One-on-One With Ben Starr - Kinda Funny Gamescast

Summary

Summary of "One-on-One With Ben Starr" - Kinda Funny Gamescast

Podcast Information:

• Title: Kinda Funny Gamescast: Video Game Podcast
• Host: Tim Geddes
• Guest: Ben Starr
• Release Date: April 8, 2025

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Introduction

In this engaging episode of the Kinda Funny Gamescast, host Tim Geddes welcomes special guest Ben Starr, known for his influential role in the gaming community and voice acting in major video game franchises. Unlike previous episodes with structured content, this installment is a relaxed, free-flowing conversation where Ben and Tim delve into Ben’s journey, personal anecdotes, and his deep connection with the gaming world.

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Early Gaming Experiences

Ben Starr reminisces about his childhood gaming days, particularly his experiences with the Game Boy. Born in 1988, Ben discovered his passion for gaming early on, which played a significant role in shaping his career.

• Ben Starr [03:00]: "The first game I ever got on my Game Boy was Kirby's Pinball. Awesome. I really wanted Kirby's Dreamland, but my parents got me the wrong one."

He highlights the durability of the Game Boy and shares fond memories of playing games like Pokemon Red, Batman: The Animated Series, and a beloved James Bond 007 title that blended elements of Zelda with espionage.

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Personal Anecdotes: The Battery-Licking Story

A lighthearted and quirky part of the conversation revolves around Ben’s unusual childhood habit of licking batteries, which he shares candidly.

• Ben Starr [04:33]: "I would put my tongue in between the thing, and it would obviously create, like, a little current that would go between it, and I'd like the... the bitter taste of whatever it was that I was tasting."

This story not only showcases Ben’s unique personality but also serves as a humorous anecdote that deepens the rapport between him and Tim.

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Voice Acting and Final Fantasy 16

Ben discusses his pivotal role in Final Fantasy 16, elaborating on how this project revolutionized his career. He expresses immense pride and gratitude for being part of such a prestigious franchise.

• Ben Starr [24:10]: "I am a small, tiny part of that game. You know, Yes, I play the main character in it, but also if you are not going to... Some people will come to that game because I'm a part of it."

Ben emphasizes the impact of voice acting in video games, highlighting how performances can enhance storytelling and player engagement. He shares insights into his involvement with other projects like Quantum Break and A Way Out, reflecting on the growth of his career within the gaming industry.

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Community Engagement and Authentic Marketing

Ben’s approach to community engagement and marketing is rooted in authenticity and humor. He recounts his experience presenting at the Golden Joystick Awards and his collaboration with renowned creatives like Sam Lake, Darren Korb, and Matt Mercer.

• Ben Starr [16:36]: "I got them to explain why I'll be a terrible host. Because I just thought, I'll let them take the piss out of that, so I'll get ahead of it."

Through self-deprecating humor and genuine interactions, Ben has cultivated a loyal fanbase and strengthened his connection with the gaming community. His involvement in marketing campaigns, such as a quirky Square Enix commercial, demonstrates his ability to blend professionalism with his distinctive personality.

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Concerts and Performances

Ben shares his passion for video game music and his experiences performing at notable events like Distant Worlds and Carnegie Hall.

• Ben Starr [49:54]: "I got to perform at that. I did Raphael's final act from Baldur's Gate 3, which is very cool."

His participation in these concerts underscores the significant role music plays in enhancing the gaming experience and fostering community among gamers and creators alike.

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Balancing Acting and Gaming

While Ben has roots in traditional acting through film and television, his true passion lies in the interactive storytelling of video games. He reflects on the fulfillment he finds in contributing to game narratives and voices characters that resonate with players.

• Ben Starr [31:22]: "I love performing for people and I really love making people laugh."

He appreciates the collaborative nature of game development and the opportunity to work alongside talented individuals, emphasizing that his contributions are part of a larger, passionate team effort.

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Relationships in the Industry

Ben highlights the importance of building strong relationships within the gaming industry. His friendships with fellow creators and voice actors, such as Austin Winsory and Abu, have been instrumental in his career development.

• Ben Starr [42:18]: "I have so many people actually ask me what it is that I did, and I'm like, I don't know. Just like, games dislike games and understand the concept."

These connections not only provide support but also open doors to various collaborative opportunities, enriching both his professional and personal life.

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Final Thoughts and Future Prospects

As the conversation wraps up, Ben expresses his excitement for future projects and his ongoing commitment to the gaming community. He encourages listeners to engage with his current work and continue supporting the games that inspire him.

• Ben Starr [54:10]: "Go and play Kazan. Go and play Kazan out on the 27th."

Ben remains humble about his achievements, always aiming to contribute positively to the gaming world while maintaining his unique sense of humor and authenticity.

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Notable Quotes

• Tim Geddes [02:16]: "We're going to talk a lot about games here because this is the kind of funny games cast."
• Ben Starr [04:33]: "It's a safe space. When I was a kid, I used to... I would put my tongue in between the thing, and it would obviously create, like, a little current that would go between it."
• Ben Starr [16:36]: "I got them to explain why I'll be a terrible host. Because I just thought, I'll let them take the piss out of that, so I'll get ahead of it."
• Ben Starr [31:22]: "I love performing for people and I really love making people laugh."
• Ben Starr [54:10]: "Go and play Kazan. Go and play Kazan out on the 27th."

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Conclusion

The "One-on-One With Ben Starr" episode offers a compelling look into the life of a multifaceted individual who seamlessly blends acting, gaming, and community engagement. Ben Starr's heartfelt stories, coupled with his passion for video games, provide listeners with valuable insights into the intersection of entertainment and interactive media. This episode serves as both an inspiration and a testament to the vibrant and ever-evolving gaming community.

Transcript

[Ben Star]

Foreign.

[Tim Geddes]

What'S up? And welcome back to the Kinda Funny Games cast. Of course. I'm your host, Tim Geddes. I'm joined today by the amazing Ben Star.

[Ben Star]

Hello.

[Tim Geddes]

Welcome to the. I think. Oh, I guess not the first time on Gamescast you did the spoiler cast for Final Fantasy 16. This is the first time we're just hanging out, talking. There's no plan.

[Ben Star]

This is so I was. I said before we went on just how comfortable this is.

[Tim Geddes]

The nice little sink in what you're gonna see.

[Ben Star]

I'm gonna end up the end of this.

[Tim Geddes]

Just like all the way in.

[Ben Star]

Yeah. Just lying down. You're gonna therapize me.

[Tim Geddes]

Yeah. The couch is yours. You can stay here for as long as you want. Kevin was convinced that you were gonna make a play to try to live in the studio.

[Ben Star]

And you know I would as a massive fan, obviously I would just kind of like just hide in a hole I think and just live here. But it is so comfortable. I would live here forever. I mean I. The last time I was here was for your wedding.

[Tim Geddes]

Exactly. Which was a very different type of setup here.

[Ben Star]

I'm gonna say it's a very diverse space. But this was like a little bar. I mean I think I did a thing with Lucy where we did that and she's got it on her phone of like, hi, I'm Ben and this is my first drink. And then it ends up with me just passed out in a can after like 13 margaritas.

[Tim Geddes]

Yeah, I need to see that. That is. That's amazing.

[Ben Star]

Genuinely. I'm snoring. I'm like, ben, this is my first drink. And we did every single one. And then by the time I was like, what a night.

[Tim Geddes]

What a ridiculous night.

[Ben Star]

It was really, really special night. And what was amazing is like clearly how many people love you and also how many people wanted to celebrate this place and you. It was just.

[Tim Geddes]

Yeah, very, very cool stuff. And you guys are probably wondering why we are here. We are in the lab right now recording because Sam Lake is out there recording a games cast with Roger and Greg.

[Ben Star]

That guy the winner of a thousand lifetime achievement awards. He's still alive, everyone. He's still alive.

