MID Discussion, Release Date, Unity Etc

[tsukiakari]

I have absolutely no proof, but I heard from someone that the app was going to have nothing to do with ND, and while it will be a cool concept, only like 2% of HeR's fans will probably be interested. But, like I said, I have no proof of there is any truth to that…

The letter does specifically say that it will be a "new Nancy Drew mobile app", so unless Her changes their mind, I would say that's going to stick. But your post reminds me of the social media app "focal" that Her released a while back...so I did some searching, and it appears to have been removed from the iTunes store. I wonder if they'll re-release it someday?

[nancycluedrew]

I have absolutely no proof, but I heard from someone that the app was going to have nothing to do with ND, and while it will be a cool concept, only like 2% of HeR's fans will probably be interested. But, like I said, I have no proof of there is any truth to that…

I've heard this as well. But the letter did say "Nancy Drew mobile" so I would assume it must have something to do with Nancy Drew.

[DPL_93]

Id be interested to know how far they were with MID's development before they decided to delay it, If they game was originally supposed to be released this October, that means there was only about 2 months left till release which means the game should have been pretty much finished. Last few months are usually just spent on testing for bugs ect.


If HeR wanted to switch to Unity they should have done it as soon as they finished working on SEA not wait a couple of months before MID is due out and then decide they want to switch Platforms.

I guessing the original plan was to switch to Unity after MID. This was when the "New Direction" was suppose to begin. If I recall correctly HeR wanted Lani to voice Nancy in MID but she declined so obviously that put an end to that.

I think HeR might have decided that it would have been a bit awkward having a new voice for Nancy for one game before switching to the New platform so it was best to start the "New Direction" with MID which I think makes perfect since.

I just think if HeR had decided on this much earlier e.g when Lani had decided to leave, that there might have been less of a delay. Doesn't make much business sense to take a game to almost 100% completion and then decide you want to switch Platforms.

[paperstreet]

I've heard this as well. But the letter did say "Nancy Drew mobile" so I would assume it must have something to do with Nancy Drew.

maybe it will just be branded Nancy Drew like it could just be some kind of app game for ex candy crush, where instead of candy you are matching up detective stuff. so there is no mystery and nancy doesnt appear. I doubt there will be a story, etc

[Royal Payne]

I guessing the original plan was to switch to Unity after MID. This was when the "New Direction" was suppose to begin. If I recall correctly HeR wanted Lani to voice Nancy in MID but she declined so obviously that put an end to that.

I think HeR might have decided that it would have been a bit awkward having a new voice for Nancy for one game before switching to the New platform so it was best to start the "New Direction" with MID which I think makes perfect since.

I just think if HeR had decided on this much earlier e.g when Lani had decided to leave, that there might have been less of a delay. Doesn't make much business sense to take a game to almost 100% completion and then decide you want to switch Platforms.

From what I understand, Lani didn't decide to leave; HeR fired her. Also, Lani wasn't asked to voice Nancy in MID that I recall, unless I completely missed something; she was asked to voice Nancy's mentor. Which would have been a little strange, her sticking around as the mentor but not Nancy. Here is where I'm getting this from:

Hi everyone. It's Lani and I just wanted to clear up what I was told and that was they wanted to possibly give me some recurring role like a mentor to Nancy. And no, not her mom, and because I couldn't really grasp how that would work well with the fans, I said "That's ok. If there's every another part you can't cast, like parrots or vervet monkeys or monsters, I'm here for ya." So as in all games, you cannot please everyone. I remind you all that I have sounded younger and older as Nancy, and could sound any age. We tried different things. What she says or how hip she is or isn't is due to the script and the persona they stuck with hard and firm. She could not say "slang" like "gonna" instead of "Going to." She could not get into anything supernatural or believe in ghosts. She was not supposed to be able to pronounce foreign names. I really did not like that part of the Drew rule book, but who knows? Maybe with the new actor and writer, they will start loosening up a bit.
I will wait along with you to see the changes and hope for the very best.
Love you all!

First let me say I'm being asked to change my user name but before I do, I want to respond to some common threads regarding me etc. The term "new direction" as to why I should be replaced, didn't entirely make sense to me. But I was amicable and understanding and hugged the people telling me, saying "I know it was not your fault and thanks for many years of great work."

