Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag star Matt Ryan says the term ‘voice actor’ is outdated: ‘You see the performances in the eyes, it blows me away’
Matt Ryan, who performed as Edward Kenway in Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag, argues that the term “voice actor” has become obsolete in modern game development. He contends that full-body motion capture technology used in contemporary games captures complete performances, including facial expressions and eye movements, making “voice actor” an inaccurate descriptor for the comprehensive work actors now perform.
Ryan reflects on how motion capture technology has evolved dramatically since Black Flag’s 2013 release, when fully motion-captured performance was still in its infancy. Modern motion capture now captures entire performances—not just voices, but physical movements, expressions, and subtle eye movements that convey emotion and character depth.
The article traces motion capture’s historical evolution in gaming, from Jordan Mechner’s rotoscoped animation in the original Prince of Persia (1980s) to Capcom’s motion-captured stunt performers in Devil May Cry 3 (2000s). However, only recently has full motion capture become standard practice for capturing complete actor performances in interactive media.
Ryan emphasizes that modern audiences can see the full extent of performers’ work through their eyes and facial expressions. He advocates for changing terminology to better reflect the comprehensive nature of performance capture work, highlighting how game development has elevated performance capture to a sophisticated craft comparable to film and television acting.