[Tim Geddes]

Kind of morbid to think about. It's kind of a good thing, you know, that we're celebrating life as they're living.

[Ben Star]

You know what, it's kind of wild because you know, I think what they Celebrating 30 years of remedy and thinking like Sam, when I see him, he's just so fresh faced. But think about like the output of that studio and what they've done. Like they just. They just create bangers. They really never miss and love those guys. Love those games.

[Tim Geddes]

Yep. We're going to talk a lot about games here because this is the kind of funny games cast. Each and every weekday we get together to talk about games, all the things we love about them, et cetera, et cetera. If you love that, of course you can get the kind of funny membership on Patreon, YouTube, Spotify or Apple Podcasts. If you do that, you get the shows ad free. You get the daily exclusive Greg Way. And you can also be a super cool Patreon producer like Delaney Twining, Karl Jacobs and Omega Buster. Today we're brought to you by Stache. We'll tell you all about that later. So, Ben.

[Ben Star]

Yeah.

[Tim Geddes]

Before we went live.

[Ben Star]

Yeah.

[Tim Geddes]

You said that you recently found your old Game Boy.

[Ben Star]

Yeah.

[Tim Geddes]

With all of your games.

[Ben Star]

Yeah.

[Tim Geddes]

What did you find and what was that like?

[Ben Star]

It was super surreal. What I found was that's why I had an old school Game Boy. Like the gray, big, chunky, big, thick boy. And I found I used to have this little case with me that I would take everywhere. So it was like this little case that was like had fabric on the outside and plastic. And I put all my games in and they had all the little game booklets, of course.

[Tim Geddes]

What year were you born?

[Ben Star]

1988.

[Tim Geddes]

88. Okay, cool. I'm 89, so that makes sense for me.

[Ben Star]

So rubbing it in, right?

[Tim Geddes]

Yeah. I'm younger, my boy is shy.

[Ben Star]

Yeah. So and I. That was that. When people go watch your first console. Obviously my first console. Well, obviously my first console was a PlayStation, but like my first gaming experience was a Game Boy and I would take it everywhere. And you can tell because that thing, first of all, it's sturdy as hell. You put some batteries in it, it still works.

[Tim Geddes]

Yeah, some. You mean like an incredible amount?

[Ben Star]

Yes.

[Tim Geddes]

Not game gear levels, but like, it's shocking. Didn't the Game Boy take four AA batteries?

[Ben Star]

It did, yeah.

[Tim Geddes]

That's insane.

[Ben Star]

Yeah, it did. It did. There was something really satisfying about just like putting them in. I think I became obsessed, but that's another story. Weird Ben Starfield.

[Tim Geddes]

Weird stuff.

[Ben Star]

Yeah. About putting batteries in. Don't think about it.

[Tim Geddes]

It's so funny you say that because, like, it's definitely the opposite of a fetish, but I had like a phobia of batteries growing up because at some point my mom said the word battery acid.

[Ben Star]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Tim Geddes]

And I couldn't get it out of my head.

[Ben Star]

Okay, this is an exclusive here, but I'm gonna say it. It's a safe space. When I was a kid, I used to. You know, I can't remember what they're called, but the little chunky batteries that would have, like, the two little things on the top. So they're like. Yeah, they're like. And I would.

[Tim Geddes]

No, no, I would.

[Ben Star]

Because I liked the way it felt. So I'd put my tongue in between the thing, and it would obviously create, like, a little current that would go between it, and I'd like the. I'd like the bitter taste of whatever it was that I was tasting. If someone wants to tell me what I was tasting as a child, but I would just put it in my mouth, and I. It's just a very normal thing for me.

[Tim Geddes]

It's just a normal thing for me.

[Ben Star]

I genuinely. If I saw one, I.

[Tim Geddes]

That is some Greg Miller shit, dude. You're tasting electricity.

[Ben Star]

It explains a lot, doesn't it? But, yeah, I would do. I would. I've just. That's really just come to me, and I'm so glad that I got to share it here.

[Tim Geddes]

That's. That. God, kids are so weird. But, yeah, that is hilarious, because if I knew you, you would have terrified me, like. Cause I was scared to touch batteries. Yeah, you're putting them in your mouth, man.

[Ben Star]

Yeah. And I think maybe I was intrigued. I was intrigued by it. I did have, as a kid. I mean, maybe going into my teens and my early 20s, like, a story of things that I just licked. I just licked a lot of things. When I did my gap year, where I traveled from South India back to the UK in this kind of truck, I made a point of, like, licking famous landmarks. This is. Oh, my God. This is so. This is a games cast, and I'm talking about games.

[Tim Geddes]

Yeah, that's what we do here.

[Ben Star]

Can I just say, I am a normal person.

[Tim Geddes]

No, you're not.

[Ben Star]

I am a normal person.

[Tim Geddes]

That is why you got where you were at. No, you don't become one of the faces of video games, being a normal person.

[Ben Star]

Well, apparently not anymore. I lick batteries and lick things.

[Tim Geddes]

I mean, I feel like licking in video games, there is a lineage, right? Like, dating back to the chobot PSP stuff. Thinking about when the Nintendo Switch first came out, and everyone's like, you got to taste the Switch cartridges.

[Ben Star]

I say, bring back licking. I don't think there's enough licking in video games.

[Tim Geddes]

Lick a tongue.

[Ben Star]

You know, that's me. That's me as a child. Yeah. Licky tongue is a good design. But, yes, I found my old Game Boy, and I found most of my old games, but also because they would all come with. A lot of them would come with the beautiful little booklets that would explain how to play them. And there's one game that I don't have on there called Chuck Rock, which.

[Tim Geddes]

Is I. Oh, the caveman. Little platformer.

[Ben Star]

Yeah. The first game I ever got on my Game Boy was Kirby's Pinball. Awesome. Because I really wanted Kirby's Dreamland, but my parents got me the wrong one. And I was like, thank you. But obviously, Pokemon Red was the one at school.

[Tim Geddes]

Of course.

[Ben Star]

And. Yeah. But for me, the game that I talk about a lot, maybe I've spoken about it on here, is There is a James Bond 007 game on the Game Boy that I really, really love. It's kind of like a Zelda, like, and I obsessed over that game. And you can go to the casino, and there's, like, secrets, and, you know, essentially, it's just a Zelda, like James Bond. But I really, really loved it. And that was the first one that I put in. And it's still. It's still good. And the nostalgia, it still works.

[Tim Geddes]

I mean, I think that's. That's not necessarily a shock, but it's not a guarantee. Yeah, there's a lot of my games.

[Ben Star]

I tasted the battery first. Did this work?

[Tim Geddes]

Oh, we still got some juice in there.

[Ben Star]

Yeah, put it in. I think it's really cool. And I feel very lucky to have grown up in a time where I had the Game Boy.

[Tim Geddes]

Yeah.

[Ben Star]

There was, like. I had, like, a Batman the Animated Series game and an Empire Strikes backside scroller. It was. This is. This is it.

[Tim Geddes]

There we go. Wow. James Bond, Zelda. Like, that's so interesting.

[Ben Star]

Yeah. And you could go. And you could go to. And. Yeah.

[Tim Geddes]

Oh, you could, like, play, like, vocal.

[Ben Star]

You could play Blackjack, and it was really, really cool.

[Tim Geddes]

Dang.

[Ben Star]

The music was great. I would recommend more people to go and play this game. I think I said it once on some program, and then someone went, oh, I played the game. And someone commented underneath, is it good? And then three people were like, no.

[Tim Geddes]

That's how it goes, especially for the Game Boy. I feel like so many of them were trying their best to just emulate what consoles were still very much figuring out. And to go back to it now. It's like, it just feels so, so, so, like, archaic, you know?