When Nancy's voice sounded older, it was because I was told to sound that way. I'm can sound any age and maintain that character. I think perhaps they knew the audience age range had matured. We also tried to give her a little bit more attitude sometimes when confronting a suspect we knew might be the bad guy. Mixed reactions were the result of those attempts. Can't please everybody all the time, right? This brings me to the second point.

Secondly: When we tried to make Nancy sound more cool, modern, or sarcastic, we were stopped in our tracks. Told it wasn't true to her persona. I could not even say "Gonna" instead of "going to." She could not believe in anything supernatural, could not pronounce foreign words very well etc. I had to go along with the acceptable persona....always nice, straight-laced, a bit clueless on how to pronounce things, and no slang. The writer and I both hoped many of the adlibs and fun recorded moments would remain in the game, but they would get nixed before release.

Thirdly, I was asked to remain until they found their new Nancy voice and they wanted to write me in as some recurring character, like a mentor to Nancy. I felt that fans might not resonate well with this, and I asked permission to thank the fans (for my closure and to allow Her to be able to do an open search without disguising what voice they were looking for) I waited for permission, and Her approved what I was posting before I posted it. The first post I made on FB where I did not have a lot of ND fans. I did this Halloween afternoon so as few people as possible would notice. I could not sleep and needed closure PLUS I wanted to let fans know how much I appreciated them and that I did not walk out on them or make anyone at HER upset with me

Lastly, It was never anything about a money issue, a talent issue, my not being available issue.....none of these. I can't totally fathom the logic behind this change, but I want to give both the fans and HER the respect they deserve. So please stop calling HER and me rude and unprofessional. I did not want them to do a tribute to me as it would be like an obituary. I am humble, and just wanted peace and closure without a lot of ceremony. I hope you all can respect that, and know I wish everyone all the best.

I am so grateful and frankly, very surprised at how many fans Nancy Drew has, and it's not just me, it's the games of course. The creative team at HER has been very supportive and gone through quite a bit. I wish them continued success and hope this post answers some questions and calms some nerves.
Thank you again for everything!

But I agree. It is odd to get that far into production and decide to make those changes.

[paperstreet]

I wish they hadnt even had a trailer at the end of SEA, but to promise a really great game and know it was already written, and some actors had already been cast and then see it "temporarily" shelved is much more of a let down.

[Mysty]

Guessing DPL_93 is referring to this blog post - Hope it's alright to post since it's apart of HER's website -http://www.herinteractive.com/2014/05/returning-past/

Little Jacklope mentions "To mix up the different styles of the games, we are shifting from an adventure-style game over to a myth-style game."

Hey all! To clarify, that specific post was to describe the style of game LIE was to become. The myth-themed games are The Captive Curse (monster myth), Curse of Blackmoor Manor (creature in the moors, and the witch haunting the halls myth) and so I was grouping Labyrinth of Lies in that type of category to describe it. (Greek myths.)

It was not generalizing the direction of all the games.

From what I understand, Lani didn't decide to leave; HeR fired her. Also, Lani wasn't asked to voice Nancy in MID that I recall, unless I completely missed something; she was asked to voice Nancy's mentor. Which would have been a little strange, her sticking around as the mentor but not Nancy. Here is where I'm getting this from:

But I agree. It is odd to get that far into production and decide to make those changes.

We did not fire Lani. Even though she may not be the same Nancy as in the teaser for MID, she was asked if she was available for other voice acting in the future.

As for the release date, since we are switching to Unity, we are not 100% sure when this new project will indeed be finished since it is different than our old formula for building the games. We are not 100% sure when it will be completed ourselves. We'll just have to wait and see and share with you when we really do have more info!

[Royal Payne]

Hello, Mysty!

Hey all! To clarify, that specific post was to describe the style of game LIE was to become. The myth-themed games are The Captive Curse (monster myth), Curse of Blackmoor Manor (creature in the moors, and the witch haunting the halls myth) and so I was grouping Labyrinth of Lies in that type of category to describe it. (Greek myths.)

It was not generalizing the direction of all the games.

Oh, then I stand corrected. I completely read too much into that. Thanks for clearing that up!

We did not fire Lani. Even though she may not be the same Nancy as in the teaser for MID, she was asked if she was available for other voice acting in the future.

