Troy Baker is a household name in the gaming community, often the first person studios call for his unmatched vocal talents. The performer behind iconic characters like Joel in The Last of Us, Sam from Uncharted, and Indiana Jones in Indiana Jones And The Great Circle is now looking toward a new horizon: game development.
Inspired by Industry Pioneers
In a recent interview with Eurogamer, Baker discussed his transition from performing to creating. He noted being inspired by Abubakar Salim, the voice actor for Assassin's Creed Origins, who successfully moved into development with the Afro-futurist action game Tales of Kenzera: Zau.
During his career, Troy Baker has worked alongside some of the most influential names in the industry. He credited these legends with teaching him the essential principles of storytelling:
- Hideo Kojima
- Neil Druckmann
- Ken Levine
- Todd Howard
- Vince Zampella
"What I am excited about doing is taking those tenets, taking those principles of wildly successful titles - not just in terms of sales and figures, but the stories that have defined the industry - and being able to innovate and replicate and emulate those processes and practices into the stories that I want to tell," Baker told Eurogamer. He added that he intends to take his time to ensure his future projects match the high caliber of the titles he has helped shape.
A Legendary Career in Performance
While his eyes are on game development, Baker's current workload remains massive. With over 430 voice-acting credits to his name, he possesses a range that spans from the intense atmosphere of BioShock Infinite to the animation of The Simpsons.
Even as he plans his next move, Troy Baker continues to lead major upcoming projects. His current and upcoming roles include:
- Jack Pepper in Mouse: P.I. for Hire
- Naughty Dog's upcoming Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet
- Ken Levine's highly anticipated Judas
The industry is eagerly awaiting to see how the man who has voiced so many legends applies his experience to building worlds of his own.
