Video Game Actors Say They Don't Get Their Due

Dekortage writes "The New York Times reports today about Michael Hollick, the actor who provided the voice of Niko Bellic in Grand Theft Auto IV. Although the game has made more than $600 million in sales for Rockstar Games, Hollick earns nothing beyond the original $100K he was paid. If this was television, film, or radio, Hollick and the other GTA actors could have made millions by now. Hollick says, 'I don't blame Rockstar. I blame our union for not having the agreements in place to protect the creative people who drive the sales of these games. Yes, the technology is important, but it's the human performances within them that people really connect to, and I hope actors will get more respect for the work they do within those technologies.' Is it time for video game actors to be treated as well as those in other mediums?"

Oh the poor bastard

[amazeofdeath]

$100k? How can you expect anyone to live on that? Where's the union when you need it the most?

In other news

[Rosco P. Coltrane]

Fat short italian plumber dresses in red and stages protest in front of Nintendo office in Rome to claim unpaid billions.

Re:Keep fighting, but be realistic

[suso]

they don't highlight the actors the way they do, say, on a movie DVD box.

Last time I checked, my copy of Shrek 2 had a picture of a two green ogres a donkey and a cat on it, not Mike Myers and Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz and Antonio Banderas

Re:Oh the poor bastard

[Rosco P. Coltrane]

$100k? How can you expect anyone to live on that?

Exactly. In euros, $100k it buys you a bus ticket these days...

He was over-compensated.

[wireloose]

That first Tauren actor that Blizzard hired only received 3 coppers and a stack of Peacebloom for a snack.

Re:Keep fighting, but be realistic

[elrous0]

He had better be careful. Rockstar might just decide to kill him and get their money back.

Re:When your name can...

[grm_wnr]

I bought Portal for Mike Patton.

Re:Keep fighting, but be realistic

[Lumpy]

Exactly, I say to these actors.... A GREAT BIG WAHHHH.

read your fricking contract before you sign it.

Re:Keep fighting, but be realistic

[Anonymous Coward]

Interesting because the games companies I've talked to say that 70% of the game is written by one lead programmer.

Intersting because the people I've talked to say that 99% of what LingNoi says is made up on the spot

Re:Keep fighting, but be realistic

[Clockwork Apple]

Yeah, and what about us players who actually install and load the software and then provide the input required to allow the game characters to do the things needed to showcase the work of the animators, programmers, voice actors etc. When do we gat paid?

C.

Re:Keep fighting, but be realistic

[SageMusings]

acting actually is skilled work taking years to learn

What about Tom Cruise? I guess there is an exception to every rule