Mark Hamill has officially called it a day on the Joker voice which is a role that he’s made his own for near on two decades. For people of a particular age / interest in Batman, his Joker voice is pretty much the definitive characterisation for the Clown Prince of Crime, first appearing in the Batman: The Animated Series and then through a number of different other animated movies and also video games. As such, the last appearance of Hamill as Joker is in Batman: Arkham City.
(He might be enticed back at some point, but for now it looks like the end of his association with this role.)
Which leaves Sony Online Entertainment with a bit of an issue as DC Universe Online goes free-to-play (on November 1). Hamill did the Joker’s voice there as well.
DCUO's Big Three villains are Joker, Lex Luthor and ... Circe. Catwoman was nice enough to fill in for the box art and website materials because ... well, I guess she's more well known.
If SOE wants to do future Joker content for DCUO – and he is one of the Big Three villain-side, so you’d think at some point they will – they are going to have to find voice over talent to do an impression of Hamill’s Joker. Impressions rarely work out well since they can easily end up sounding a bit off and players will be quick to pick up any issues.
This is an issue with voice overs. They do add to a game, but they also add a lot of complications to MMOs that plan (and need) to expand their content over time.
World Class Villains 