I find it very interesting that you say that. Lani herself said something quite different. I wrapped the part that is relevant in bold:

.............anyways. (Please drop the "s" on the word anyway) LOL
Lani herself might have decided to leave, NO THAT'S NOT THE CASE ---------------------- her voice can't do it any more_------AND THIS IS NOT TRUE EITHER AS I HAVE POSTED ELSEWHERE.

the only one that does know what's going on is HER.

Maybe Lani herself is helping to choose the next Nancy voice. ------NO I HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH THEIR CHOICE AT ALL and I am not mad using CAPS just trying to DIFFERENTIATE IT FROM THE REST OF THIS POST

So. You say that Lani was not fired. And Lani says she did not leave on her own. Fascinating....

[Mysty]

Nancy Drew's voice will be recast, but Lani isn't the new voice. However, Lani was asked to be a resource (another voice) for potential roles in the future.

[tsukiakari]

So. You say that Lani was not fired. And Lani says she did not leave on her own. Fascinating....

I think what we're supposed to infer here is that there was some sort of monetary or stylistic decision going on in the background, perhaps? Firing normally comes as a result of the employee in question being, well, a bad employee. So while Lani might not have done anything to deserve being removed from her role, Her still had reasons to do so and the split was more amicable than just "you're fired". More like "sorry, you can't voice Nancy, but we'll let you know if there are any other openings 'round here", I suppose

Personally I'd love to know what sort of "mentor" Lani would have voiced, if she'd agreed to it. That could have been...very interesting. Although admittedly I'm just picturing Yoda

[paperstreet]

Personally I'd love to know what sort of "mentor" Lani would have voiced, if she'd agreed to it. That could have been...very interesting. Although admittedly I'm just picturing Yoda

I can totally see why Lani said no. That would be like if, after 20 years, your husband left you for a younger woman but he asked you to stay around to teach her how to cook. ; )

[DPL_93]

Nancy Drew's voice will be recast, but Lani isn't the new voice. However, Lani was asked to be a resource (another voice) for potential roles in the future.

By saying Recast do you mean the voice at the end of MID preview is not the new voice and that's still being decided?

I'd be interested to know why HeR didn't consider Lani for the Voice of Nancy anymore but still think she is good enough for potential roles in the future? If I was Lani I would be offended by that basically your wanting the best of both worlds, keeping Lani for some roles and getting a New Voice actress. Sorry I just still don't understand the logic of getting rid of Lani.

[Tedbear2]

Sorry I just still don't understand the logic of getting rid of Lani.

I don't either. And I have given up thinking that we will ever know the real reason behind this decision. But it absolutely runs counter to what the company keeps telling us; namely, that they care what the fans think....

Sorry to derail the topic, and I won't do it again. But it's been almost a year now since I first heard that Lani was being replaced, and it doesn't sit any better with me now than it did then.

[Royal Payne]

Nancy Drew's voice will be recast, but Lani isn't the new voice. However, Lani was asked to be a resource (another voice) for potential roles in the future.

I realize Lani is not the new voice for Nancy. I never expected that she would be, but I still support the petition for her to return, even if it feels pretty much pointless now.

However, it seems odd to me that Lani was let go from the position of voicing Nancy but you still want her for other lesser important roles. This is just my personal view, but -- that is kind of insulting. Basically, what I take away from this is that she was no longer good enough to voice Nancy after 16 years, but you offer to keep her around for other voices that are not as essential that pretty much anyone else can probably do.

I think what we're supposed to infer here is that there was some sort of monetary or stylistic decision going on in the background, perhaps? Firing normally comes as a result of the employee in question being, well, a bad employee. So while Lani might not have done anything to deserve being removed from her role, Her still had reasons to do so and the split was more amicable than just "you're fired". More like "sorry, you can't voice Nancy, but we'll let you know if there are any other openings 'round here", I suppose

Personally I'd love to know what sort of "mentor" Lani would have voiced, if she'd agreed to it. That could have been...very interesting. Although admittedly I'm just picturing Yoda

Lani also addressed whether or not it was a monetary decision. Here is what Lani said about that:

I just want you to know I am still acting, directing etc and nothing is preventing me from work. It was an exec decision to try something new with a different Nancy Voice and making game improvements as well. Thanks so much for all your support. It means the world to me and I will miss you all a lot. And no it had nothing to do with money either. LOL

So I agree, it must be a stylistic decision. Lani even says here that it was an exec decision to try something new with a different Nancy voice. But after 16 years of success with one style, one talented voice actress, it makes no sense to me to imply that she was no longer good enough for the role and tell her she cannot do it anymore. I fail to see how this falls in the category of "game improvements". In SEA, one of the few things I enjoyed about it was hearing Lani's portrayal of Nancy. She nailed it.

