![]() "What that game showed me specifically, as both someone who makes games and someone who plays games, is that if you provide a platform for people to create their own story, that is what we really want," Baker says. Critics, developers and fans praised the game's nemesis systems, which essentially create endless player-driven narratives. It snagged Best Action/Adventure Game at The Game Awards, grabbed eight wins at the DICE Awards and numerous Game of the Year awards, including the honor for this year's Game Developers Choice Awards. Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare - which, notably, also featured a performance from actor Kevin Spacey - was the top-selling game of 2014.īut though Shadow of Mordor may be missing from a list of best-sellers that includes the likes of Destiny, Madden NFL 15 and Super Smash Bros., it was a critical darling last year. "Call of Duty numbers" is a space Baker got to know well this year. ![]() "I wanted to see that game do even better, because we were so proud of it and we worked so hard on that game … I feel like games like that should have Call of Duty numbers, World of Warcraft numbers. "Sucker Punch is one of those teams that was like, 'We're going for broke on this,'" Baker says. "If you only go for the sure bet, that's kind of a shitty way to live life." He points to other games like Sucker Punch's Infamous: Second Son it did well enough commercially, but Baker had hoped for better. I like finding something that I can get behind and believe, and people that will allow me to partner with them and really roll my sleeves up and get dirty."īaker emphasizes this with every role he talks about: the challenge, the involvement, the thrill of working on a project he and the team working on it really love. "If you only go for the sure bet, that's kind of a shitty way to live life," Baker says. The chance to tackle a new story excited Baker, as did the risk involved. ![]() Instead, the most recognizable character players got was. Shadow of Mordor has no Gandalf, Aragorn or even Frodo. From a literary standpoint, it's unparalleled.īut it differs from past games in a very major way: It lacks the pull of the big-name characters fans have come to love. Not because the franchise doesn't carry a great deal of clout, the actor adds. Shadow of Mordor was a hit when it launched, but it was also something of a gamble for Baker - an underdog, in his eyes. That's to say nothing of one of the year's most critically acclaimed titles, Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor, in which Baker gave his talents to the protagonist, Talion. He voiced the soldier star in Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare, the flamboyant villain of Far Cry 4 and Infamous: Second Son's mixed-up hero. He's proving to be a master at the marathon.Ī year in review, or the unexpected success of Shadow of MordorĢ014 was a good year to be Troy Baker. It kind of affords that opportunity to be able to really run at a good clip."īaker's rise to fame shouldn't be mistaken with a simple run, or even a sprint. "I like moving at a very fast pace, and that's one reason why I love this industry so much. "The only thing that's typical about it is that it's crazy," Baker says. In between those frenzied moments of movement, there are kernels of personal time - hanging out with his wife, hitting the gym, eating, sleeping, unwinding. He works anywhere from 12 to 15 hours a day, he says, answering emails, having conversations, working to keep projects moving. Looking ahead, Baker will lend his voice to key roles in games such as Batman: Arkham Knight, Uncharted 4: A Thief's End and Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain.įor Baker, such a degree of success consistently guarantees one thing: late nights or early mornings, sometimes both. In 2014 alone, he was credited with more than a dozen gaming parts, several of which were breakout performances in the AAA game scene. Baker has been in the business for years, but it's been key roles like BioShock Infinite's Booker DeWitt, The Joker in Batman: Arkham Origins and Joel in The Last of Us that helped propel him into stardom. It's a zen attitude to adopt, but karma seems to be on the good side of one of gaming's biggest actors.
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