This wasn't a film company, nor a filming location for any film or TV show. It was a game company called Gamestar Electronic Entertainment.
Joe didn't understand why a game company would recruit an actor like him.
Were they planning to expand their business?
But if they were expanding, it should be the director or someone like that picking actors, right?
But the person in front of him wasn't a director at all. It was the owner of the company, Takayuki.
"Mr. Joe Hume."
"Yes?" Joe straightened his back and introduced himself.
"You had a period of success, but it seems like your career was ruined due to some unfortunate events."
"Yes, but I can assure you, sir, that I am definitely worth my pay. My acting skills are excellent."
...
Before coming here, Joe had already learned what his compensation would be.
It was already the highest income one could expect for a third-tier actor starring in a movie.
He had nearly made it into the first tier, but now, being at the bottom, he couldn't refuse this kind of offer.
So, even if it was just for the compensation, he was going to fight for this opportunity.
Takayuki studied Joe closely.
To be honest, Takayuki thought this guy resembled Snake a bit.
Although he didn't actually need an exact match for Snake's face to make the game, if they could use a real person as a reference, and this person was also a decent actor, it would be a huge help for the cinematic narrative game.
Especially the scar on this guy's face—it wasn't a knife scar, but it still felt like it could be a defining characteristic of Snake.
Joe was actually quite suited for the role.
But it was still too early to say, and Takayuki couldn't be 100% sure that Joe would be the right fit.
He had already interviewed seven or eight actors before, and while most had good acting skills, they didn't quite match Takayuki's vision.
Takayuki wanted an actor who could be used as a reference for the game's character model, but also serve as a promotional figure for the game in the future.
In Takayuki's past life, video games that featured real-life actors as character models often drew a lot of attention. It gave the players a sense of immersion, almost as if they were seeing a real person, and that boosted the player experience.
If possible, Takayuki definitely wanted to use real-life models for his game.
This was his first attempt at creating a cinematic narrative game using real-life models, so he was very serious about it.
"Mr. Joe, before coming here, did you get a general idea of our company?"
Takayuki suddenly asked a question unrelated to acting.
Joe paused, then thought carefully and replied, "Your reputation is absolutely stellar, and you are well-known in the gaming industry. I am also a user of your products, and I really enjoy your games."
"Oh? Which games do you particularly like?" Takayuki asked.
"Uh, Tetris, and the Super Mario series. I really like them."
When Joe's face was disfigured, he went through a period of depression. During that time, he spent a lot of time playing video games.
In his memory, the games that stood out the most were Mario and Tetris.
"Good choices, perfect for some relaxation during work breaks. Now, let me ask you a question related to the job you'll be doing. Are you familiar with motion capture?"
"Of course. In a recent film I was involved in, they used this technology. It's one of the hottest technologies right now. And come to think of it, motion capture was actually popularized by your company, right?"
In the past, Gamestar Electronic Entertainment used the Unreal Engine to break into the visual effects market. After that, Takayuki ventured into motion capture.
Initially, motion capture was still in its experimental stage in this world, with very few commercial applications. But Takayuki was the first to grab the commercial rights and began to expand it.
They first used motion capture in video games, and then the film industry started adopting it, realizing its incredible potential.
Today, motion capture is a standard in the film industry, with countless blockbuster special effects movies relying on it.
As motion capture became popular, Gamestar Electronic Entertainment, which had pioneered its large-scale commercial use, became a prominent name in the film industry.
Takayuki nodded. "So, your next task will be to work with our motion capture system, participating in the production of a game. I also hope you can sign a long-term contract with us and become a permanent main character for a series of our games."
Main character!
That was a word Joe hadn't heard about himself in a long time.
He was going to become a main character?
This surprised him, and he couldn't hide his excitement, his voice slightly trembling as he asked, "Uh, I'd like to know what kind of game production this will be? I'm actually not very familiar with games, and I don't really understand why a game would need an actor like me."
Takayuki said, "It's normal to have such doubts. Come, it just so happens that we've already completed most of the interviews. I'll gather a few people, and we'll go check out our motion capture studio."
Takayuki picked some of the actors he had previously liked from the list, and they drove to the studio.
In the car, Joe saw the other actors that Takayuki had selected.
They were all handsome and beautiful actors.
The female actors were fine, but the male actors—those were his competition.
Seeing their handsome faces and comparing them to his scarred one, Joe began to lose some confidence.
At that moment, the good-looking male actors exchanged glances with each other, each of them clearly seeing Joe as a competitor.
They were all actors stuck in the third tier, and this could be their chance to break into the second tier.
They didn't quite understand why a game would need actors, but they all knew that this was a big project from a large company, so it might be a huge opportunity.
The actors with similar looks exchanged hostile glances, and their conversations were filled with silent competition.
However, none of them paid any attention to Joe.
In their minds, Joe was already passed over. He was the type to only get typecast roles, and there was little chance for him to make a comeback. So they didn't need to worry about him.