[Ben Star]

Well, you like going back to. You know, I was talking to you the other day About Tony Hawk's Pro Skater. You know, there's Tony Hawk's Pro Skater and then there's Tony Hawk's Pro Skater on handheld, which is a completely different video game. Yeah, but it's that.

[Tim Geddes]

Shout out to that though, specifically the Game Boy Advance. Tony Hawk games are so good.

[Ben Star]

They are, but they're just. They're different.

[Tim Geddes]

They're different. Yeah.

[Ben Star]

But now, I mean, plugging handheld gaming.

[Tim Geddes]

Yeah.

[Ben Star]

I got a Steam deck about a month ago and that's changed my life.

[Tim Geddes]

So that surprises me because of the amount of travel that I feel like your life now has. Did you always travel a lot?

[Ben Star]

Yeah, I did. I've always done a lot of travel, just in life, but also for work. And now I travel a lot. Yeah. And I really thought I've got to up my travel game because I'm just doing so many. This transatlantic flight, which, you know, especially coming to SF, you know, that's a 10, 11 hour flight saying to LA.

[Tim Geddes]

And I feel like you do it like three times a year, it feels like.

[Ben Star]

And I feel like this is now becoming. Ben Starr does weird stuff. So I thought, let's reveal more. I would basically raw dog those flights.

[Tim Geddes]

That's insane.

[Ben Star]

I don't. I don't like watching films on planes. Why so.

[Tim Geddes]

Well, I mean. Okay, I appreciate that.

[Ben Star]

No, I love the right way.

[Tim Geddes]

Okay.

[Ben Star]

I love film.

[Tim Geddes]

You know what?

[Ben Star]

I'm gonna watch challenges on a plane. Like fair. Also, I got caught out when I was a lot younger watching Marley and Me. And I mean, just as the ending was happening, the lights came back on and I was just absolutely wrecked.

[Tim Geddes]

Oh, man.

[Ben Star]

But I don't like watching films on planes. And so I found myself just staring at the flight path. I am a normal person, I swear.

[Tim Geddes]

You wouldn't even try to sleep or anything?

[Ben Star]

I would try and get a nap in, but also, I mean, this isn't good content.

[Tim Geddes]

Yes, it is. The people wanna know, Ben. They need to know your life.

[Ben Star]

Oh, my God. I'll say it really interestingly. I would just.

[Tim Geddes]

I would just.

[Ben Star]

I don't know, I would just like have a bit of a nap. But the flight back, you can have a nap. Cause I'll always get the evening flight that lands in the morning.

[Tim Geddes]

Got it. Okay.

[Ben Star]

But going to the States, it's like, no, you're just. I'm flying in the middle of the day and I'm gonna land in the middle of the day. You can't really do that.

[Tim Geddes]

Are you listening to music?

[Ben Star]

Yes, sometimes. To be honest, I'm listening To you guys.

[Tim Geddes]

I love that. That's awesome.

[Ben Star]

I mean, like, so, like, I'll listen to KFGD every single day, and then, you know, I don't listen to every single games cast, but when I'm on a flight, I'll be like, oh, you know, because the games cast is kind of evergreen content. So I'll, you know, catch up on, like, what you guys talking about, the outer wilds and stuff like that and, you know, stuff. Your. Your retrospective look at stuff. I think it's really cool. So I'll listen to maybe podcasts that I, you know, I listen to friends per second or triple click or something like that and catch up.

[Tim Geddes]

That is. Well, thank you so much.

[Ben Star]

You're very welcome.

[Tim Geddes]

It always surprises me, like, it always. That anybody listens.

[Ben Star]

If I'm being honest, it's surprising that I'm here. It's really surprising that I'm here, because I still am. Even though I know you guys now, I still listen to your content as a fan, which is that, like, the other day when you would, what are we watching? And I was texting you in the middle of. Was maybe like, the PlayStation. PlayStation State of Play.

[Tim Geddes]

Oh, yeah.

[Ben Star]

And I was just messaging you at home, and I was watching as I was live.

[Tim Geddes]

Yeah.

[Ben Star]

And my fiance, who was next to me, was just like, are you messaging in right now? I was like, yeah, I'm just texting Tim. And I can see you on your laptop, like, answering my messages. Text. I'm famous.

[Tim Geddes]

It's definitely vice versa as well. Like, seeing you. I mean, the last couple years, obviously, have been monumental for you. People can't get away from seeing you, and I feel like you've taken every opportunity to the max. Like, I think that you've just, like, really, really, really been like, all right, cool, I'm here. What can I do? How can I make the space better? How can I be genuinely Ben Starr? And Ben Starr is hilarious.

[Ben Star]

Thank you. He is. I don't think I am. It's. It's been a very weird thing. Very, very weird. And I feel incredibly fortunate to have been given these opportunities, and I just want to be here. I'm like one of those guys that's having a nice time at the party, and I don't really want to go, so it's like, yes, I'll have one more margarita, please. Yeah. And I'll stay to the end.

[Tim Geddes]

Snore. Eventually. Yeah.

[Ben Star]

But also, everyone's nice. Yeah, everyone's really nice. And, like, you guys are so welcoming, and I felt like Even though I live on the other side of the world, I have so many friends, you know, over here in different countries and every developer I work with, I end up becoming really good friends with. Because ultimately people who make games, you know. Oh, no.

[Tim Geddes]

I mean, we have to do it, you know, like, no, you can't just be this fucking good looking. Like, I'm not gonna put anyone.

[Ben Star]

You did the throw. That was not that. Was that the. Oh, no, I haven't seen this.

[Tim Geddes]

I'm not gonna put anyone specifically on blast, but I've been close friends with some people for almost a decade, if not longer than a decade.

[Ben Star]

Yeah.

[Tim Geddes]

And the sounds that I heard them make when they saw this video scared me, if I'm being honest. Like, it was. It was a lot.

[Ben Star]

This is a lot. This is. So Alexa Ray Correa is a very, very good friend of, of mine and she said, do you want to present an award? And I said yes. And then this happened. I don't really know. Yeah, I wanted it. Okay. I wanted a normal shirt, but I couldn't find it.

[Tim Geddes]

Oh, you wanted a. I swear to you, you wanted. Just.

[Ben Star]

You lost your sleeves, so I.

[Tim Geddes]

You swear you're normal?

[Ben Star]

I. God, this is a normal shirt? Oh, no. I was licking a battery and I thought, oh, this will be nice. Um, this is. Yeah.

[Tim Geddes]

So, I mean, you've. You've started doing so many amazing opportunities, right? Like not just being in game after game after game. Like, it's reaching the point where when we're watching a game showcase, we're just waiting to hear your voice. You know what I mean?

[Ben Star]

Yeah.

[Tim Geddes]

But in addition to that, you are doing your D and D, D and D and you're doing so many awesome, like hosting opportunities like the Golden Joysticks and presenting things like that. Like, what are you taking? Is the goal for you to just do it all or is it like all this other stuff we're doing is more just to fuel the acting?

[Ben Star]

No, I'm like, I. I love it because I love making stuff, I love creating stuff. And I just so happens that the outlet that I use is acting, but I also am a bit of a show off. Show off. Jesus Christ. We've just seen that. I really, I really love performing for people and I really love making people laugh. And there is. I feel like there's a lot of untrod snow out there for performers. There are brilliant, brilliant, amazingly talented individuals out there and I kind of want to emulate a lot of what they've done, but I also kind of want to exist in this space. I love talking to you. I love hosting. I think that's a really fun thing. And I really like that. Video games is a space where actors are still exploring what the possibilities of how they can engage with their communities. And I'm always looking to expand the people that I can reach out to and letting them know my work. I'm a very, very serious actor, but I'm not a very serious person. And so I really like that. For instance, I can be. I can play Kazan, or I can play Clive, or I can play Verso or Prometheus, and I'm very serious in that role. And you can take me seriously for the work that I do, but at the same time, I can turn up and I can be an idiot. I can take the piss out of myself. And I will always be, because I'm British, the first person to take the piss out of myself. Like, if you think you're gonna bring me down, don't worry. I brought myself down for you. And so when I did the Golden Joysticks, I was so acutely aware that I had been in the industry for maybe about two minutes.

