Prolific, and extremely popular, voice actor Troy Baker has announced that he is partnering with NFT company Voiceverse which creates AI-powered voice NFTs. These voice-to-text audio NFTs are primarily designed for audiobooks, podcasts, script reading, and any other projects that require voice acting but not necessarily a voice actor. Announced via Twitter by the voice actor, this decision was met rather quickly by the ire of his incredibly passionate fanbase.
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.
We all have a story to tell.
You can hate.
Or you can create.
What’ll it be? pic.twitter.com/cfDGi4q0AZ— Troy Baker (@TroyBakerVA) January 14, 2022
Baker, perhaps best known to modern audiences for playing Joel in The Last of Us or as the Pagan Min in Far Cry 4, seems to choose the wrong words in his tweet when he says “You can hate. Or you can create.” This is because whenever the internet is given a chance to choose between hate… or something else… Hate will usually be the choice.
That being said, there is a valid criticism of his decision, as many of the tweets are quick to point out. While many people dislike NFTs as a commodity, there are environmental concerns about the growing blockchain. Usage of the blockchain can expend high amounts of energy, so much so that a few minutes could use the equivalent of the monthly energy budget of an average household.
As one person points out to Baker:
dude, there are literally people freezing in New York right now because blockchains used up so much power that it raised their energy bills, and now people can’t afford to pay for heat. There is no artistic value in this, its just money and scams with the facade of art.
Another person states:
troy, this is not about “hate.” nfts are unethical. they have a severe impact on the environment, and are creating a massive shortage in chips, computer parts, etc. do you know how nfts are mined? have you done research on any of this?
Baker acknowledged criticism of his decisions, posting another tweet, stating that “I always want to be a part of the conversation, even if sometimes that finds me in the midst of a loud one. Appreciate y’all sharing your thoughts and giving me a lot to think about.”
I always want to be a part of the conversation, even if sometimes that finds me in the midst of a loud one. Appreciate y’all sharing your thoughts and giving me a lot to think about. I’m just a storyteller out here trying to tell my story to whomever will hear and…
— Troy Baker (@TroyBakerVA) January 14, 2022
Of course, NFTs are the current trend of the future. Ubisoft recently announced a platform, Quartz, for NFTs, and Square Enix claims that NFTs and blockchain technology are a big part of their business model moving into 2022. EA and Sega have also stated they view NFTs as important parts of their businesses going forward, though Sega said they would abandon plans if they are seen as “simple moneymaking”. It is not shocking that a successful Voice Actor like Troy Baker would see the value in the platform. Fans have fought back against this model as well, with companies like GSC Game World dropping plans to include it in their upcoming S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2.
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