed? Or go to that other forum that's mentioned on hitman.com. Let's just TRY to do something at least...

There's already an online petition with over 2,000 signatures. It's mentioned relentlessly in damn near ever topic in this section of the boards, even though we've asked repeatedly to keep the discussion about Bateson to the relevant threads. What, exactly, do you think isn't getting noticed? They've noticed, and the decision (however much you/we may not like it) has been made. Bateson is not voiceing 47 in Absolution, there will not be a Bateson voiceover DLC, there will not be a last minute 'LOL, j00 got trolled' moment from IOI. It's just over.

Exactly as Keyser Soze says what do you wish to accomplish with said campaign, Coot? I think we have done nearly everything and anything that our position as fans/consumers of the product allow. We have voiced our disgust, our malcontent and our worries/frustrations. There isn't a whole lot else left for us to do. Keyser Soze also mentions that IOI apparently have noticed the fan repulsion regarding all these changes to the classic formula.

I'm all for supporting David Bateson, Vivienne McKee and Jesper Kyd and all - but everthing that could be done has been done.

[Sean Rubin]

Why don't we all try to put "Bring back Bateson" on our member titles? Maybe that will get noticed?

Sounds good. I'm in.

[Ostrich]

Why don't we all try to put "Bring back Bateson" on our member titles?

Done.

[Coot]

Exactly as Keyser Soze says what do you wish to accomplish with said campaign, Coot?
I'm all for supporting David Bateson, Vivienne McKee and Jesper Kyd and all - but everthing that could be done has been done.

Choronzon,
the one difference between those who tried and failed and those that tried and succeeded, is belief in self. Nothing is impossible. Put in some hope, focus your mind and we'll make IOI change their minds if we just keep trying.

[Choronzon]

the one difference between those who tried and failed and those that tried and succeeded, is belief in self. Nothing is impossible. Put in some hope, focus your mind and we'll make IOI change their minds if we just keep trying.

I'm all for that, let there be no doubt about that. But I think we need to retain an ounce of realism, perspective and common sense here. The decision has been made already. New actors/voice talent were hired, motion-capture sessions were completed - while I don't disagree with your noble campaign purely in terms of what it aims to accomplish, it should also be noted that these decisions being revoked because of fan outcry are slim to non-existent at this point.

Other than that, I'm sure IOI and (with some luck) the decision-makers and people-in-power have noticed our discontent, our frustrations and our general repulsion with all these franchise-altering developments. We can only hope that in future sequels (if any) the classic voice talent will be re-instated in their rightful places. However, as far as Absolution is concerned, the decisions have been made and things are now set in stone. We can't undo things already decided upon. The suits aren't going to invert decisions made long ago. Agreements were reached, contracts were signed and obligations are now pending to be fulfilled. Changing these things would probably end up with IO being sued for breach-of-contract and such... Nobody in a sound mind would that want to happen to them. That's all I'm saying.

Edited by Choronzon, 17 September 2011 - 03:43 AM.

[JaRDoS]

Choronzon,
the one difference between those who tried and failed and those that tried and succeeded, is belief in self. Nothing is impossible. Put in some hope, focus your mind and we'll make IOI change their minds if we just keep trying.

Well here's what all signs point to you needing to do to reverse this decision:

1. Gather enough money so you can buy IOI and the Hitman franchise off SquareEnnix
2. Convince them it's in their best interest to sell it to you
3. Have enough money left over you or sign on enough investors to fund making the game
4. Make the executive decision, as the owner, that David Bateson must be the voice of 47
5. Manage things until the game is remade.

"Just keep trying" is only effective if your efforts are actually critical. I'm very confident IOI and SquareEnnix have been informed of people's strong preference for David. They're still deciding to do it with the new voice actor and their's their decision.

It's their Intellectual Property and their money, they can do what they want with it. This is a fact of life.

[Watson]

Realistically, the game appears to be past the point where the voice actor could be changed, and even if there was a chance, it's essentially an unrealistic expectation to think the new actor can still be dropped, at the cost of time, money and likely legal frustration. For all we know, IOI may not have made the actual decision. There was a casting studio involved and probably a whole lot of other factors. Sure, it would be nothing short of wonderful to see Bateson back, but clearly the decision is final. The only realistic expectation is to hope to find out quite simply - why?

[Sean Rubin]

Well here's what all signs point to you needing to do to reverse this decision:

1. Gather enough money so you can buy IOI and the Hitman franchise off SquareEnnix
2. Convince them it's in their best interest to sell it to you
3. Have enough money left over you or sign on enough investors to fund making the game
4. Make the executive decision, as the owner, that David Bateson must be the voice of 47
5. Manage things until the game is remade.

This is my fantasy. To buy IO Interactive from Square Enix. And then demand that they use David Bateson, Vivienne McKee and Jesper Kyd.
Those would be the only three demands that I would make though. As I would let them have full creative control over everything else.

[Dev J Chand]

It would be better then, for IO to reveal reasons for not taking Bateson. That would clear up a lot of confusion.
Waiting for more news.... as that could resolve the worries of many people. Getting information, would only help, at this point.

[Ostrich]

Hey, I'm still in the denial stage of the grieving process. Just give me time...

[Johnny Drama]

Well here's what all signs point to you needing to do to reverse this decision:

1. Gather enough money so you can buy IOI and the Hitman franchise off SquareEnnix
2. Convince them it's in their best interest to sell it to you
3. Have enough money left over you or sign on enough investors to fund making the game
4. Make the executive decision, as the owner, that David Bateson must be the voice of 47
5. Manage things until the game is remade.

"Just keep trying" is only effective if your efforts are actually critical. I'm very confident IOI and SquareEnnix have been informed of people's strong preference for David. They're still deciding to do it with the new voice actor and their's their decision.

It's their Intellectual Property and their money, they can do what they want with it. This is a fact of life.

They changed Max Payne voice back - so it's not imposible. But hey, as Ostrich said; i'm just in denial stage too.

[MrPistolLaw]

We all have expectations concerning the upcoming, long awaited and highly anticipated Hitman game. We don't always agree on many things but the general consensus is that replacing Kyd, Mckee and Bateson has been a terrible thing.

How many other games out there tag along a fanbase that not only cares about the game, but also the people who contribute to bringing these games to life? And all of the people, from voice talent to producers/directors?

In the business sales environment, these "fans" are considered loyal clientelle and they are the first and last group of people catered to. Why? Becauses businesses know they can always count on them for $$$ support. The customer might skip the trip to the donut shop or maybe brew coffee at home instead of going out to get coffee, but in times of economic turmoil, these guys will always show up at the door, ready to give.

In light of this, it is a felonious mistake to show the middle finger to these people. The newer gamers that the studio heads are trying to appeal to go through games faster than a baby goes through diapers.

Yes, I get it this is IOI's baby. Yes, I get it that they don't owe us anything. And yes I get it that they are free to do as they please regarding the game. But in spite of all the legal concerns, it would be nice to have the studio acknowledge our concerns on the voice talent.

I don't care if Tore or someone else says, "yes, we flubbed on the issue of Bateson on this game. It was not in our hands. We promise to make it up in Hitman 6. Mmm Cheese donuts," or something. the silence on this matter is sickening.