I agree, I would love to know what HeR had in mind for a mentor. (Hehehe, love that mental image with Yoda being her mentor. XD)

I can totally see why Lani said no. That would be like if, after 20 years, your husband left you for a younger woman but he asked you to stay around to teach her how to cook. ; )

I literally just laughed out loud. XD Loved that comparison. That is precisely it!

By saying Recast do you mean the voice at the end of MID preview is not the new voice and that's still being decided?

I'd be interested to know why HeR didn't consider Lani for the Voice of Nancy anymore but still think she is good enough for potential roles in the future? If I was Lani I would be offended by that basically your wanting the best of both worlds, keeping Lani for some roles and getting a New Voice actress. Sorry I just still don't understand the logic of getting rid of Lani.

EXACTLY. 100% agree.

Also, here is something else Lani said about recasting Nancy's voice:

I've been so overwhelmed and honored with your wonderful responses and comments, and I can even take the negative ones. I'm not exaggerating when I say, I never realized the significance of Nancy and the Clue Crew until being on the boat leaving the Her Interactive pier, so to speak. It's so nice you are supportive of not only me, but the franchise, and while I really was not privy to much of the game play or other characters' conversations in SEA, I hope it all comes out great. Just to re-clarify....when I was told of the decision they'd go in a new direction and hire a new voice for Nancy, they told me in closing that they hoped I would stick around for game 34 while they looked for my replacement and that they'd try to write me in as some recurring role. I didn't think the fans would buy the recurring role scenario. It was my decision to let them audition freely and ask for personal closure now, so the fans were prepared and so HER could not be secretive about casting. Money was not an issue. I needed closure and I felt the fans deserved a nice friendly farewell. I think it would have been weird doing another game, knowing I was being replaced, and by my opting out after game #32, I thought it would give them a good opportunity to test drive the talent before possibly making bigger changes to game play or "other things" which might take longer to incorporate.
Again, thank you all so much and know I send you the biggest virtual hug and kiss on the cheek with best wishes for more smiles to come.
LM

So... it kind of sounds like HeR's choice for Nancy in MID will not stick around for ND34?

I don't either. And I have given up thinking that we will ever know the real reason behind this decision. But it absolutely runs counter to what the company keeps telling us; namely, that they care what the fans think....

Sorry to derail the topic, and I won't do it again. But it's been almost a year now since I first heard that Lani was being replaced, and it doesn't sit any better with me now than it did then.

I have pretty much given up too, and I also question whether they truly care what the fans think. But at this point, I do not plan to buy MID, so I do not really care why they are being so secretive / who they choose to voice Nancy / when MID is even released.

...Oops. I guess I am part of the reason why the topic derailed. Sorry about that! Like you, this doesn't sit well with me either. So I'll just replay the 34 games that Lani did voice and reminisce about the good old days.

[paperstreet]

[COLOR="#aa46f0"]


So I agree, it must be a stylistic decision. Lani even says here that it was an exec decision to try something new with a different Nancy voice. But after 16 years of success with one style, one talented voice actress, it makes no sense to me to imply that she was no longer good enough for the role and tell her she cannot do it anymore. I fail to see how this falls in the category of "game improvements". In SEA, one of the few things I enjoyed about it was hearing Lani's portrayal of Nancy. She nailed it.

I think one of the great things about Lani, is that she did a "girl next door" voice that was highly individualistic and with a really defined sound/identity. that is really hard to do.

One of the problems with the recent games is that all the characters kind of sound the same. Is there any difference at all (voicewise) between Dagny, girl from LIE, girl from DED, that archeology student in TOMB, just everyone sounds so much the same and kind of generic, it shows that even though you are a good voice actor, doing a voice that sounds like no one else is really hard, and Lani had that nailed.