23-08-2026, 09:22 PM
Since my brother started working in AAA games, I actually revisited this subject with him a few years ago. Here's how he broke it down:
The client has final say in everything, but it's the casting director who makes the initial decision. Kris Zimmerman was voice director, but I don't know if she cast for the game as well. If Kojima wanted the casting director to send the auditions out, then they'd be obligated to do so. And then, of those who submit, if that person still thinks Hayter is the best fit for the job, then they probably pushed pretty hard to keep Hayter on, even if Kojima wasn't a fan. Worst case scenario, that casting director could go over Kojima's head and go directly to Konami's reps because as the producers, they had final say over everything, not Kojima.
My guess is this would've been the song and dance that Hayter had to go through, just as a formality. If Kojima tells the casting director to send auditions then if that person wants to keep their job, they will, but then they can go right back to Kojima, say they did, and no one was better for Snake than Hayter. It was when they went directly to Sutherland's reps that it kinda just circumvents everything unless Konami disapproved, which they clearly didn't.
But the fact that they went straight back to Hayter with all of these MGS Ford commercials, all of these new spinoffs like Rainbow Six and Delta Force, the new material for MGSD and whatever else may in the works, tells me that Konami's NA side still has love for Hayter or recognizes his importance to fans.
From what my brother has told me, Chinese or Japanese clients put their main focus on their side of things, not the localizations. So Kojima not seeming to care too much for Hayter, while not all that cool, isn't as uncommon as people who don't work in that field may think. That's why Snake's Japanese VA has remained the same throughout, since he's the main one Kojima would've worked intimately with.
Apparently, even with games that have union contracts, you're not contracted to work on the franchise, just the one game. Anything that may come after the fact is a whole clean slate. It's just usually assumed that the crew would keep working with the same people because you build relationships and trusts. But MGSV was also the first time the facial cap was done on the American side, so that probably opened the door for some changes to be implemented.
The client has final say in everything, but it's the casting director who makes the initial decision. Kris Zimmerman was voice director, but I don't know if she cast for the game as well. If Kojima wanted the casting director to send the auditions out, then they'd be obligated to do so. And then, of those who submit, if that person still thinks Hayter is the best fit for the job, then they probably pushed pretty hard to keep Hayter on, even if Kojima wasn't a fan. Worst case scenario, that casting director could go over Kojima's head and go directly to Konami's reps because as the producers, they had final say over everything, not Kojima.
My guess is this would've been the song and dance that Hayter had to go through, just as a formality. If Kojima tells the casting director to send auditions then if that person wants to keep their job, they will, but then they can go right back to Kojima, say they did, and no one was better for Snake than Hayter. It was when they went directly to Sutherland's reps that it kinda just circumvents everything unless Konami disapproved, which they clearly didn't.
But the fact that they went straight back to Hayter with all of these MGS Ford commercials, all of these new spinoffs like Rainbow Six and Delta Force, the new material for MGSD and whatever else may in the works, tells me that Konami's NA side still has love for Hayter or recognizes his importance to fans.
From what my brother has told me, Chinese or Japanese clients put their main focus on their side of things, not the localizations. So Kojima not seeming to care too much for Hayter, while not all that cool, isn't as uncommon as people who don't work in that field may think. That's why Snake's Japanese VA has remained the same throughout, since he's the main one Kojima would've worked intimately with.
Apparently, even with games that have union contracts, you're not contracted to work on the franchise, just the one game. Anything that may come after the fact is a whole clean slate. It's just usually assumed that the crew would keep working with the same people because you build relationships and trusts. But MGSV was also the first time the facial cap was done on the American side, so that probably opened the door for some changes to be implemented.
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