David Hayter's Voice Acting Skills

Seil · 10-02-2007, 02:56 PM

In order not to derail the SSBB thread, I made this thread.

Immuna come out and sat that I like David Hayter's voice, and in turn, Solid Snake's voice. I hear that one of the main arguments is that people are believing that Hayter is "OMFG SNAKE LOL!!" and that people are getting star struck, holding Hayter on a pedestal just because he's Snake.

Forget that argument. If someone else had come along with what Kojima thought was a better Snake voice, we'd all be "OMFG SOLID SNAKE IS JUDI DENCH LOL!!!1" I don't like Hayter because of the hype. I don't like many celebrities out there. Among the few that I do like, I like Hayter - and I particularly like Hayter for the role of Solid Snake because I like the timbre of his voice - the smoky, growly quality. I like Hayter 'cause I think he was the right man for the job.

Have at ye, nay-sayers!

Living Bobbeh · 10-02-2007, 03:03 PM

They should have gotten Michael Ironside...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Solid Snake

Metal Gear?

Ugainius · 10-02-2007, 03:19 PM

What ever you say about David Hayter as Snake, you can't deny the fact that he put his heart and soul into that series.

Now for less know voice acting roles:

Burn (1998)
Drive (1997)
Fushigi Yūgi: The Mysterious Play - Reflections OAV 2: Tamahome
Fushigi Yūgi: The Mysterious Play - Reflections OAV 3: Tamahome
Fushigi Yūgi: Memories First OAV (1996): Tamahome
Rakusho! Hyper Doll (1995) (V) (English version)
Street Fighter II V (1995) TV Series (English version)
Long Shadows (1994) (TV)
Guyver: Dark Hero (1994)
Yu Yu Hakusho: The Movie (1994) Kurama (English version)
Moldiver (Morudaib�) (1993): Hiroshi Ozora
Jaianto robo: The Animation (1991) (V) (English version)
Pr�sum� dangereux (1990)
Gundam 0080: War In the Pocket (1989) (miniseries) (English version)
J�ichi-nin iru! (1986) (voice: English version)
The Castle of Cagliostro (1979): Arsene Lupin III (English Version)
Dual! Paralle lunlun monogatari (1999) TV Series (English version)
Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem (2002): Roman Legionnaire I/Roman Legionnaire II/Angkor Thom guard

Mirai Gen · 10-02-2007, 03:53 PM

Hayter's been great in the past. To me, he is Snake, and I can't imagine anyone else doing his voice. Even in Crab Battle, the voice was so slightly different that it threw me off and I had a hard time enjoying it.

Brawl is the only time I've ever questioned Hayter's voice acting skills, and that's just in these short little segments that - given how early they're released - could not even be in the final game. And the only part that actually bugs me is the little phlegm coughing he does before and after sentences. In MGS it sounded natural: In Brawl it seems forced. The rest of his voice is spot-on.

Copied from Brawl thread...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kenryoku_Maxis

I'm not going to go diving into other threads just to appease you, especially since I've been chastised for mentioning it IN those threads when I pointed it out. If you don't remember those times when I got publically spanked, especially in this thread, oh well.

I think that you might be getting 'publicly spanked' for it because you keep throwing out assumptions and overexaggerations - people find it condescending when they are told "You just say that because he's Hayter and he sucks anyway, but of course he can't do any wrong 'cause he's so 'badass' and 'awesome' etc. etc. etc...."

If you think it's true or not is irrelevant. Casually disregarding someone's opinion is mean.

Quote:

It especially happens anytime Snake appears on any update, anytime Snake is mentioned in a sentance or anytime anyone even mentions the words 'Metal', 'Gear', 'Snakes', 'Voice Actors' or 'Bad Ass'.

Well it's not just Hayter. It's Snake and the people who write him and script his cut scenes and dialogs and choreograph his fight scenes. Solid Snake is more than just Hayter, and I feel that Snake's a complete and utter badass in every incarnation he's been - Iriqoui Plissken, Naked Snake, Solid Snake, etc. Hate on him all you want but he's a fan favorite.

Quote:

Yu Yu Hakusho: The Movie (1994) Kurama (English version)

...Wait, please be kidding.

Ugainius · 10-02-2007, 03:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mirai Glen

...Wait, please be kidding

Well, that's what my sources say.

Regulus Tera · 10-02-2007, 04:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mirai Gen

Brawl is the only time I've ever questioned Hayter's voice acting skills, and that's just in these short little segments that - given how early they're released - could not even be in the final game. And the only part that actually bugs me is the little phlegm coughing he does before and after sentences. In MGS it sounded natural: In Brawl it seems forced. The rest of his voice is spot-on.

Maybe the reason you feel all of this is because of Snake's inclusion in Brawl? I mean, it is ridiculous in every sense of the word, yet that's what makes it so awesome. I think listening to Snake talking about farts and fucking Samus is so illogical that it may have thrown you off. To me, Hayter sounds identical to his work on Metal Gear.

Seil · 10-02-2007, 04:22 PM

Speaking as a big Metal Gear fan. (Fanboy alert) I have almost all the games, save Acid, and I think there's a noticeable difference in theway he sounds. I hope Mirai is right when he says that they're going to redo the voicework for Brawl.

Zilla · 10-02-2007, 04:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ugainius

The Castle of Cagliostro (1979): Arsene Lupin III (English Version)

Wait a minute, that's totally crazy insane. Lupin and Hayter sound nothing alike in either English or Japanese (going by the Pioneer actor).

And you forgot his role as the guy who says "EA Sports. It's in the game."

