Troy Baker Responds to NFT Criticism [Update]

By | January 14, 2022
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Editor’s Note: The subject of NFTs is currently a very controversial topic in the gaming community. IGN urges community members to be respectful when engaging in conversation around this subject and does not endorse harassment of any kind. We’ve also updated some language in our article for clarity.

Update (1/15/22): Troy Baker, who is part of the podcast Play, Watch, Listen with IGN Alum and Sony Santa Monica writer Alanah Pearce, video game developer Mike Bithell, and video game composer Austin Wintory, took the time on the show’s latest episode to reflect on the controversial way he announced he was working with an NFT company and to share his thoughts behind the entire decision.

On Play, Watch, Listen’s 90th episode, which is titled “Talking to Troy Baker About His NFT Tweet,” Baker discussed that the main reason he decided to partner with Voiceverse was not because of the NFT component, but because he thought it would be a way to help independent creators get “valuable resources” they may not have been able to get otherwise.

“While I understood that an NFT was a component to this, that’s not what I got involved with,” Baker said. “I don’t know how I feel about NFTs. Someone presented a platform to me that said, ‘hey, here’s a tool that we’re going to be able to bring valuable resources to creators… independent creators who want to work in animation and video games or other applications.’ And I was like, ‘Fuck yeah, I want to be a part of that,’ cause that’s the problem.”

After saying that his choice to accompany his tweet with an image of himself that is reminiscent of other NFT artwork on the internet was “the stupidest thing I could have done,” he further elaborated why he believed in this proposal.

“The intention I had behind this was like, ‘hey, if some independent game maker wants to have me in their game and they can’t afford me and they can do that now, great,'” Baker said. “And, he can own the rights to this and own that in perpetuity? That’s the problem, right, artists not being supported for their art? That’s what I wanted to do, and was like, ‘this is great!'”

Baker also responded to the many commentators who said that this type of company very well may put voice actors out of business.

“I don’t think people are being vitriolic for no reason,” Baker said. “I think that there is a lot of this that has tremendous merit. So, I’ve reached out to the company, I’m asking this, we’re continuing the conversation. I don’t know what’s going to happen and I told them that very specifically. But what I do want to make sure that I’m doing is that… the intention that I had is preserved – which is to help independent creators – that still is there.

“I want to be able to do that. If this is an avenue for me to do that, great, if it’s not, I want to find that avenue because I do still believe in that. And if the only reason why I don’t do something to help somebody out is because it may hurt me, that’s a fucked up reason to not do the right thing. So, if that means you can help somebody but that means you’re not going to get something out of it, that’s pretty shitty of me. So, if I lose out of a job by giving somebody else one, how does that make me an asshole?”

Near the end of their conversation, Baker took a moment to apologize for how he handled this situation while also thanking those who spoke up for helping him learn and grow.

“To everybody out there, regardless of what you said, I want you to know that I really thank you for your patience and I thank you for the opportunity to learn,” Baker concluded. “This is what I’ve tried to do my entire life, is learn how to tell my story better. Learn how to speak better. And, I learned new words and I get shit for it sometimes but I want to do that because I just want to learn how to effectively communicate.

“And so today I really recognized that fact that, me trying to do that, was just a fucking bad look and everyone who said that was a shitty thing to say, you’re absolutely right, you’re absolutely right, and I apologize for that. I wished that I had phrased it differently, and I welcome people’s thoughts about this. I want to learn more about this technology, I want to learn more about this space, I want to learn more about how people feel about this.”

Update (1/14/22): Troy Baker has apologized for his earlier tweets, saying that the “hate/create part” might have been “a bit antagonistic,” and asking fans on social media to forgive him. His full thread along with the original story can be seen below.

Voice actor Troy Baker has announced he is partnering with an NFT company, and his fans are less than impressed.

Baker, who is most famous for his role as Joel in The Last of Us, revealed on Twitter that he’s partnering with Voiceverse, a company that helps create and promote AI powered voice NFTs. These text-to-speech voices are designed with the intention of being used to create audiobooks, podcasts, read scripts, and other projects that require voice over without the need for an actual voice actor.

“I’m partnering with [VoiceverseNFT] to explore ways where together we might bring new tools to new creators to make new things, and allow everyone a chance to own & invest in the IP’s they create,” said Baker, before signing off “You can hate. Or you can create. What’ll it be?”

At the time of writing, the tweet has invited vastly more replies and quote retweets than likes, revealing the controversial nature of the topic.

The largely negative response to Baker’s announcement includes a variety of concerns, including those about how NFTs impact artists, actors, and the creative industries at large.

Replies have tried to draw Baker’s attention to how many artists have fallen victim to NFT scams, and that the NFT movement as a whole has fundamental flaws in regards to its use as a creative platform.

Others have draw attention to the environmental impact of NFTs, and their use in potential fraud and tax evasion.

Essentially, the reaction can be summed up succinctly with this tweet:

The NFT debate seems like it’s going to be a major games industry talking point in 2022; Square Enix’s President noted that he was exploring them in a New Year’s letter, and this follows EA’s claims of NFTs being an important part of the future. Sega has also hopped on the NFT bandwagon, but says it will drop plans if fans see it as “simple moneymaking”.

While the industry does seem to be pushing into the field, it hasn’t stopped fans fighting back. STALKER 2’s developers cancelled its own NFT plans in less than an hour after fan backlash.

Matt Purslow is IGN’s UK News and Entertainment Writer.

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