Why it issues: Should you performed Cyberpunk 2077, the identify Viktor Vektor is most assuredly acquainted to you. Vektor was V’s fundamental ripperdoc all through the sport. He was an NPC concerned in a number of marketing campaign and aspect quests, so he is unmissable. Ignoring all of the AI controversy involving actors and writers, CD Projekt Crimson cloned his voice for the DLC growth.
Sadly, the voice actor who portrayed Vektor within the Polish localization of the sport, Milogost Reczek, died in 2021. Reczek was a widely known and revered voice actor for Polish localizations in numerous media. He was Vesemir and Thaler in The Witcher sequence. He additionally dubbed the voice of Homer Simpson within the Polish launch of The Simpsons Film.
His demise was a blow for CDPR, which deliberate to have him reprise his function as Vektor within the Phantom Liberty DLC. The studio first thought-about changing him with a special actor however determined that may be like subbing in Denzel Washington for Samuel L Jackson in Pulp Fiction. No disrespect to Denzel, however having him play Jules Winnfield simply would not be the identical.
“We did not like this strategy [replacing Reczek], as Milek was among the finest Polish voice abilities, and his efficiency as Viktor was stellar,” localization director Mikolaj Szwed informed Bloomberg.
With permission from his household, CDPR used AI to repeat Reczek’s voice with a voice cloning expertise known as “Respeecher.” A distinct actor portrayed Victor Vektor, after which the AI altered his traces to sound like Reczek.
“This fashion, we might hold his efficiency within the sport and pay tribute to his great efficiency as Viktor Vektor,” Szwed mentioned. “Milek’s sons have been very supportive and gave us their permission to maneuver ahead with the undertaking.”
The method was not as straightforward because it sounds. Respeecher doesn’t simply overdub traces of dialog. It adjustments the speaker’s voice. So the actor enjoying Vektor in Phantom Liberty, Janusz Zadura, needed to do his greatest to imitate Reczek’s appearing model whereas Respeecher took care of the remaining. For a fast demo, take a look at the movies above.
To date, followers haven’t appeared to note, however now that the cat is out of the proverbial bag, it will likely be fascinating to see reactions. Disney has obtained a lot flak for utilizing AI to copy actors posthumously. Nonetheless, I believe there to be an enormous distinction between cloning a voice versus cloning a whole actor, like Carrie Fisher or Peter Cushing. No less than with Respeecher, you do not have to fret in regards to the uncanny valley impact.
Though CDPR’s spokesperson didn’t point out compensation for the household, it is comparatively secure to imagine that the studio that labored so onerous to tug CP 2077 out of a dumpster hearth wouldn’t threat what’s left of its fame by not paying Reczek’s household for utilizing his voice in a paid DLC.