C&C Kane actor speaks out on games

By Robert Purchese Published 28 March, 2008

Reckons they're not too influential yet.

Actor Joe Kucan who plays Kane in the Command & Conquer series has said games are not culturally influential yet.

Speaking exclusively to Eurogamer just moments ago, he said it was the genre rather than the games that were turning heads.

"We're half-way there," said Joe Kucan in a slightly sinister voice. "The only thing that's culturally influential now is the genre itself. There's nothing specific about any of the games that are worming their way into the psyche of the world.

"But that notion of the videogame, the videogamer, the Internet, or the online game has certainly had a tremendous amount of influence in terms of people markets - not just products, but how they look at spending their leisure time."

Joe Kucan began his career as a videogame actor back with Command & Conquer in 1995, or "1852 or something" if you believe him. His latest dramatic efforts can be seen in C&C 3 expansion Kane's Wrath, which is out tomorrow.

He recognised that there has been a colossal improvement in technology even though his role has changed little in a decade or so. And although more seem open to the idea of acting for videogames these days, there is still some toffee-nosing among the dramatic community.

"I think there's still snobbery; I think there's still a massive misunderstanding about what the work actually is," added Kucan.

Join us for our full chit-chat with Joe Kucan and fellow Kane's Wrath actor Carl Lumbly sometime next week.

Picture of Robert.

About Robert Purchese

Bertie is Eurogamer's Senior Staff Writer. When he's not hunting down news stories he's often found playing with his kids or gabbling about fantasy games and strange online worlds.

Read more articles from Robert by visiting the Robert Purchese archive page.

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Comments (22) Latest comment 4 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • bengray66 #1 4 years ago

    Was that written in a lazy Friday afternoon mood?

  • quantumsheep #2 4 years ago

    Has Joe been in anything else of any note?

    Or has his role in C&C as Kane been his only source of income?

    Just curious. Actually, it's such a lazy Friday afternoon I'll pop along to IMDB and find out myself...

    *edit* he's only credited with C&C games on IMDB. Before tiberium wars last year, the last game he worked on was back in 2002. So what did he do for 5 years????

    Inquiring minds need to know!!!
    Edited by 1 at 28/03/08 @ 16:14

  • Whizzo #3 4 years ago

    He's obviously been recruiting members for the Brotherhood of Nod during the quiet times.

  • Evolution #4 4 years ago

    "I think there's still a massive misunderstanding about what the work actually is," added Kucan.

    Almost every live action performance for video games demonstrates this.

  • JediMasterMalik #5 4 years ago

    Edit - And It's fixed!
    Edited by 1 at 28/03/08 @ 17:46

  • L0cky #6 4 years ago

    "I think there's still snobbery"

    Tell that to De Niro and Pacino who are voicing Heat.

    oh yeah... the cake is a lie :p

  • php_penguin #7 4 years ago

    when he isn't in C&C he plays one of the Seven Dwarves for the local theatre ... or occasionally the bad guy

  • Widge #8 4 years ago

    There still seems to be a mentality (at least in the UK), that games are NOT for those advancing on 30 and further. Which I think is absolute balls personally. I have heard comments along the lines of "you should grow up and do something else" in my time. Grow up and do what exactly? Develop an interest in gardening?

    I think the games industry does have a lack of respect from the bystanders, its not hard to see why. Stroll past the magazine rack in a shop and there are about two publications that don't look horrifically embarrasing to buy (Edge and Gamer). The garish, horrible front covers with awful infantile taglines scream to the passers by that "this demonstrates the demographic that love this past time".

  • Killerbee #9 4 years ago

    I don't know, I think games are getting there - they're not there yet (as in, I don't expect the BBC to be screening a HIGNFY / TTIAO / NMTB programme based around gaming any time soon - it would be cool though... Charlie Brooker and Simon Pegg as team captains?) but surely the recent GTA influenced Coke ad is a good indicator. Coke is, after all, one of the biggest brands in the world - it doesn't get more culturally influential than that.

