Do you hear that massive sucking sound? That’s the whoosh of my time getting hooved right back in to the MMO vacuum that is Destiny.
And I don’t feel bad about it; I quite enjoy Destiny, and I can’t wait for The Taken King expansion to drop on Tuesday. I’ve been catching up my characters this week, and I have to say, Bungie has implemented all welcome changes so far.
Except for one.
Allow me to say, I never understood the dissent over the Dinklebot. I thought Peter Dinklage’s voice acting was perfect for the character of the Ghost. I understand “haters gonna hate” but I just never understood the issue. So when I found out a couple of weeks ago that Bungie was replacing all the Ghost’s voice acting with Nolan North (an incredibly talented man, no question) reading the same lines, it felt odd.
Bungie said it came down to “Hollywood stuff” but one has to question what that really means. Bungie has certainly been receptive to their massive audience, and it seems odd that the choice to make the change was simply due to Peter Dinklage’s busy schedule. I mean, they landed him in the first place. How his consistently busy schedule is now an issue seems…convenient.
But as the massive update was downloading on Tuesday, I tried to keep an open mind. Nolan North does great work, and I had no doubt he would bring his talent to the table.
So imagine my surprise when I first heard the “new” Ghost speak; I cringed. Not simply because it was different, but because I found it cringe-worthy. I understand a large part of the sound has to do with the direction he was given and the audio treatment of his voice, but I was immediately not a fan.
He sounds like a C-3PO one-off. Except less British.
I’d rather he were more British.
I continue to try to adapt to it, but I find the more I hear it, the less I like North’s version of the Ghost. I am not alone in this, as everyone I have played with since the update has had similar feelings. I suppose I just don’t understand why Bungie would change such an integral part of the game. I know this will sound extreme, but I actually wish I could just disable the voice completely at this juncture.
I recently read a quote online that said, “Nerds hate change real bad.” Perhaps this means I am a nerd.
I’m okay with that.
In this case, I’m not resistant to change, rather I’m resistant to a weird and arbitrary change that didn’t pan out for the better (in my opinion). Alas, my voice is just one in a sea of voices, and the change isn’t nearly enough to keep me away from the game. I just don’t prefer it.
Dinklebot, I will miss you. I will miss your stoic and solid voice in my Guardian’s ears. The game won’t be quite the same without you. I hope your Ghosty spirit is wild and free somewhere void of haters.
You were better than you were given credit for. May you rest.
Gosh, I’m going to miss you.
Digital sniffle…
Categories: games
Rebekah Lang 
That’s disappointing that North’s version isn’t as good as Dinklebot.
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Agreed. But then, I never had a problem with Dinklebot so…who knows.
I just miss him. I used to like my little Ghost and now I can’t wait until he stops talking. Boo.
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I didn’t have a problem with him either. That’s disappointing.
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I haven’t even played the game, and yet I still think Mr. Dinklage’s voice is better after watching a comparative video. Dinklage was clearly trying to go for something that was similar to the Ai of Bishop; not assuming, always direct, making us feel uneasy, but true to its intended design. All of that seemed bland, but somehow quite menacing to our own perception of that character’s intent. Bishop was the new standard of artificial intelligence, and has made for many-a-great scene in tons of other SciFi movies that have an android-style character in its plot. And now, as you so perfectly put it, Mr. North sounds like a C-3PO wannabe. I HATE that. It feels like the actor was pulled right off Broadway and told to act that same way on film or in voice; doesn’t translate.
I think a lot of the whining about Peter Dinklage comes from those who have this perception that all acting needs to tend to their liking for entertainment, found in things such as Spongebob, Dora the Explorer, and the like. And in the typical generational fashion, people whined about it on all of the forums and social platforms. If it were up to me, I’d have told the “haters” to grow up and watch character development beyond Teen Titans, or that stupid disservice to the nation Wow! Wow! Wubbzy! (claiming we’re all special and cool, and that by being yourself, you’re special and can do anything {without trying}).
You struck a nerve with me Rebekah!
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I also watched that video and when compared one line after another, it’s even more obvious to me how much more I like Dinklage. I wish there was a way to toggle it back, even if it was just in the main game.
I think you are very likely correct that people want something to “entertain” them.
I hope I didn’t strike it too hard! :)
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It’s true, we need something that people would use. We could call it the Dinkle-toggle hahaha!!
Sometimes you strike a nerve with me that I don’t even realize until I read your posts. But I think that’s a good thing, since it means that I’m reading your posts and that I’m connecting with them; a glass-half-full perspective to my ranting anger lol.
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I would definitely use the Dinkle-toggle. I miss his lulling voice. :(
Well that’s good? I think? :) In any case, I’m glad you voice your thoughts. I always like reading them.
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That was so weird to hear when it was announced. I could completely understand that maybe Bungie had bitten off more than they could chew by getting an actor that might not be available or is too expensive for an ambitious “long game” project like Destiny, but they were aware of their intended scope early on right? That could have been prepared for, right? Is it really that they felt Dinklage’s work was so hated by so many? Is this more fallout from the voices loud enough about Mass Effect 3’s ending that Bioware re-worked it? It’s a crazy time for sure.
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Yes, they were aware of the 10 year scope of the game. So how this became an issue is sketchy. I honestly think they just buckled to consumer pressure…which sucks. I understand listening to your player-base, but in this case, I feel the result was worse than the original. I really liked Dinklage.
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I didn’t have a problem with Dinklebot, but wasn’t particularly fond of it either. It was just fine. He’s a professional actor who was probably directed for that work. That’s the thing that gets me about people being upset by an actor’s work in one project, but accepting of it in another. A good actor will produce what the director is trying to get, if it’s bad it’s on the director usually.
But as I said, I didn’t have a problem with his performance. And if I was a betting man, I’d wager that the combined total of gamers who liked it or were indifferent was a large majority. The problem could be that the consumer pressure, as you put it, came from a vocal minority. It seems like the dissatisfied are more likely to voice their opinion in our connected world.
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EXACTLY! You put your finger on how I feel about it. I’m certain Dinklage gave them exactly what they wanted.
Oh that vocal minority. They sure make gamers seem like unbelievable whiners at times. Oof.
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