[Tim Geddes]

Yeah.

[Ben Star]

And the year before, Troy Baker had hosted it. And then they asked me, and I'm like, I ain't Troy Baker. You know that, man. The legacy of what he's created in video games, the performances that he's given, like, I'm so young and fresh to it. And I thought, well, I don't feel like I'm deserving of this mantle. So what I got was a load of really wonderful creatives who I know. So. Sam Lake, Darren Korb, Sven from Larian, Matt Mercer. I got them to do a video. Yeah. I got them to explain why I'll be a terrible host. Because I just thought, I'll let them take the piss out of that, so I'll get ahead of it. And so I got all these people basically being like, ben will be a terrible host. Don't do it. This is an awful idea. And it's just like, I'm happy to take the piss out of myself. I don't really mind.

[Tim Geddes]

I mean, I think that there's something so authentic about that that reads so genuinely. And I think a great example of that was just the last couple days with the Square Enix publisher sale video that you were in, and you crushed it. And there's something about it where. Let's cut the shit. It's a commercial, right, For a sale for video games. But you performing in it, I think, is just a win for every side of gaming. Whether you are square, the publisher. Right. Whether you're the developers of the game that want these games to be loved and played and want the community to know they're on sale. This is a good opportunity to get them. But it comes from a place of you being genuinely interested in all the games you're talking about. And I don't know, there's something about it that I just feel like you've cracked the code, man.

[Ben Star]

Yeah. And I don't know what the code is. And I think we're kind of still going, God, there it is. There's the boy from Fancy 8. Also notice how my shirt just gets increasingly undone. That is intentional. They were like one of the costume people went, do you want it done up? I went, no, I really don't. I want it kind of sarcastically, far down. This is a fun thing. Because it is. I know you are. We're selling you something. I mean, I understand that ultimately we're in an industry that you want to make money. You know, if I come on here and I talk about a game, it's because I want you to know about the game so you can buy the game. But I always want to feel like I'm giving people something Square Came to me and said, we want to do a commercial with you for those publisher sale. And they said, we want it to be authentically you. And so they gave me a template of essentially what we wanted to talk about. And then I did a draft of my own version. There is a draft out there that is far more risque than the one that they. I mean, it's actually like there's. Yeah, there was a whole bit where they had. They. One of the producers, I think the head of marketing said I had to send a really weird email to Japan explaining what half of this stuff was. And they went, it's the weirdest thing. The feedback. One of them was, I don't know, Ben, are we being offensive to toes? I'm not gonna tell you what that is. It didn't go in. It didn't go in.

[Tim Geddes]

It didn't make the cut.

[Ben Star]

Because they went, we think it's offensive to toes. And I went. I went, you know what it is? And that's. There's a whole bit about toes. So, you know, the foot fetish community. Don't worry, I am trying to cater to you. But Square Enix were a bit like, ultimately, we are trying to sell you something. And the detail in it. Slime and punishment.

[Tim Geddes]

Slime and punishment.

[Ben Star]

They're so Wonderful. And I think that square have obviously launched my career. And maybe they just kind of saw that. They were like, why does Balitro get to use him as a clown? You know, like, it's just this strange thing where we're looking for personality, we're looking for individuals to get behind. You know, I. I love you guys. I see you as, like, such a kind of, like, tip of the spear of this community. And we want to like people. So I'm like, why don't people like me?

[Tim Geddes]

Yeah. I mean. Yeah. I mean, so this was completely unhinged. But again, I think that that leans into. That's what this type of marketing can be.

[Ben Star]

Right?

[Tim Geddes]

It's like, you watch this, like, the Balacho commercial or whatever you want to call that advertisement, like, yeah. Spot. And it's compelling in the most bizarre, weird way where it's like, okay, so it's a card game. How are we gonna market it? Let's have Ben Starr dress up like a clown and eat a banana.

[Ben Star]

Pretty much. It's pretty much what it is. And also then, like, afterwards, this commercial went out on the day of the game awards, and then maybe a couple of days later, I messaged wout who, if you have seen any game awards this year, he is the man who has to keep going up and accepting awards on behalf because local funk absolutely, quite rightly, has gone. I don't want, you know, I want to kind of remain anonymous. And my God. God, it's insane.

[Tim Geddes]

You're a madman.

[Ben Star]

It's mad. It's madness. And I said, they gave me 20 gigabytes of outtakes, and they said, you can have it. You can do what you want. So I went away and I edited this version, which was these outtakes of what we did on the day. And then I just put that out, and then that became its whole thing as well. So, like, the outtakes became more popular than that. And obviously, all the screen grabs you have of me, you know, with a banana in my mouth and nibbling a banana and doing all that stuff like. Like that. That's all from the outtakes that I released. And I thought. I thought was crazy when I was watching your game of the year and you used that picture of me. And I see people talk about it, and I'm like, that's so crazy that you're using a picture of me for a game I didn't make.

[Tim Geddes]

Yeah.

[Ben Star]

But one thing the team said, because hopefully I will continue to do stuff with them because it's fun, is that I think even local funk Said, he said, oh, our Reddit went into a very, very strange and dark and sexy place.

[Tim Geddes]

Yes, sometimes it has to, because then.

[Ben Star]

We started seeing all the, like, the sexy Jimbo cosplays.

[Tim Geddes]

Oh, you started a revolution.

[Ben Star]

And the fan fiction, I mean, listen.

[Tim Geddes]

Yeah.

[Ben Star]

Who doesn't want to. Who doesn't want to fuck a clown?

[Tim Geddes]

I mean, you know, I'll tell you when I meet him, but. So speaking of this, you get the outtakes, right? And you get to edit together, put it on social. I know that oftentimes when I talk to you, it's just a glaze fest. I know, I know that it. But I legitimately am so impressed by you, like in every single way possible. But I think it all goes back to, you're just a good person. You're a fun person to talk to.

[Ben Star]

Thanks.

[Tim Geddes]

That gets it. And I feel like a lot of people in the industry get it and a lot of them don't. And I think that the getting it in the way, I mean it specifically is understanding, stem to stern, the entire process of what we're doing and what it means to be in the community of gaming, whether that is playing the games or games media or listening to podcasts, whatever it is, the social media aspect of it, the way that you crush it needs to be studied because I am so shocked that in addition to being so talented as an actor and talented at presenting and all stuff, you are able to. I mean, you don't have a team, I assume, right? Like all the videos you put out, like all the sketches, all, everything. Like, that's all you.

[Ben Star]

Yeah. How I'm just a weird little guy. I'm just a weird. Like, there is no plan. There is no plan. And I think the reason why it feels authentic is because it is like, I didn't expect to do any of this. I expected to be in a video game and then talk about the video game and that kind of be it, you know, hopefully, hopefully continue to get other roles. But I think this whole thing emerged out of like the pantomime of what social media provided, which was I had this character and then I created the character of myself. And that was a really important thing as I wanted people to know who I was, because so many brilliant, talented actors. There are so many brilliant, talented actors out there. And a lot of them, we don't get to promote our faces, you know, our voices. And often some of the best actors, you know, you don't even know their voices because they change them and modulate them because they are so talented. At being those chameleons. And I just really wanted to. Oh, there we go. This one. So this is the Astrobot video. Amelia Tyler. Jesus Christ, Ben. There you go. That is the voice of Baldur's Gate 3.

[Tim Geddes]

Amazing.

