Voice acting in video games is no simple task. Depending on the game, characters may have to speak in different languages, accents and from different cultural backgrounds. This is where the attention to detail of Rockstar Games really shines. For example, it has been revealed that in 2004’s GTA San Andreas, the company used real-life gang members to do voice recording for characters in the game.
Lazlow Jones, a former Rockstar developer, revealed in an interview with Kinda Funny Games that the company would go above and beyond to get the most real and authentic voice recordings possible. “If they needed specific accents or languages, we’d travel to those places,” he stated. Even when it came to recording gangsters for GTA San Andreas, the company “recruited” real gang members. This helped ensure the most authentic voiceover work possible.
The attention to detail and authenticity in Rockstar Games’ voice acting has paid off in the past. GTA San Andreas is the best-selling game on the PS2, having sold 17.33 million copies worldwide. The game revolves around CJ, a former member of the Grove Street Families gang pulled back into the life after his mother is killed. However, the game was not without controversy. GTA San Andreas had its share of scandal due to the discovery of a cut sex minigame in its source code and its extreme violence.
Rockstar Games’ attention to detail is still evident in its future work. Jones has revealed that the team would continue to fly to locations where the voices they needed could be found, like New Mexico for Native Americans in Red Dead Redemption 2 and New Orleans for Creole people. This is because certain accents “you just can’t get right with New York, LA actors.”
It is clear that Rockstar Games has placed great importance on voice acting and goes to great lengths to ensure that all voice recordings are as authentic as possible. This is just one aspect of the company’s attention to detail that sets it apart from many others in the video game industry
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