E3 2019: Cyberpunk's Keanu Reveal

E3 2019 is over! Lots of JRPGs! It was indeed an interesting E3. It's the first time we didn't have Sony delivering any sort of conference, leaks were flying out every orifice and there were certainly a lot of surprises. The most notable of it all was probably the reveal of Keanu Reeves as Johnny Silverhand in the upcoming Cyberpunk 2077. The crowd went wild with excitement and people were literally wetting themselves. But as I sat there, watching Twitch chat go nuts, watching the crowd cry out with joy and gaming influencers scream like little girls, I find myself very much removed from the sudden rush of dopamine. In fact, I found myself a bit disappointed with the reveal.

You see, in the current landscape of things, Keanu Reeves is very much the most popular actor for the time being. His new movie, John Wick 3, just came out, he's being dubbed as the internet's boyfriend and he's appeared nearly everywhere to promote the movie. Besides that, the advent of social media has never been bigger and I find myself watching ridiculously old videos of Keanu being shared like no tomorrow across various different platforms. He IS the spotlight and there's obviously nothing weird about that. Anyone who's grown up with social media can tell you that it's extremely normal to have this spotlight from time to time.

E3 is the time for gamers to reign. Gaming has become so prevalent that it went from being a nerd thing to things cool dudes go for. Basically, like comic book movies. That whole discussion is a topic by itself but what I'm trying to get at is that E3 is the one time a year that gamers around the world can unite and collectively enjoy their hobby as they always have. So I find it a little off putting that Hollywood's Keanu Reeves will come in center stage and literally have everyone saying Cyberpunk 2077 'won' because 'KEANU REEVES!!! OMG!?!?'.

It's annoying because everyone's acting like they've never seen real world actors in games before and it honestly feels VERY much a marketing ploy more than an actual creative decision. It's not like we don't have our own celebrities. Slap Troy Baker, Nolan North or Laura Bailey on any game nowadays and everyone's guaranteed to think more highly of the title. What does a millionaire like Keanu bring to an already financially fat Cyberpunk 2077? The answer is obvious. The financially fat Cyberpunk 2077 can afford to pay Keanu Reeves because his name itself will bring a crazy amount of attention to the game. Couple that with the timely reveal while his fame is at its highest and you have the game plastered across every digital magazine in the world.

I'm being extremely cynical here and I get that most people are just excited to see their 'favourite' celebrity in an upcoming AAA title. But that's the thing. Why does a famous Hollywood celebrity have to come in to make things boom in the industry? It's like we're irrelevant unless we net one of the big fish from the other pond. I don't share the enthusiasm of Keanu being in the game because it serves zero purpose other than as a marketing strategy. Okay, he's in the game. Let's get to seeing some gameplay or performance. Is it wrong for him to be in it? Of course not! But I dislike how everyone's leaking bodily fluids simply because he's in the game.

Also, while we're on topic, the other odd name sticking out is George R.R. Martin. The man who created the Game of Thrones book series is aiding From Software in developing their next high fantasy title: Elden Ring.

Now, unlike Keanu, George being in Elden Ring makes sense as From Software only does gameplay and lore very well. George has skills in developing a great story. Combine them and you've got something quite interesting for a new Souls-type title. But again, that small voice in the back of my mind is telling me it's all for the marketing hype. After all, if From Software can develop games that receive extremely well through environmental storytelling, I doubt they can't create an overarching plot of betrayal and politics for their new game. Even if they couldn't come up with one, there are tons of writers solely creating for the gaming industry. Why fork up the cash for George? Because he's one of the best? I have my doubts that that is their reasoning but I'll give them the BOTD.

Maybe I'm being too critical of everything. After all, if everyone's having a great time with the news, who am I to say that it's unsavoury? Do you agree with me? Let me know what you think!