Kenryoku_Maxis · 10-02-2007, 04:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mirai Gen

I think that you might be getting 'publicly spanked' for it because you keep throwing out assumptions and overexaggerations - people find it condescending when they are told "You just say that because he's Hayter and he sucks anyway, but of course he can't do any wrong 'cause he's so 'badass' and 'awesome' etc. etc. etc...."

If you think it's true or not is irrelevant. Casually disregarding someone's opinion is mean.

See, that's the thing. I wasn't disregarding your opinion one bit. I was bringing it right out into the forefront as an example and trying to show you why I keep bringing it up. I'm not ignoring your opinion or shoving it off as something stupid, I'm using it as my prime example. Which goes with the next thing I'm quoting.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mirai Gen

Well it's not just Hayter. It's Snake and the people who write him and script his cut scenes and dialogs and choreograph his fight scenes. Solid Snake is more than just Hayter, and I feel that Snake's a complete and utter badass in every incarnation he's been - Iriqoui Plissken, Naked Snake, Solid Snake, etc. Hate on him all you want but he's a fan favorite.

Yes, all these people work to make Snake. But that's also why I am really annoyed. When it all boils down to it, time and time again I just keep seeing scenarios that play out like this.

Me: "So I was playing Metal Gear Solid Today."
Person B: "Man that game is great. Isn't the guy who plays the voice for Snake the best voice actor Evar! He's just perfect for the voice. I mean, if I could have his babies, I would. Don't you agree?"
Me: "Um.....I'm going to back away now..."

But so now you see why, after encountering a number of these (which I have encountered quite a few of these), that when I come on here and I see people just praising David Hayter at the first mention of anything about Snake, Metal Gear Solid or anything 'Bad-Ass', its just getting really old. Its like most people DON'T think of those many people behind Snake but just 'David Hayter'.

I have had more than a few people actually say, both online and to my face, that David Hayter IS Solid Snake and if he was taken away or was never there in the first place, there would have never been a Solid Snake. You already said something similar. See what I mean?

In my opinion, the popularity of the game of MGS and the ‘bad-assness’ of the character of Snake is what made David Hayter popular. Not he other way around. Over time, people grew accustom to the voice and liked it a felt it just fit to the character. I just played the MGS games later when I was like 16 or 17 and didn’t get that same feeling or attachment.

So there. Someone called for a nay-sayer so I provided.

Seil · 10-02-2007, 05:04 PM

It sounds like you don't have a thing against Hayter. Just the people you talk with about Solid Snake, and in turn, David Hayter. I like Hayter. I like the work he's done, I like the style in which he does his work and I respect him as an individual. I'm not saying that "OMG DADVI HATER IS THE S***!!1!1" I'm saying that he adds something to the series.

The way Hayter got the job, I imagne, would be like any other job - you'd go on, and ask for work. The employer would look at your resume and, based on your resume, make a decision whether or not to hire you. Hayter was hired to do Snake - and after doing 4 games a variety of cameos, and a Digital Graphic Novel or two... people who are fans of the game don't recognize David Hayter and Solid Snake as two seperate people.

It's like Homer Simpsons voice actor, Dan Castellaneta. He's not Dan, He's Homer. Same with Hayter. People have come to know him for this role and through this, recognize him for it. THere's a certain nostalgia to it - if Hayter died tommorow, and someone else became the new Solid Snake? It wouldn't be the same. MGS would, in fact, lose some of its fanbase.

10-02-2007, 02:56 PM	#1
Seil Super stressed! Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: British Columbia Posts: 8,081	David Hayter's Voice Acting Skills In order not to derail the SSBB thread, I made this thread. Immuna come out and sat that I like David Hayter's voice, and in turn, Solid Snake's voice. I hear that one of the main arguments is that people are believing that Hayter is "OMFG SNAKE LOL!!" and that people are getting star struck, holding Hayter on a pedestal just because he's Snake. Forget that argument. If someone else had come along with what Kojima thought was a better Snake voice, we'd all be "OMFG SOLID SNAKE IS JUDI DENCH LOL!!!1" I don't like Hayter because of the hype. I don't like many celebrities out there. Among the few that I do like, I like Hayter - and I particularly like Hayter for the role of Solid Snake because I like the timbre of his voice - the smoky, growly quality. I like Hayter 'cause I think he was the right man for the job. Have at ye, nay-sayers! Last edited by Seil; 10-02-2007 at 04:55 PM.

10-02-2007, 04:22 PM	#7
Seil Super stressed! Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: British Columbia Posts: 8,081	Speaking as a big Metal Gear fan. (Fanboy alert) I have almost all the games, save Acid, and I think there's a noticeable difference in theway he sounds. I hope Mirai is right when he says that they're going to redo the voicework for Brawl.

10-02-2007, 05:04 PM	#10
Seil Super stressed! Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: British Columbia Posts: 8,081	It sounds like you don't have a thing against Hayter. Just the people you talk with about Solid Snake, and in turn, David Hayter. I like Hayter. I like the work he's done, I like the style in which he does his work and I respect him as an individual. I'm not saying that "OMG DADVI HATER IS THE S***!!1!1" I'm saying that he adds something to the series. The way Hayter got the job, I imagne, would be like any other job - you'd go on, and ask for work. The employer would look at your resume and, based on your resume, make a decision whether or not to hire you. Hayter was hired to do Snake - and after doing 4 games a variety of cameos, and a Digital Graphic Novel or two... people who are fans of the game don't recognize David Hayter and Solid Snake as two seperate people. It's like Homer Simpsons voice actor, Dan Castellaneta. He's not Dan, He's Homer. Same with Hayter. People have come to know him for this role and through this, recognize him for it. THere's a certain nostalgia to it - if Hayter died tommorow, and someone else became the new Solid Snake? It wouldn't be the same. MGS would, in fact, lose some of its fanbase.