Ben-DutkaDavid Hayter has voiced Snake in the Metal Gear Solid series since…well, forever. But he has been replaced in the upcoming fifth installment.
Many fans are downright irate, but series guru Hideo Kojima has tried to explain why Hayter won't be reprising his role in Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain or – presumably – Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes , which evidently is a prequel to MGSV.
After Hayter Tweeted that he wasn't even asked to do the project, fans started clamoring for answers. Kojima tried to provide us with that answer during a recent GameTrailers interview with Geoff Keighley, although some may not like the reply:
"I can say, yes, it will be a new person. I can't say who it is yet. What we're trying to accomplish here is recreate the Metal Gear series. It's a new type of Metal Gear game, and we want to have this reflected in the voice actor as well."
Kojima also implies that this new mystery actor will be the voice for Snake from here on out, and another rumor says that "24" star Kiefer Sutherland has been tapped to play a new supporting character, Ishmael, as well as franchise mainstay Big Boss. So is not getting Hayter to play Snake a deal-breaker for you? Or are you willing to give this new actor a chance?
Related Game(s): Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain
No way around saying this, but a David Hayter less Metal Gear game is going to be depressing for me.
He is Snake.
Fully agree with you on that. It's going to be weird without him. (at least for me anyway)
Last edited by Clamedeus on 3/30/2013 8:46:17 PM
Yeah, i'm very unhappy with this too. His voice is perfect. Only voice I well accept is Kurt Russell. If you don't know, his Snake character from Escape from NY is who Solid is based on, especially his voice. Would that be easier to swallow?
We'll miss the only REAL SNAKE. But in Kojima we trust. It's his franchise after all. I'm sure the new voice will be just as good, just different
David Hayter was such a perfect fit for such a perfect game. Never mind who is going to replace him, what I want to know is how is the game "recreating" it's self?
Maybe it will work out and be even better than ever with out Hayter. Hard to see that happening, but anything is possible with theses guys.
Let's not forget that based off of the trailers so far I think it's safe to say a rich story is going to a part of MGS5 and story depth has always been the best part of Metal Gear, so worst case scenario we still get a true Kojima style story.
Whoa my name kinda sorta shows up as supporting character haha. As for Mr. Hayter, without him this just isn't Metal Gear. Sure the game will probably be awesome, but they are losing a key component of their franchise.
I'll still play it, but it's a B.S. excuse. Akio Otsuka is still voicing BB in the Japanese version. Therefore, this statement makes no sense to me.
And if Kiefer Sutherland is doing Big Boss? That'd just be silly. It should be Richard Doyle if there's a replacement. Plus, he's already playing this Ishmael character, it'd be like the two characters would just talk to each other.
Regardless of the fact of whether or not you're trying to reinvent a franchise, this is still a cannon adventure. You're not starting from square one. This character has a certain persona, has a certain panache about him that Hayter has completely nailed. If you get rid of Hayter, you change Snake far too much, and he is therefore not consistent with the Snake we all know and love.
IF you're doing it because he's older that's one thing, but if Hayter is replaced then I see no reason why Akio Otsuka should voice the Japanese version. It's inconsistent and unfair to a legacy that Hayter has cemented forever.
Being the hardcore MGS fan that I am, I'm still getting TPP. But I am very disappointed by this, and I know a lot of people will not get this game without Hayter, and more power to them.
I am too loyal to resist.
They should just admit something happened between them and Hayter.
This is big boss in he's older years and if I remember right he had a different voice to solid snake in MGS4, so it kind of makes sense that he's would change around now then miraculously changing in MGS4. I loved hayder as snake but this makes sense
It does?
Yep, watch the ending on YouTube he has a different voice actor.
@NEWCLOUD and bigrailer
That's Richard Doyle playing Big Boss in MGS4. That at least makes some sense since he is way older than Snake. It looks like the character we are playing in MGS5 is way younger than the character Richard Doyle voiced in MGS4 so there goes the only logical explanation for changing voice actors.
If they changed voice actors because of the story then I would be okay with it. That's not what Hideo said however. He said they were doing it to recreate the series. I might be able accept that answer but there is a huge inconsistency to that explanation since they didn't change the Japanese voice actor for Snake.
Here's my question. Why didn't they change the Japanese voice actor for Snake as well? There is way more to this story and Hideo is telling us a lie. Not cool at all, Hideo is insulting our intelligence since they didn't change the Japanese voice actor for MGS5. He must think gamers are retarded enough to buy that explanation. If he had enough respect for us and simply told us the truth then there would have been less backlash.
Last edited by Excelsior1 on 3/30/2013 2:56:40 PM
I didn't realise the kept the Japanese voice actor. That seems a little strange.
