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Anyone else pissed that Valve fired Merle Dandridge for Alyx?

NO!R

NO!R

Banned
Oct 26, 2017
1,742
I just listened to this interview (https://youtu.be/UP6B2SVQ-qk) with Dandridge herself, and she's pretty gracious considering this is in the same ballpark as Kojima ghosting David Hayter after 17 years.

The part about her already having done voice work and Valve using her voice for the reveal trailer is especially shitty.

And the excuse is hilariously bullshit. She's theatre trained actor and a singer, if they wanted her to sound younger all they had to do was ask (also she doesn't sound old).
 
Mesoian

Mesoian

▲ Legend ▲
Member
Oct 28, 2017
26,552
Not recasting is not the same as firing.

Wait until the game is out to figure out if it's a good or bad thing.
 

Deleted member 21709

User requested account closure
Banned
Oct 28, 2017
23,310
Recasting happens all the time. We don't know why or what happened. Let's wait until the game is released.
 
Vincent Alexander

Vincent Alexander

Member
Oct 26, 2017
19,762
Yeah, I found the reasoning pretty shit. It's not really a matter of whether the new person is good or not.

I'm not pissed about it or anything. Just thought the reasoning was crap.
 
Kinthey

Kinthey

Avenger
Oct 27, 2017
22,339
The new voice actor also doesn't sound particularly young to me, so yeah, the reasoning is weird.
 

Deleted member 388

User Requested Account Deletion
Banned
Oct 25, 2017
1,813
David Hayter recasting is way worse because of the sheer number of hours of dialogue he recorded across the franchise until 5.
 
ciddative

ciddative

Member
Apr 5, 2018
4,632
Not quite the same situation as Hayter.

Unfortunate, but let's withhold judgement until the game is out and people can accurately judge the product
 
Htown

Htown

Member
Oct 25, 2017
11,320
from what I've heard, I definitely prefer the old Alyx voice

i'm less "pissed" than disappointed, though
 
data west

data west

Member
Oct 25, 2017
13,015
Hayter has years and multiple closely released together game entries. Alyx had a supporting role in Half-Life 2 and if you want to count them, 2 expansion . And the gap between this one and the last one was massive, so I'm not really sure how it's comparable.

Like if LaCroix is in VTMB 2 and isn't voiced by Milder? I'd be disappointed but nowhere near comparable to the Snake situation. (Which in itself still isn't that big of a deal imo)
 

Deleted member 2840

User requested account closure
Banned
Oct 25, 2017
5,400
There's some weird stuff. She voices a character in DOTA2 called Tresdin. When Artifact was released, Valve for some reason used another VA for Tresdin there. Then in Underlords, they used her again for new lines.
 
Zor

Zor

Member
Oct 30, 2017
11,372
How is this even remotely like what Kojima did with Hayter? Is the actress playing the new Alyx a well-known actress from four decades of movie and TV work, who in MGS' case actually had even LESS lines than any previous versions of Snake, clearly making Ground Zeroes and The Phantom Pain a case of star-casting just for the sake of it? Look, it sucks that Merle isn't voicing Alyx in the new game, but the game isn't even out yet so who knows if it makes more sense in context (Alyx being younger in the story for one thing).
 
Zor

Zor

Member
Oct 30, 2017
11,372
Lord Vatek said:
I'm never a fan when companies treat voice actors as disposable in general.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

Where did they treat her as disposable though? They explained that they loved working with her, and that it's an iconic role and performance, but that the Alyx in this game is younger. I'd understand it if they brought an A-lister in to replace her and didn't ever comment on it, but they legitimately explained their process on it, even down to saying Merle had provided lines originally as they were making the game and in the end they chose to go another route.
 
The Benz

The Benz

Member
Oct 27, 2017
773
Man listening to that was hard. You can hear just how hurt she was by the decision. I think there's definitely some fuckery going on considering they took her out at the very last minute.
 
Leveean

Leveean

Member
Nov 9, 2017
1,093
Voice actors are not entitled to roles. If someone else is a better fit they should be replaced.
 
Ctrl Alt Del

Ctrl Alt Del

Banned
Jun 10, 2018
4,312
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
It seems she was left in the dark about the recasting and it truly feels like she cares for the character and is a sensitive person about her art and her work. The choice to recast Alyx does feel a bit odd, but it doesn't sound like it litigious.
 
PetThePuppy

PetThePuppy

Member
Nov 2, 2018
136
Honestly, it's bullshit. She was so good as Alyx. I can still recognize her voice instantly because of that role. Hopefully she'll be cast as Marlene in the The Last of Us at HBO. During the Alyx trailer I could immediately tell that Eli's voice was different as well (apparently the actor died in 2017).
 
MrWindUpBird

MrWindUpBird

Banned
Oct 28, 2017
3,686
The excuse is pretty shit but it's not like voice actors are entitled to certain roles or anything. It's the nature of the industry
 
NinjaScooter

NinjaScooter

Member
Oct 25, 2017
54,182
I remember some people being upset when TC Carson wasn't brought back for God of War and Christopher Judge ended up killing it and probably being a better fit for that specific game and role, so maybe reserve judgement.
 
finalflame

finalflame

Product Management
Banned
Oct 27, 2017
8,538
Valve has every right to work, or not work, with whoever they want. It doesn't bother me in the slightest.
 

Deleted member 41520

Banned
Mar 29, 2018
7,078
It's more complicated than "they fired her".

Could be the tone of the game was different and demanded a new actress.

Could be Merie was busy with other project (doesn't sound like it though?)

Could be the tests/auditions provided by this other woman were far superior.

It's not as simple as "old ways good, new ways bad!"
 
Madjoki

Madjoki

Member
Oct 25, 2017
7,230
Is it firing if she was never hired in the first place tho? (or even considered for the role)
 
Meech

Meech

Member
Oct 29, 2017
496
I'm open to it. I like what I've heard so far. Merle will always have a special place in my heart though.
 
Barrel Cannon

Barrel Cannon

The Fallen
Oct 25, 2017
9,303
Wait wtf. I didn't know they changed the voice. Hopefully it's not splinter cell blacklist levels of trash
 
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