[Ben Star]

The. I've stopped doing these because I didn't want that to be my only thing that I do. And you can see, obviously, the inside of my house, and so many people know that. But I really wanted to do the Astrobot when I kind of came out of retirement to do it, because I just thought it's just so silly. And I came up with the line, hi, my name's Astrobot, short for Astrobot, and. But you can call me Ass. And I just thought that's. I was on a dog walk and I went, okay, I'm going to do a video.

[Tim Geddes]

That's it.

[Ben Star]

That's it.

[Tim Geddes]

And it's like, have to do it.

[Ben Star]

I just said it to myself whilst I was walking my dog and I went, right, I've got to do a video now, because that is actually really good. Yeah. And I. And I really appreciate it. And I. And I. And I like playing with the community. And it just. It just happened, you know?

[Tim Geddes]

So I. Okay. Trying to think of the right way to ask this. Final Fantasy 16 happens a couple years ago, obviously changes your life. Obviously. Now you get to do all these things. So many opportunities, and it's just up.

[Ben Star]

And up and up.

[Tim Geddes]

Before that, you were still Ben Starr.

[Ben Star]

Yeah.

[Tim Geddes]

Did you get. Did you feel like Ben Starr, though? Or was this, like, an awakening that, like, you now get to truly be yourself? Like, what was on your social media before Final Fantasy?

[Ben Star]

Oh, gee. Like the. I looked back early. If you go really early, there's one. I mean, no one cared about me. And I didn't really know what my identity on social media was because, like, you'd follow me if you'd seen some of my TV shows. But ultimately, like, no one really cared because the communities weren't that active on social media. You know, if I was in A Midsummer Murders or if I was in Jamestown or Dickensian, there's no one who wants to engage with you on there. And then the video game community is on social media. That's where they exist. That's where they're able to express themselves and talk about their love for stuff. So there was something so engaging about it. And that's why I felt like I was able to play. I looked back recently and there was a tweet of me saying, I demand a remake of Dunstan Checks in and.

[Tim Geddes]

I'm like, that is Dunstan checks in, baby. I rented that from Blockbuster an embarrassing amount of times.

[Ben Star]

Yeah, that film, that film. On the basis of they want to get the elusive sixth star. It's a hotel. And then an orangutan comes in and causes havoc because it's an orangutan thief. Bring back those films. Where are those films? At the box office? So that was my social media. There wasn't one. And I felt like I had. Do you know what I talk about permissions. I have permission to be an idiot. Because people resonated with the character of Clive. People liked the performance, they liked what I'd done. So I went, great. I feel like I can talk about this, but I also want to speak to video games as a whole. Cause I also recognize at the time it was a PlayStation 5 exclusive. Not everyone was going to play that game. Not everyone was going to experience the character and me as a person. So I, I was like, okay, you. I have more people come up to me saying, I have never played Final Fantasy 16, but my friend has showed me clips or. But I saw you do this. I saw you dress up as Tifa or Mario or I saw you at this. Like I was on. I have so many people come up to me and say, I've seen you on. Kinda funny.

[Tim Geddes]

Amazing.

[Ben Star]

And they're like, I'm also a kind of funny best friend. And that's instantly something that we have in common. And so I feel like doing all of this stuff. People know me from outside of it and it's just been a jumping off point. But that's always. Clive has always been my anchor and.

[Tim Geddes]

God, I love that so much. Were you in any video Games before 16?

[Ben Star]

Yeah, I was.

[Tim Geddes]

Really?

[Ben Star]

Yeah, I was in. The first game I ever did was Assorted voices in Quantum Break.

[Tim Geddes]

That's awesome.

[Ben Star]

And I. Sam and I have a joke which is.

[Tim Geddes]

That's great. Nobody's here right now.

[Ben Star]

He misspelled my name. He did. And they did so. And think, on my IMDb it's Ben Starr, aka Ben Starr with one R. Because in quantum Break, I'm credited as Ben Starr with one R. And I was like, fuck you, Remedy. Yeah. And I thought that was so cool because I was an actor doing film, tv, stage, and I loved video games. So I remember thinking, wow, I'm going to add my voice to Quantum Break to a Remedy game. That's so cool. And what Quantum Break at the time is doing was like, yeah, it's a TV show and it's A this and that. It's incredible. And then I did a way out. I did assorted voices and a way out. So I was in a booth at Josephares, which was crazy. And I remember meeting him and being like, this man is energy. So I met him for like an hour and then, and then kind of nothing. And then Final Fantasy I was like such an in and out actor. Like I would just kind of do bits and I just kind of seized it.

[Tim Geddes]

I mean, yeah, like, so outside of the acting game stuff, clearly you've been a gamer your whole life. Like gaming is your, like through blood.

[Ben Star]

Yes.

[Tim Geddes]

Were you, did you have outlets to talk about it or do anything about it? Like, did you have a friend group that was playing or was the post Final Fantasy 16 life that you have now, like, now you get to be with your people?

[Ben Star]

Honestly, I had friends who I would talk about video games with, but not really video games was such a thing that I would have for myself. And it's why I think I don't really play a lot of multiplayer games because I never had a crew to kind of, you know, do play FIFA with or COD or whatever. You know, I just, I love those games and I love, I would have loved to have played them and. But multiplayer games were never something I really wanted. Wanted to do because it was almost. And I'm kind of ashamed to say this now, but I think it's. I think it's good to say I felt, I felt like I was made to feel like it was a dirty secret, you know, And I would always go to these like, dinners. And then you go, you're an actor. And they always think you're a bit weird. And they go, what? They're seeing you. And you're only validated if they've seen you in anything that you do. But I remember talking to so many people about the power of video games. They go, what do you do outside of acting? I'd always say video games. And I would talk about, you know, I'd give the examples of how as an interactive medium, they are the most powerful way that we can tell stories. Because you are, you are an active agent in that change. And whether it means that you can affect that change or you are along for the ride. You know, there's the BioShock way of would you kindly? Which shows you kind of like how you don't have agency even though you think you do. Or there is the Divergent Paths of the Witcher or Baldur's Gate. And you've got these things the video games can tell stories depending on how you interact with it. And I would always talk about that and then people would be like, sure, sure, sure, sure, sure. We've come a long way since Batman. And you're like, sure. But I didn't have people that I could genuinely talk about it with on a. Oh, you a massive nerd too. So I think maybe that's one of the reasons why I've embraced this community so much. Because I. I said to you, I listen to. I listen to games daily. Every single day in the gym. Every single day in the gym. I listen to you guys and I listen to, you know, Min Max and triple click and friends per second. And like, it was a huge. It was. I was so nervous when 16 was going to be announced because I wanted to know what you guys thought about it. And I was like, I'm going to step in and is it going to be a don't meet your hero scenario? And now I get to not only, you know, be a part, perform for people, I get to actively talk about the thing that I love. I get to be like, hey, I'm playing right now. I'm playing Rise of the Golden Idol. I get to talk about, like, how much I love that game. There are incredible video games out there. I got to speak about earlier in the year. Thank goodness you're here. Which I think is just. I think thank goodness you're is a 10 out of 10 video game because you either love it or you hate it. And it's trying to be only one thing, which is itself. It's itself. And it's like a singular well by two people. It is a vision of a video game that I think is so perfectly acceptable. And it's the power of what video games can do, because that can exist in the same space as Assassin's Creed Shadows or whatever. It's the same thing, but they are telling it through different ways. And I get to talk to people about that who get it.

[Tim Geddes]

I mean, dude, I'll never forget. It was like, I guess three or so months before sixteen came out and me and Andy were in LA at the preview event. And I don't know if you knew, but you DMed me. This is the first time you ever talked like that I was even aware of you. You DMed me as I was playing and as I was playing as Clive and you DM me and I looked at Andy, I'm like the voice actor, the main character. Just, this is crazy. And then a couple months later at Summer Game Fest, we Got to hang out. And seeing you at that giant bomb party was such a special memory for me because I genuinely saw you be like, these are my people. It was a very weird. I feel like I bonded with you. I feel like I made a friend that day, like a core friend that day. And that was something that I've met a lot of very cool people in this industry, but it's rare that, like, there's that level of, like, yeah, this dude's awesome.