Honestly, MGS without Hayter is just absurd! He has been the voice of Snake eversince I first played MGS.
I won't be buying this Day One or at a full price. I know this game will rock and its childish for me to do something like this but I have to pay respect to the voice of Snake!
+ If they want to "recreate the Metal Gear series" I don't see how changing the VA gonna recreate MGS. All I see is that they wanted to reboot the series but were afraid of go with it(See DMC). I, for one, would welcome an MGS reboot! To me, after MGS4, Snake earns his rest!
Its kind of BS. Two things that make me frustrated. 1) That they are trying to recreate the MGS series; 2) Hayter is Snake, and this game won't be the same with out him. They cant avoid that. And why is he trying to recreate MGS? Was it not good enough that you have to do this? My recollection is MGS is more than fine. Hasn't Kojima said something to the likes of not doing another MGS for the sake of the series, after MGS4 released? I dont know sounds like a cop-out to me.
Last edited by bigrailer19 on 3/30/2013 1:17:06 PM
@bigrailer
Recreate the series is just spin and PR talk. Even if they did change the gameplay it still isn't a valid explanation for changing voice actors. Why would Snake's voice change in a different game if the character is the the same? Why didn't they change the Japanese voice actor too? I have a feeling that Kojima is about to face the wrath of angry games since he gave such a lame explantion.
I agree with you. Essentially we said the same things. I just dont get it.
Okay, that's just a steaming pile of bullsh!t. If it had been for story reasons then fine, but for Hideo to give such an obvious bullsh!t answer is ridiculous. This is a new type of MGS game and they want it reflected in the voice actor as well. BULLSH!T.
If it's really because it's a new type of MGS then WHY WASN"T THE JAPANESE VOICE ACTOR FOR SNAKE CHANGED AS WELL? I hope somebody has the balls to ask Hideo that question because it makes zero sense they didn't change the Japanese voice actor for Snake as well. Damn, at least be consistent so it doesn't look like Hideo is spoon feeding us such an obvious bullsh!t lie.
I have lost a little bit of respect for Hideo. I didn't think Hideo was one of those corporate types that would try to spin such a lame explanation that makes zero sense. I would have a lot more respect if he just told us the truth or said nothing at all. It's an insult to our intellegence because the Japanese voice wasn't changed as well.
It must be about money. It happens all the time in the movie industry and television. The first Matrix film had four characters that made it out alive. The actor who was their computer expert was going to return for the Matrix Reloaded but his agent asked for too much money. In a blink of an eye he was replaced with the black actor from Lost.
Fox actually wanted to replace Sigorney Weaver in the Alien sequel because they were afraid she would be too expensive and even commissioned a second Aliens script that didn't have Ripley in it. Fortunately for everybody James Cameron's script was so good they had no choice but to bring Sigorney Weaver back. It cost them too. Weaver was the first female actress to get a million dollar contract.
Anyways, I just wish Hideo had been truthful with us. We may not have liked it but would have felt more respected if he just told us the truth. I am very dissapointed in Hideo. Snake voiced by David Hayter has been a huge part of my gaming life. Snake is such an iconic character to Sony fans. It's a shame Hayter is being taken away from us because of petty finacial reasons. Kojima productions has given us one freaking game this generation. Apparently they didn't have the talent to finish MGS Rising so they handed it off to Platinum Games.
Anyways, you would think Konami and Kojima would have the money to pay Hayter since they barely even make games anymore, It is going to be strange hearing a different voice actor play Snake.
Last edited by Excelsior1 on 3/30/2013 1:56:47 PM
No doubt that's it's about money, Hideo probably refused Hayter's offer.
Last edited by AcHiLLiA on 3/30/2013 2:12:03 PM
When you "recreate" a series you usually do it in a reboot though. Why would the character's voice change because it's a new type of game?
Koji seems to have fallen into the trap of other Japanese devs, changing things willy nilly just to change them.
Yea im not sure whats going on here but its not good.
If that's the case, you might as well call it Metal Gear Solid Zero.
Kojima-san, I love your games, but I hate your explanation.
Sad news. I might just buy the Japanese version!
Hayters gonna hate..
Anyways, what I care for is are they going with a re-telling of the entire series, but with certain events changed to make it unique on its own little spin-off? I immediately think of Ghost Babel and Snake's Revenge if that's the case since they were alternate sequels to MG1.
Now why the sudden change in the voice acting.. I doubt Kojima intentionally planned tis, since he actually takes fans interest into consideration and the amount of times he's almost stepped down from the series beforehand.. Some issue must have came up.
reading between the lines, kojima and hayter might've had some
sort of a falling out?
hayter & kojima don't really explain anything….
if you want an older or younger sounding snake, you can
do that in the sound studio with the orinanal VA.
