*** Aussies and Kiwis in Video Games ***

[Spoonius]

If they really are making a Tomorrow movie, then that just made my day...

As for characters, I remember that the main protagonist in Republic Commando was a Kiwi (but all the other squad members were Americans). And yeah, in the Halo series (especially 1 & 3) there are a lot of Aussie accents among the Marines, which kinda redeems that game for me

As for Miranda in ME2, the voice actor who plays her (Yvonne Strahovski or something) actually has a half-Australian half-American accent in real life, and it comes through sometimes in-game. Also, if the Sniper in TF2 is meant to be an Aussie, then that's the worst Australian accent I've heard since Richard Harris in "The Guns of Navarone"...

And I think it's great that Shepard is Canadian. I thought I picked up the accent, but then again I'm no expert (no offense to anyone, but Canadian and US accents sound nearly identical to me)... the only example in a game I can reference to identify a Canadian accent comes from the Commonwealth 25 pounder artillery in CoH... lol

 

[The Shade]

I for one can't wait until we see our fight against the Japanese portrayed in a game.

[link]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battlefield_1943[/link]

 

[Spoonius]

I for one can't wait until we see our fight against the Japanese portrayed in a game.

[link]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battlefield_1943[/link]

Quoted from the Wikipedia article:

"Battlefield 1943 casts players as either the United States Marine Corps (USMC) or the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN)..."

 

[Jamash]

One of the story arcs in Heroes Over Europe has you playing as a couple of New Zealand pilots, and as far as I can tell it represents them well.

It shows the heroism of New Zealanders who fought in World War 2, plus they appear to have quite a laid back attitude and a good sense of humour, as demonstrated by the banter between the two pilots during the missions, and by the narrated letters to home which serve as a bit of background story to the characters and missions.

 

[Fire Daemon]

Modern Warfare 2

Task force 141 members...!

Anyone...?

Yeah, I noticed that Rook, the guy who drives the jeep in the aircraft graveyard level, had the Australian flag on his sleeve. He was the only one that I found though.

I always liked the Australian Marines from Halo and would try to keep them alive for as long as I could. They usually had the best lines.

 

[L4Y Duke]

*ahem*

that isnt really a new zealander. thats a game based on maori mythology. seriously. even though, who played that?

That's like saying a game based on the Cherokee indian tribe isn't about Americans.

 

[GyroCaptain]

Didn't anyone play Knights of the Old Republic II? Most of the Mandalorians on Dxun were Kiwi. Now the reason for that, obviously, was Temuera Morrison's portrayal of Jango Fett; but that's also something that spilled over into Star Wars: Republic Commando. Seriously, that game had a whole squad of NZ or fake NZ protagonists. Ok, none of these people are portrayals of Kiwis identified as such and in the SW universe, but NZ accents are kind of noticeable.

On a somewhat related note, the All-Blacks make for damn good entertainment when the only quasi-english channel you get is a global sports channel. (2001, South Korea; we taped the whole Tri-nations)

 

[L4Y Duke]

I guess you are kind of right but did you seriously play that?

In honesty, no. Never got my hands on a copy, though I didn't exactly look very hard for one.

 

[misfit119]

I guess you are kind of right but did you seriously play that?

In honesty, no. Never got my hands on a copy, though I didn't exactly look very hard for one.

That game was effing fantastic. Great action, awesome art design and all around good game. It's also on the cheap like if you can find it in a used game store. Heck I got mine new from Walmart about a year ago for six bucks.

On topic: There's one major problem with seeing more Aussies, or any non-American, Japanese or specific Europeans in video games - most people don't work outside their comfort zone. This is why there's so few non-stereotype black characters, strong non-oversexualized females and generally much in the ways of variety. Most of what you get is "Johnny Bootstrap" type characters from the west (we've got a job to do it and by gum we're gonna do it! no matter what!) and the east gives us our amnesiac, by the books, overly antisocial characters. It's really formulaic and sad.

Personally I'd like to see more development studios springing up because I think we really need more variety. I very highly doubt that any American, Japanese or Ubisoft studio could have made STALKER for example and that's all I need to know to realize taht we need more development studios in the pool.

 

[gellert1984]

I havent read through the whole thread but 'Heroes over Europe' had you playing as 4 different pilots/crews during world war 2, one group are kiwi's that bomb radar installations and a parade in Berlin.

I thought they came off quite well but I dont know any newzealanders.

 

[Veldt Falsetto]

You had Ty the Tasmanian Tiger on the Gamecube!
Awful game but still.

 

[Adzma]

An ANZAC based Call of Duty game would certainly be interesting, but we all know it won't happen because America is the only country in the world.

Also, Mark Meer (Shepard) is Canadian? Crazy, I can usually pick them from Americans easily, particuarly when faced with people like the guy who played Alex Mercer in PROTOTYPE. *Shudder*

 

[Sark]

Don't worry when they make a game out of the "tomarrow series" you guys well have all the repesentig you nee.

doubt any you have heard of that book and I also doubt they would ever make a game out of it, though if anyone did it would explode from being awsome.

EDIT: HOLY TITS!! sorry just found out there making a movie of it, hopefully it will come to the states.

oh the tomarrow series is like ?Red Dawn?, only with Australian kids fighting some unnamed occupying force.

Loved the books, sucks that he finished the series.
They are making a movie of it? ill have to look it up.

They are filming that series right near where I live. I suppose I have technically been down the main street of Wirrawee.

Yeah the only place I've heard a realistic Irish accent was Atlas in Bioshock.

Even that isn't great. It's more of an Old-time Dublin accent, as opposed to one anyone in the real world would have.

Atlas sounds exactly like my Japanese teacher, who came from Derry in Northern Ireland.

 

[Plyer-11]

Did anyone find that room in the first bioshock that had all the posters on the wall celebrating Australia Day? i personally found that pretty cool.

Also has anyone here played one of the most underrated series on the ps1 called Fear Effect. Both games had a main-ish character in it named Deke i think, he was from New Australia (not entirely sure what happened to old Australia though) I thought that they did a pretty good job with him. He wasn't the usual sterotypical type Australian that you always see. On a side note i thoroughly recommend that you track these two games down and give them a smash, true classics.

Also i dont know if anyone noticed but in the mission enemy of my enemy in modern warfare 2 right at the end of the stage when you jump into the jeep that you have to drive into the back of the moving plane in order to escape the guy that is originaly driving, before he gets killed, whos name is Rook bears an Australian badge on his arm.