[Ben Star]

People ask me that, oh, do you want to go and do film and TV after this? I'm like, not really. And it's not that I don't think film and TV is something that I would really, you know, I wouldn't enjoy. I love it. I love performing. But there is just something so rewarding about this, about here, about this space, about what we can do in video games and how it can tell stories. And I am such a. I'm so aware that as an actor, I'm a small, tiny part of that. But I love the fact that I get to contribute in my. In my small way. Like, I'm not one of these people who's going to come and be like, acting is the most important part of a video game. It can massively enhance an experience. But also it is an essential to, like, I. Again, I've been playing the Golden Idol series, which I think Case of the Golden Idol tells one of the best stories in video games in the past five years. I really think it is incredibly compelling, but there's no acting at all. And the same with Vampire Survivors, but at the same time, you compare it to, you know, the power of what the cast of Baldur's Gate 3 have done and how. And how they can accentuate these. These amazing stories and they can complement the insanely complex and brilliant writing of what Larian did. That's really powerful, you know, and, you know, to kind of circle back to kind of why I'm here with you today and being like, I get to. I got to have this weird moment when, when. When Kazan was announced and the kind of. When not announced, but when people first heard my voice in the trailer, I had so many people friends messaging me being like, are you Kazan? And I was like, that's crazy. And it's only from like a two minute trailer. And people knew that. And then people were like, oh, I'm excited to play this game because Ben Starr's involved in it. I am a small part of that game. You know, Yes, I play the main character in it, but also if you. You're not going to. Some people will come to that game because I'm a part of it. But also they're going to stay with that game because they get on with the complex mechanics. Because that team are so industrious, so hardworking, and I really want to, like, give a shout out to kind of what they've done because they have listened to audience feedback, they have done constant tests, like play tests, and, you know, even from when it was first being played at Gamescom, and then it'd be like, now you can enter this test and we're going to take all your feedback. And they've added an easy mode in. You know, they really want people to feel like they can access this game in a way that feels good for them. And they're just really like, there is I. What I worry about this game is that when you find him, he's completely naked. We're not completely naked. I love him in his silly hats, but, like, he doesn't have any shoes on. And it's really, really cold. And I'm like, kazan, my boy. Get some shoes. And because of the loot.

[Tim Geddes]

You were a tow thing, man. I swear to God.

[Ben Star]

Oh, my God, please.

[Tim Geddes]

Are there batteries to lick in this game?

[Ben Star]

Listen, if the toe community are looking for a spokesperson, I'm like, I'll talk about toes for you.

[Tim Geddes]

Oh, man. But, yeah, this Garpino has a 5 out of 5 on WikiFeet.

[Ben Star]

No way.

[Tim Geddes]

It's a true story. Greg doesn't.

[Ben Star]

I don't think I'm on wikifeet.

[Tim Geddes]

Yeah, I don't know if you want to be, but you could be.

[Ben Star]

There you go.

[Tim Geddes]

There you go, everybody.

[Ben Star]

But, yeah, I feel really lucky and the team have really responded. So if you've seen any Kazan trailers recently, you'll hear there's a thing that they're doing in the morning called boss week, where it goes, hi, I'm Ben Starr, the voice of Kazan. And this. And it's this really kind of weird thing where the team have been so responsive to me. I've been like, oh, cool, we can use Ben to promote this game.

[Tim Geddes]

As marketing.

[Ben Star]

Yeah, as marketing again.

[Tim Geddes]

That goes back to being authentic, where there's a value to that because people trust you, you know, because you play games.

[Ben Star]

I have a lot of people actually ask me what it is that I did, and I'm like, I don't know. Just like, games dislike games and understand the concept.

[Tim Geddes]

You'd be surprised. Right? Like, that goes so far. But again, I think it's so important. This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. We all know that therapy can feel like a lofty investment. But we also know that there's nothing better to invest in than yourself. The state of your mind is just as important as your physical health. Let's talk numbers. Traditional in person therapy can cost anywhere from 100 to 250 per session, which adds up fast. But with BetterHelp online therapy, you can save on average up to 50% per session. Therapy should feel accessible, not like a luxury. With BetterHelp, you pay a flat fee for weekly sessions, saving you big on cost and on time. Some of my best friends use BetterHelp and love how helpful it can be for learning positive coping skills and how to set boundaries. It empowers you to be the best version of yourself. And it isn't just for those who've experienced major trauma. If you're thinking of starting therapy, give better help a try. It's entirely online, designed to be convenient, flexible and suited to your schedule. Your well being is worth it. Visit betterhelp.com kindafunny to get 10% off your first month. That's BetterHelp. H-E-L-P.com kindafunny betterhelp.com kindafunny A big question I have for you. Are you playing more or less games now?

[Ben Star]

Less games, yeah. That's why I got Steam Deck. So I can actually just play more because I am a PlayStation player and I'm in a console player. But like I, you know, I was in the PlayStation ecosystem and yeah, yeah, I wish I could play more. You know, I was, you know, obviously back in, back in Covid days. I mean I was just mainlining stuff I think we spoke about the other day that I got the platinum trophy on Crash Team racing Nitro Fueled, which I think has like a 0.8%. That platinum trophy is insane to get. But I was dedicated to that. But I wish I could play more games. But also we're in an age where when a triple A game comes out, they're going, hey, have you got a spare hundred hours that. But I'm, I'm really looking to kind of smaller experiences that I can complete in a short amount of time. And also I'm playing, I'm playing more games but I'm playing less of them. So I'm not have. I'm not completing them as much because I want to experience the work of my colleagues and peers and speak to that there will be games that I will go all the Way to completion. But like, I think I looked at my PlayStation stats and I had thousands of hours in the, you know, 2023 and then it really fell off last year, which I feel like it's a shame, but it's because I'm doing all of this stuff.

[Tim Geddes]

No, you can't. There's only so many hours in the day.

[Ben Star]

Yeah. And every now and again, you know, there's. There's obviously games, there's Balad show, there's Astrobot, and it's like I'm always going to try and play games that are. That are very much centered in the zeitgeist, so at least I can have an understanding of what, what the work is. And I'm a voting BAFTA member, so I have to play the games that I vote on. But yeah, it's. I wish I could play more, but that seems to be the universal thing.

[Tim Geddes]

It is, yeah. Are you. What's the. What are some recent platinum's you've gotten, if any?

[Ben Star]

I wish I had my phone. I can't. Oh, God, no, I've got. I've got quite a few. The most. I mean, I got the Platinum on Dragon Age recently, which is a game that I spent a lot of time on because I started it really, really early and then kind of like. I've got the Platinum on Case of the Golden Idol, which I just. I know I keep talking about it, but I just.

[Tim Geddes]

Barrett loves the tears, though.

[Ben Star]

I think it's. I think it's. I think it's a. I think it's a near perfect game for what it's trying to achieve. It is. So I think the art style is incredible. I think it's grotesque, but it's brilliant and the storytelling is so compelling. Yeah, there it is, There it is. Well made, clever, fantastic style. It's. I'd heard so many people talk about it and you look at this and you go, why is this so good? And it's because it draws you in. And if you're. If you, if you've played it for an hour and you're still playing it, you'll become obsessed over it. And I know a game is good when I'm pulling out a pen and paper and working out puzzles.

[Tim Geddes]

Yeah.

[Ben Star]

Piecing stuff together.

[Tim Geddes]

And the best part of like, the puzzling isn't like, obviously, like putting the words together and stuff is great, but the puzzle of putting the pieces together, of what's being told between the scenes, that actually is story work.