    And as for actors being snooty - Patrick Stewart in Oblivion; Samuel L. Jackson in GTA: San Andreas. Again, we're getting there...

  • Ravenger #10 4 years ago

    When the BBC website starts categorising game stories under 'Entertainment' rather than 'Technology' then I'll know that games are accepted in mainstream 'culture'.

  • Veldaban #11 4 years ago

    Never mind game shows, when are games going to turn up on things like the Culture Show, Newsnight Review, South Bank Show, etc? Of course, the problem is that the industry doesn't produce culturally relevant games in the first place, and when they do, there doesn't seem to be anyone there to actually try to get these games on shows like this.

  • teknohead #12 4 years ago

    Widge, I couldn't give a fuck if a magazine said 'HEY YOU 13 YEAR OLD BOY, BUY THIS MAGAZINE, IT WILL PUT HAIRS ON YOUR BALLS'. If it's about videogaming then I'm likely to buy it cos theres bound to be something I'm interested in reading in there somewhere, like how a magazine could possibly put hairs on my balls. Either way, my point is, WHO CARES what the average person thinks!

  • GiarcYekrub #13 4 years ago

    "What is it with all of these people crawling out of the woodwork lately. First the Alias guy, now the guy who played Kane in C&C, whos next? "

    Read it they are both in the C&C3 expansion pack

  • Moribundman #14 4 years ago

    The thing is, we *are* now rapidly approaching a year when mainstream, bonafide, middle class WASPy critics on the likes of Newsnight Review/The Culture Show will give credence to gaming. As the "hobby" becomes more ingrained in the cultural psyche you'll get more (younger) critics coming on the shows who actually give a shit and understand gaming; also researchers and production crew who will greenlight it and an audience who'll watch it.

    It's kind of like an audience of middle aged people (including Sean Connery in Goldfinger) balking at the idea of the Beatles being "cultural" in the 60s, or Grundy pompously arguing with the 'Pistols in the 70s... As soon as the people who were cringing at those references at the time progress to senior roles in the mainstream press, they'll comment on the silliness of it.

    The problem we have now is that TV producers and mainstream publishers won't headline a story about games being a serious medium (in the POSITIVE sense) because they don't get it OR they *do* get it but reckon the majority of folks at home won't. Give it 5-10 years and people will take all this more seriously, because they grew up with it...

  • Jigglybean #15 4 years ago

    shame he didnt speak out about the crap expansion for C&C3

  • Freek #16 4 years ago

    He actaully started as the director for the cinematics at Westwood and did the role of Kane on the side.

  • butler` #17 4 years ago

    Anyone else find this amusing coming from the mouth of someone that works on the most unremarkable game series of all time? (Since the original, naturally.)

    CNC3 is hardly a beacon of light for gaming as a culturally influencing medium...

  • Nithron #18 4 years ago

    Okay, so CNC3 isn't exactly the magnum opus of gaming as a whole, but that doesn't make his views any less valid. I mean, he didn't make it, did he? Also, he was working on the first CNC. You know, back when it was an incredibly influential title.

  • VMerken #19 4 years ago

    Hmm, so games aren't a part of human culture, where the child plays games to train its skills in a positive atmosphere, to learn that which might be of use once it (peacefully) breaks free of its parents? Thanks Joe, for setting me straight there. I almost thought games were an important part of an individual's upbringing.

  • Widge #20 4 years ago

    teknohead:

    to be influential culturally, then a move away from this perceived childishness is what is needed for the average consumer. You are already won over by the market (as am I), we can easily be impressed by what games offer. I was mainly on about what is needed to raise the perception of gaming when a new release can be as important, or as widely perceived as the next movie or album release.

  • teknohead #21 4 years ago

    Fair enough, that makes sense Widge.

  • dk_rare #22 4 years ago

    Should have videoed the interview, would have been awesome seeing Kane speak so candidly ^_^