Video games have featured celebrities since the dawn of the medium, whether it was movie spin-offs or games completely dedicated to the celebrity. There has been a lot of money made using celebrity appearances. However, there have also been some truly horrible games made. There are of course celebrity appearances which are fan favorites, yet the way in which stars are featured has changed. These roles began with celebrity franchises and movies, and then moved to a more immersive cinematic experience.
The first phase of celebrity video-games featured them in either their movie role or was dedicated to the actor as a franchise. . Many will remember truly terribly games like Batman Forever, and Back To The Future for the SEGA Megadrive. The games didn't directly name drop actors like Val Kilmer or Michael J. Fox, but their likeness was definitely present as their iconic characters. None of these spin-off games make the list of SEGA essentials. Yet, there were some reasonably good games built around celebrities.
Although less common than movie spin-offs, celebrities were known to have their own video games. This trend produced some decent games, as Jackie Chan Stuntmaster for the PlayStation One wasn't an innovation, but it allowed players to have freedom in the recreated stunts. It must be noted that the animations didn't really look like the source material in almost all of these early celebrity video games.
In the same year as Jackie Chan Stuntmaster, there was an explosion of extreme sports games. On the back of the hugely successful Tony Hawk Pro Skater series, there were games like Matt Hoffman Pro BMX and Kelly Slater's Pro Surfer. Both of which played with the ideas of the Tony Hawk series to considerably less success. Nevertheless, at this point, it was clear that celebrities could act as a tentpole for solid games to be put up against. For example, Many feel that Tony Hawk Pro Skater should have been included in the offering of the PlayStation Classic. This is with good reason, as it made a huge impact on the gaming market and on players. During a period of success for Tony Hawk, there were plenty of film spin-offs, but at the beginning of the 2010s a company that had grown a huge following changed the game industry.
Rockstar was no stranger to having celebrities in its games. Most notably, Samuel L. Jackson appeared in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas as Frank Tenpenny. There were plenty of actors who lent their voice talents to games, as voice work from prominent actors was popular in the 2000s. However, the use of MotionScan Technology in L.A. Noire on the face of the actors was a revolution. While the game did not publicize the actors, their identity was clear. In fact, L.A. Noire still looks amazing in a 4k remaster. From this point on, the way actors appeared in games changed forever.
The game changed the landscape for the industry for a number of reasons. The detail in the way actors was captured gave the industry more critical kudos. Furthermore, the Tony Hawk franchise was dying down, and its imitators had long been in the grave. The most recent Tony Hawks Pro Skater 5 was incredibly buggy and largely a failure, and the series is yet to recover from the setback. Players in the 2000s wanted substance, so labeling an average game with the name of a movie star wouldn't sell either. The video game industry had long been linked to film, and L.A. Noire fully realized this crossover. Earlier realizations of film and game successfully crossing over, was largely thanks to the early installments in the Metal Gear Solid franchise.
The Metal Gear Solid franchise also moved to MotionScan Technology, combining cinematic cut scenes with famous actors. This led to David Hayter was fired from the role of Snake in MGSV due to the need for MotionScan Technology. Or at the very least, that was the reason that was given to the press. Still, it led to huge commercial success.
The trend of actors in games looks to continue. Cyberpunk 2077 revealed Keanu Reeves as Johnny Silverhand to huge fan reaction. Furthermore, Kojima's first project since the Metal Gear Solid franchise, Death Stranding, features a huge cast, including Mads Mikkelsen, Lea Seydoux, and most recently announced, Conan O'Brien. While there have been claims having a famous actor in a game isn't a personality, these games have benefited from the anticipation generated.
The gaming landscape has changed. From games with a last-minute celebrity addition to ship units, to movie-based games, to subtle voice work, and now finally, actors captured digitally. The latter is still an expensive process, but like any technology, it will surely become more economical with time. After all, money has been spent on Conan O'Brien's appearance in Death Stranding to give players an otter suit.
Players will be pleased that actors featuring in games generally seems more calculated than ever before. Moreover, actors are increasingly attached to quality games. How celebrities feature in video games in the future is a mystery, but many will hope that their appearances aren't reduced to ancillary marketing material again. Yet, the strides forward of the last 30 years in terms of the appearance of celebrities, and the game mechanics featured make it unlikely that the industry will take a step backwards.