[Ben Star]

I mean, how it, how it develops its story is so incredibly Brilliant, because it does. And there is a fantastic twist and it feels really, really good. And actually, one thing, I mean, I prefer Case because it's a bit like Thing. I prefer Doom 2016. But I think Rise does some really interesting stuff where it takes the same idea and it transposes it into kind of a brutalist, 90, 1870s kind of world. And, you know, this is a very kind of like. I think it's like 1870 or something when it's set in a fictional world. But it's. It's the way that this game can tell stories in. In unique ways. And it takes the mechanics that it learns from the first game. And you can see kind of the graphical upgrade and how the. The visuals have changed, but they do a thing where at the end of each section, you don't just complete the scenarios. You have to then explain what you've seen over the four scenarios and go, have you got the whole vision of the whole story? It's so trippy and so weird. And I love that video games like this can exist. And I played case on my PlayStation 5, but I knew I was gonna be traveling and wanted to play Rise, so I played Rise on my Steam deck. And it's great because you can just kind of move stuff around. I love it. I think it's super, super good.

[Tim Geddes]

Do you have any desire to make a game yourself?

[Ben Star]

Sure, I'd love to make a game. I'll just go and do that. I would love to. I don't think I have it in me right now to do that also. I don't think that's where my talents are best used. I feel very. I'd love to, but I think I'd probably get distracted and do all this stuff. I like feeling like I can be a cog in the wheel that can do really cool stuff, but I don't really necessarily want to be the spearhead of that thing. There are so many amazing, talented people out there. Like my friend Abu made. Zao is, like, doing really cool stuff. I know.

[Tim Geddes]

Always doing cool stuff.

[Ben Star]

Yeah.

[Tim Geddes]

I mean, he's another great example of a guy that gets it. And the way that he does the marketing, like, even for Tails, he put out that short film that was beautiful. Like a beautiful, beautiful story.

[Ben Star]

He and I worked on a TV show called Jamestown together. And I remember he was like my game friend. That's awesome. My gamer friend. And we would. In between, you know, we're out there for six months in Budapest filming, and he told me his grand ambitions to work in video games. And I think he'd just done. He'd just done Assassin's Creed Origins. It wasn't out yet, but he had finished, you know, recording for it. And he was like, I really want to do more stuff in this space. And I felt so proud and jealous of him, actually, that he was able to do that. And, you know, the fact that we now get to talk about video games as friends again, it felt like a little secret. We'd go away and talk about it, but now we get to speak about it loud and proud and be like, guys, they're just the best. Yeah, they're just the best.

[Tim Geddes]

And both of you as faces of some of the biggest, most storied franchises in gaming history.

[Ben Star]

Yeah. Cool. Net.

[Tim Geddes]

Cool.

[Ben Star]

Pretty cool.

[Tim Geddes]

Yeah.

[Ben Star]

Yeah.

[Tim Geddes]

So are you Final Fantasy? Doubt.

[Ben Star]

I. So weird. It's so weird. No, because I will be day. I'm a die hard day. One to every Final Fantasy. Like, it's. It's. It's. It. It's weird. It's weird. You know, I have a different relationship with that franchise now. It's shifted. And I don't think for. For worse. I think it's just. I never expected. I'm not final. I'll never be Final Fantasy now. I think it's just the power of those games is. Is testament to their longevity. Their longevity is testament to their power. It is really, really, really super, super special. But I don't know. Yeah, we'll see. We'll see. I feel so lucky that I get to be a part of it. And I pinch myself every single day. And I want to do. I want to do cool other stuff. You know, people keep being like, are you gonna bring back a Final Fantasy? You know, Final Fantasy are gonna be remade. Who would you play? Definitive answer. I would play Laguna. Thank you.

[Tim Geddes]

Give it to him.

[Ben Star]

Thank you. That's it. That's the question asked.

[Tim Geddes]

I've done cosplay of that. Cause I feel like I haven't.

[Ben Star]

I'd love to. Oh, my God. Again, shout out to cosplayers. I have been so fortunate to see the most inventive cosplayers. I can't wait to see people cosplay Kazan. I can't wait to see people cosplay Verso and. And the Prometheus stuff is amazing. The also the artists when I was in. Okay, so good. There he is. There's my boy. Tifa looks amazing.

[Tim Geddes]

I have seen that picture of you so many times. The. The one that's a second row. Barrett towards the right. Yeah, that one. Your Headshot.

[Ben Star]

Yeah, that's my headshot.

[Tim Geddes]

It's just so you look. So this is pre. Video game. Yeah.

[Ben Star]

It is, yeah. I've started making them use a different headshot of me. Yeah, it's. I need to get a new headshot. Clearly. I. It's. It's a. It's a. It's a weird thing, but I love when people feel compelled to create their art inspired by whatever it is that I have contributed to. Other people have. Like when I was announced as Prometheus in Hades 2 shout out to Supergiant, the reason I don't have a voice is because I was doing karaoke with them until 2am they. They. People were doing artwork that was combined Prometheus and Clive artwork. You know, people were doing these most stunning Prometheus stuff. And I think that Gen Z, who does the art for Supergiant, you know, iconic in what she has done, also one of the nicest people, also has the most insane singing voice. Everyone at Supergiant can sing.

[Tim Geddes]

Why are they just so talented?

[Ben Star]

Everyone at Supergiant.

[Tim Geddes]

Andy Cortez needs to work at Supergiant. Yes. You know what I mean? He deserves it.

[Ben Star]

Like, I turn up, they had a mixer and, you know, I've obviously worked a lot with Darren and Greg, and then they were like, we're going to go back to the studio. So we went back to the studio and then we set up the things as a karaoke and suddenly everyone's singing like they're a Broadway singer. Like, I'm. I'm listening to Les Mis and Greg and Darren are singing Les Mis. I'm like, what's going on? Like, Ben, do you sing? I'm like, not like that. I don't. And then Judy, who plays Malinowi, she's like, her voice is just so beautiful. She's like, got this amazing tone and can sing jazz and then power ballads. And she was singing Phantom of the Opera last night. I was like, this is wild, dude.

[Tim Geddes]

Phantom of the Opera at karaoke is a statement.

[Ben Star]

And they. And they didn't just do one. I think they did the whole music.

[Tim Geddes]

They did the whole thing.

[Ben Star]

I was like. I was like, oh, okay. We're doing all. We're doing all of it. Like, Lloyd Webber's getting his. Getting a run out.

[Tim Geddes]

That sounds like a good theater nerd crew right there.

[Ben Star]

Yeah. Like, they're all. I mean, what an amazing. What an amazing studio.

[Tim Geddes]

What'd you sing?

[Ben Star]

I sang Iris by the Goo Goo Dolls and they also sang Drops of Jupiter by Train. I feel Like, I'm just so. I'm so white, middle aged man. I'll do that. But also, I realized as I was singing, they went, oh, these are high.

[Tim Geddes]

Yeah. Oh, oh. I know most of the lyrics don't know, oh, we're out of pocket.

[Ben Star]

I know the lyrics. I just didn't know how high it was gonna be in my voice. I was like, oh, God, tell me that it's all across the sun, you know?

[Tim Geddes]

So, okay, you're here for gdc. Yes. Which is awesome. And it's been an amazing and in the longest week of my life, in the best ways. Yes. You must be absolutely exhausted.

[Ben Star]

Yes.

[Tim Geddes]

Do you give me some highlights of who'd you get to see? What did you get to do?

