The video game industry may not have big stars in the same sense as the movie industry, but there are names that most gamers recognize immediately. It's a rare gamer who doesn't know the name Shigeru Miyamoto. Game music and art fans probably recognize names like Koji Kondo and Yoshitaka Amano, but where are the fans of the voice talent?
I don't know how video game voice actors are regarded in other countries, but it almost seems they earn little other than complaints here in the US. When the issue of voice acting comes up I'm much more likely to hear, “Link damn well better remain mute”, than to find excitement over who's bringing the characters to verbal life. This view of voice acting can be attributed to the game industry's hit or miss record concerning spoken dialog, but even so, woe betide the unappreciated voice talent.
Bad dialog and bad acting can cripple a character, that's undeniable, but when a character is portrayed well the people responsible deserve a little praise. With that in mind, I'd like to pay my respects and appreciation to Michael Bell, my favorite voice actor.
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