Hayter as big boss for ground zero's be it a separate game or not.
richard doyle as big boss for the phantom pain.
hayter could voice a young solid snake in the phantom pain.
In the phantom pain gameplay trailer near the start big boss say's "where'd the girl go" this voice sounds like nolan north who voiced rebles in mgs4 and stood in as jackie in the teaser for the darkness 2 so i think this is another ruse by kojima.
If Doyle is the voice then I'd be ok, but at the same time, given BB's age in the GZ part, it just wouldn't make sense. The more I think about this, the worse I feel about it.
A new MGS game is a cherished thing for me, because I know I'm going back to my favorite franchise, and there are certain expectations for that franchise that I hold to the highest degree. And having Hayter as BB is just one of them.
If his voice changes when he's older, fine. But Doyle better be the damn voice because he was fantastic as BB in MGS4. If it's not him… I will be seriously upset. This better not be some publicity stunt.
And it is such a double standard to leave Otsuka in the game. I know I said that, but God Hideo, you're really losing touch with your fan base if you think this is the right thing to do.
Why not just put BB's missing eye back into his head. Why not make him 30 again? Why not just remake MGS3 while you're at it? Again!
Hideo's the reason I'm in this field. He's my biggest inspiration. And this breaks my heart that he is doing this. At least say that they had a falling out, just tell the truth. Because Otsuka being in there makes no sense if you're trying to reinvent the series.
I think for the laugh they should re-create Snake as Emo Snake.
RECREATE MY ***
If you want to "recreate" how about you "create" a new game and just end the Metal Gear Series?! It would have been enough at Metal Gear Solid Peace Walker – not to say…enough at MGS 4!
Well…ok I'm just talking out of frustration – but I can certainly play more metal gear games…but there honestly is no way I can consider something Metal Gear if David Hayter…isn't playing SNAKE.
WHICH BRINGS ME BACK TO MY THEORY FROM BEFORE.
He's in the game…just not Snake. For he's ALREADY SOLID SNAKE.
and here's ONE MORE FOOD FOR THOUGHT.
If Kojima really really wants to change and recreate Metal Gear…why the hell isn't THE JAPANESE VOICE ACTOR different?! (Check Ground Zeroes)Is this some exclusive for USA thing going on?
the MgsV BB character model looks similiar to the Big Boss in MGS4. I'm glad they are using a different voice actor for BB, hopefully it will be Richard Doyle. They should of never used Hayter for MGS3.
Maybe its a good move. Hayter is fantastic for Solid Snake, but for Big Boss… well Big Boss' voice needed to change eventually.
what is it with franchises lately and reboots?
what happened to the old phrase if its not broke dont fix it?
sigh.
Hideo Kojima may know what he's doing, & Metal Gear does belong to him but to quote what he said about Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance "no good will come of this".
Omg people he did not mean "reboot" he said recreate! By that he meant making it open world. Something that he never done in a MGS game.
My honest opinion is that metal gear solid finished at guns of the patriots so i probably won't be getting any of the new games but my opinion might change if hideo kojima pics a decent actor to voice snake
Hayters voice is iconic but I don't think it is required for a metal gear game. I personally don't care as long as they don't get Nolan North to do his voice and snake sounds like Drake I'm cool with them changing it.
What if it sounds very similar but is just a different voice actor? Further what if it is better and less forced sounding?
As great and awesome as snakes voice was, some of his dialogue exchanges sounded so terrible because of how gravelly and forced snakes voice sounds. Don't get me wrong I loved it, but certainly they could get someone else to do a more believable natural sounding voice no?
As for why the japanese voice actor stayed the same, probably because his voice wasn't as iconic sounding as Hayters. Hayters voice is so gravely so forced, that changing it would be a big difference. If you listen to snakes japanese voice actor he just sounds… well japanese. I'm not saying all japanese males sound alike but there was nothing crazy over the top or super unique about it. Which is probably why they aren't changing it for that version.
"a new type of Metal Gear game." It's a very sad day for being a huge MGS fan. I feared of this when MGS4 was less MGS and more action and with the MGS5 trailer being super action and way heavy. 🙁
I must confess im less interessed in this new MGS after the news and confirmation that David is out…
I don't care about the changes as long as the story and game play is well done!! These fanboys are the worst remember the bitching they did about DMC dante hair color!! LOL
Hair color is a little different than getting a new voice actor and throwing out the guy who brought the character to life.
More so than a new voice actor I'm concerned about the 'recreating' statement. Sometimes a franchise needs it, I'm not sure MGS falls into that category. Could be really good, could be really bad.
He was not thrown out he was just not signed up to do the voice! There is nothing wrong if Hideo Kojima want to make the game more open world !!