?Mass Effect?s? Jennifer Hale and ?Metal Gear Solid?s? David Hayter Collaborate In New Project: Snake Meets Female Commander Shephard

Mass Effect's Jennifer Hale and Metal Gear Solid's David Hayter will be offering their voice-acting talents to the projected iOS game Republique. The game's creators are in the process of fundraising via Kickstarter, which is where the big announcement was made on Friday.

The plot begins with a young woman named Hope, trapped in a totalitarian state, using a stolen phone to call you to enlist your help. Her requests involve hacking into the nation's surveillance system to aid her in an escape from the clutches of the omnipresent Overseer, according to the description on the game's Kickstarter page.

Industry veterans behind games such as Metal Gear Solid, Halo, and F.E.A.R are involved in the development.

'Republique' represents a strategic alliance between Camouflaj and Logan to make an epic action game designed specifically for touch-based devices, the Kickstarter page reads.

Hale will play the role of the Mentor, a mysterious figure with an intimate knowledge of protagonist Hope. Hayter, known for being Snake in the Metal Gear Solid series, will play the head of the revolution.

Having these two rock-star voice actors reunite in 'Republique' is incredible! the Kickstarter page says.

The project currently has more than 5,000 backers and has risen over $200,000 for its development. However, this is a far cry from its goal of $500,000, and, with only seven days left in the fundraising campaign players have a lot to pledge.

There is sadness in my heart when I think this might not get made, wrote Jim Sterling of Destructoid.

The game also represents a turning point in the industry with mobile gaming becoming more of a presence. Although it will be quite some time before hard-core gamers are willing to shift to touch-screen platforms as a dominant gaming medium -- assuming it happens at all -- these kinds of projects are gaining momentum.

Analysts have predicted that next-generation Xbox, PlayStation, and Nintendo consoles won't sell as well as their predecessors have due to the impact of mobile gaming. There are also rumors of Apple creating a physical controller to accompany its iPad and other products, according to AnandTech.

I know of an internal Apple project to bring a physical controller to the market, but whether or not it will ever see the light of day remains to be seen, AnandTech reported. As smartphones and tablets come close to equaling the performance of current gaming consoles, I feel like the controller problem must be addressed.

Be sure to check out the official Kickstarter page for Republique to help the game raise its funds or to learn more about the project.