[Ben Star]

Simple highlight for me was Austin Winsory does this really cool thing where it's a concert of video game music in the main hall. And I got to perform at that. I did Raphael's final act from Baldur's Gate 3, which is very cool. And actually afterwards, people went, I didn't know you were in Baldur's Gate 3. And I'm like, I'm not. But I am. Such a little crossover. Yeah. I'm such a huge fan of Austin Wintoury as a Journey, I think, is when people ask me, what is the first game you should ever. First video game I should ever play, I will always say Journey. I think it is the perfect entry point of teaching you how to play games, how you can interface with games, the simplicity of what games are asking you to do. And I think that is also because of Austin's score. And when I got to meet him for the first time, I was just fanboying out. And now we have a wonderful relationship. And he asked me to be a part of this concert. And so I had the great pleasure of sitting in all the rehearsals and watching a full orchestration orchestra play the mass effect music play. I mean, I got to see the mice. The song that's about my character from Hades 2 being played with Darren on, you know, Darren on guitar. It is. It's. It was so amazing and thinking, wow, the power of video game music is explosive. And that place was packed because I think, you know, you. You're never not at the video game concert. When I arrived, you were at The Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth 1.

[Tim Geddes]

Exactly. Yeah. So the funniest thing is me and you got lunch a couple days ago and you were giving me a little sneak peek. You're like, hey, I'm gonna be at this orchestra. And I was like, oh, My God, I'm going to that. And I was waiting for you to come out the whole time, and you never came out. I was at a different one.

[Ben Star]

Yeah.

[Tim Geddes]

I was at the Davy Symphony Hall 1. And then I realized. And I was like, oh. And it's funny because Austin came out there and they played the Hades music. Their whole band was there. I was like, where's Ben?

[Ben Star]

I know I was. I came out and snuck on the other one, but I'd love to do more of that. I did a thing at Carnegie hall earlier in the year where they played the Final Fantasy 16 music for the first time.

[Tim Geddes]

Live at Carnegie Hall.

[Ben Star]

Yeah. And I was. So I flew myself out because I really wanted to go. And then so Ken said, would you like to come on stage? And we did the L3 and R3 to accept the truth. And it was what I like. I'm not. I'm not a rock star, but I felt like a rock star because that place was packed. And I walked out and it was.

[Tim Geddes]

Like, I got it. I got to tell you. Like, I've watched that clip on YouTube, like, dozens of times.

[Ben Star]

Yeah.

[Tim Geddes]

Of you doing that and then playing the song. I'm so happy. If you don't know Distant Worlds, the Final Fantasy album seven is out now. It includes Final Fantasy 16 music. And I've had that on loop also.

[Ben Star]

I don't know. I don't know when this is going out, but the next Saturday. So maybe this Saturday coming. I'm going to be at the. I'm absolutely doxing myself, aren't I? I will be going to Distant Worlds because they're doing a kind of a new thing at the Apollo in London. So I will be attending that. So if you're a fan, I will see you there on stage. Maybe. I don't know. But, yeah, the week's been amazing. Meeting people's been awesome. It's just cool as hell. And I, you know, like, I am ultimately here to talk about, you know, Kazan as well. And it's like that thing where they. They have enabled me to be here because they were like, yeah, sure, we'd love. Whilst you're here, why don't you talk about the game? Why don't you talk about it? And so, like, it's very cool because it's not just like, I'm doing stuff. I'm actively promoting a game that is about to come out.

[Tim Geddes]

Yeah.

[Ben Star]

You know, and so that's just really neat. And I get to be like, there's this really, really cool game that I'm a part of. And then I'm about to go and do Expedition 33. And I'm about to go and do all that.

[Tim Geddes]

Yeah.

[Ben Star]

I just feel so super, super lucky.

[Tim Geddes]

This is not a gotcha. So you can just like, hit me. You're not gonna answer, Are there. What's the right word here?

[Ben Star]

Hit me.

[Tim Geddes]

Are there many projects that you can't talk about?

[Ben Star]

Yes.

[Tim Geddes]

That you can't wait to talk about. I love that for you.

[Ben Star]

Yep.

[Tim Geddes]

I love that for you.

[Ben Star]

Loads of them.

[Tim Geddes]

Are you taking care of yourself? Are you okay? Is there enough hours in the day for you, for Ben Starr to be okay?

[Ben Star]

I'm not. Well, I'm still licking batteries for joy. Let me. Let me taste your batteries. I am right now. I'm in the thick of it, you know, and I've got some really great things that I'm going to do over the next couple of months and I really want to kind of take advantage of those opportunities and also just, you know, kind of give back to people who've given a lot to me. And also I'm just proud of the work. I am proud of this work. And I get out in front of it because I'm going, I want to talk about it. I want people to play this stuff. Like, I'm. I'm proud of what I did in Kazan. I'm really proud of what I did in Expedition 33. And I think that is. It's amazing how excited people are about that video game. And I think it needs to be said that it's a 30 person team.

[Tim Geddes]

It's unbelievable. That game's real, man.

[Ben Star]

And I really want people to recognize that when they play that game. They're playing a game that has been made with love and joy and passion and reverence for the material that it iterates on and expands upon.

[Tim Geddes]

When I saw that world map, Ben, I was like, was that you, Guillaume?

[Ben Star]

Guillaume sent. I asked, is there a world map? When we were recording, and he went, yes. And the first time I ever saw it, he sent me something that he created, which was the characters running around the world map to Blue Fields from Final Fantasy 8. And he was like, this is for you.

[Tim Geddes]

He knows how to get you.

[Ben Star]

He knows how to get me. And it's just. It's just. It's just cool. And I don't feel worthy of it. So I just kind of don't think about it and I just do it and I keep going and I just want to keep kind of being like, hey, guys, it's okay to Be a nerd. You can kind of be a nerd at the same time as, like, you know, it's. It's great. This. This place is amazing. Acting's cool. If you. I get so many people asking me how to get into voice acting. I don't know, just do it, you know, like, it's to get yourself. Get yourself a microphone and learn the craft of doing it, and then place yourself out there in ways. Train, you know, get. Try and get yourself an agent and then just. Just pursue it from there because you never know what's going to happen because I never knew that I would be here.

[Tim Geddes]

Yeah. And here you are.

[Ben Star]

Here I am.

[Tim Geddes]

And I hope you're here forever, man.

[Ben Star]

Forever.

[Tim Geddes]

Forever.

[Ben Star]

I want to die at some point.

[Tim Geddes]

Yeah. Yeah. I hope not.

[Ben Star]

You're, like, keeping me alive. I'm like a thousand years old. It's like Tim won't let me.

[Tim Geddes]

I'll let him die. We'll let him die. Yeah. Before I let you go, any. Any final thoughts about anything?

[Ben Star]

No, I just want to say, go. Go and play Kazan. Go and play Kazan out on the 27th. I believe it's the 27th. It's not just me. The incredible Anthony Howell, who you'll know as Margit from Elden Ring, plays Blade Phantom. I think he has one of the best voices in video games and is also a sensational actor. And. And I want to give him his flowers because I really, really think it's special. And his performance as Blade Phantom is really, really holds it together. As much as I'm Kazan, he is really a main character in this game. If you've never played a hardcore action RPG before, pick it up because, you know, it's cool. It's a cool game.

[Tim Geddes]

Check it out, everybody, and remember, follow Ben Starr on all social medias, all of that stuff. Ben, thank you so much for hanging out. And it's so funny because we're recording all this stuff out of order. So this is live, but that means last week you already saw him on Games Showdown and Games Daily.

[Ben Star]

Yeah, yeah. But I'll be wearing a different top because I want you to change out of it.

[Tim Geddes]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. So go watch the past videos, see the different toppies in. Otherwise, thank you so much for hanging out. Until next time. Love you all.

[Ben Star]

Goodbye.

[Tim Geddes]

Podcasting was a revolution until big tech and big money started rewriting the rules. What's a podcast? The Revolution Redefined is an urgent new document featuring exclusive insights from industry experts like AJ Feliciano, general manager of the Roost. I still want to kill the word podcast. Plus pioneers like Ira Glass, Adam Carolla, Leo laporte, Guy Raz, and more. If you care about the future of podcasting, listen now to what's a Podcast. Wherever you get your podcasts.