Thoughts on influencers/youtubers being NPCs in the game

[HellKnightX88]

So apparently Jesse Cox, Cohcarnage and possibly others are going to be NPCs (likeness and all) in the game, some of them even having their own quests tied to them and I'm curious about what the community thinks about that.

Personally I hate it. Let me make it crystal clear that I have nothing against those people but I feel it's a bit immersion breaking bumping into these types of NPCs. For my personal taste the 3 farting trolls that referenced Angry Joe, Dodger and Jesse Cox was already pushing it a bit (along with the fact that gwent cards used conteporary personalities like Ciri but that's an entirely different discussion) but this feels.... jarring.

One might argue that they have Keanu in there as Silverhand but Keanu is a professional actor, when I watch Matrix I'm not thinking about him I'm thinking about Neo. I'm capable of detaching Keanu from Silverhand if that makes sense. When I bump into Jesse Cox I'm not going to think "oh, this guy's name is Steve (or whatever) and he has a job for me", I'm going to think "why am I running into Jesse Cox in my singleplayer videogame?".

To me the idea seems contradictory with the heavy emphasis on immersion in the other aspects of the game's design. So what gives?

 

[Bottleblonde]

Until yesterday I had no idea who Jesse Cox was. I don't watch streamers or influencers. I'm sure it made his day however being a NPC in Cyberpunk.

 

[xxTotexx]

Is that the guy from the E3 cringe compilation? Lol are the characters named after them too or something different?

 

[HellKnightX88]

Is that the guy from the E3 cringe compilation? Lol are the characters named after them too or something different?

I dunno. E3 and cringe go hand in hand (along with false advertising, fake hype and other fake things) so it's hard to tell if you're thinking about the same person. I dunno if Jesse's associated with E3 in any capacity (presentations and colaborations) beyond being there as a VIP.
This is Jesse: https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EB5IvmgX4AAn-Qt.jpg

 

[UnreadyPlayer2]

I think it's a double-edged sword:
On one hand it's cool, fans will enjoy a lot and people who don't know them will not care much, they are not literally the same person, just the image and some personality traits of them, since it does not affect the main storyline it's fine for me.
On the other hand, the image of the game will be forever attached with them, and there is a chance that these
people will disappoint you in the future some way or another (specially in the age we are living).

 

[Garrison72]

CDPR has been doing this since TW1, although in that case it was just fellow devs. I'd kinda rather they didn't do it because it does break immersion for me.

 

[xxTotexx]

CDPR has been doing this since TW1, although in that case it was just fellow devs. I'd kinda rather they didn't do it because it does break immersion for me.

I feel that way about Keanu. I hope we can customize him as well as V. I heard somewhere the Johnny's appearance will be customizable. Has anyone else heard this too or just me?

 

[CyberBrett]

I voted don`t care the only one of the three i know is Coh . If by chance i see a YouTuber i know and like i would prob just think cool .Like The Mad Queen who has been a CP fan for ever .

 

[Spockprime]

I have no idea who that individual is, and this is the first I've heard of giving such people cameos in the game. No, I don't like it at all. It's a line crossed for me, basically akin to bribing reviewers. Bioware did this with a shill video game reporter in Mass Effect 3. I might follow suit with what I did in ME 3, and wait until I can mod them out before I play the game. The only caveat here is that the person is described as an "influencer", which is basically a paid shill in the first place.

 

[Tuco]

I genuinely don't give a damn.

 

[Interitus]

I think it's a fun easter egg if it's a dev, or even a last wish of someone dying of a terminal illness.

Out of that it comes across more of an attempt to get more people to buy so they can see their favourite youtuber in game. It's just off-putting for me.

 

[G30M1]

I think it's quite immersive breaking.

However. I have no idea who these people are. So as long as I stay that way, I probably won't care.

 

[Bloodartist]

Well they are obviously true NPCs, with in-universe names and jobs and all. So I am fine with it. I will probably not recognize any anyway.

 

[HellKnightX88]

I feel that way about Keanu. I hope we can customize him as well as V. I heard somewhere the Johnny's appearance will be customizable. Has anyone else heard this too or just me?

Very very unlikely. They wouldn't go to the effort of hiring the guy and make it such a huge deal that he's Silverhand in their marketing if they'd just let you change how he looks.

 

[Guest 3573786]

Good thing I dont know any of them, cause otherwise it's immersion breaking for me. For the same reason I dont like celebrities' likenesses in games either (ok Keanu as an exception ). I remember the first thing I did when I installed Mass Effect 3 was mod that Chobot woman out of the game. Hopefully there will mods for that here as well.

 

[lelxrv]

Depends on if they're themselves or play a character.

 

[Mebrilia]

I dislike it.
Pretty much sums up the marketing around this game.

 

[Ambergeddon]

I don't really care honestly.

 

[KakitaTatsumaru]

Personally I dislike it, at best it's just immersion breaking, at worst it's blatant corruption.

 

[Draconifors]

Could not care less.