Video Game Voice actors to get more money.
OK, I’ve been following this a little bit.
Voice Actors Win Bigger Check
Wil Wheaton writes about it as an actor on his site, but as a developer I see things slightly differently.
So basically the actors are asking for more money from a few days work on a project. I do respect Wil and most actors for what they do but you I disagree with Wils statement - "Before some readers freak out that I don't think $695 for four hours is very good, let me put this into perspective: in those four hours, we usually do several hundred takes, often screaming and yelling. It's hard work, and we deserve to be compensated for it."
I agree that they should be compensated and I dont thing 695 is unfair, but being a developer and staring at code for 10 hours a day 7 days a week for months on end trying to make a deadline set by some marketing dude is MUCH harder than a few hours of yelling and screaming.
He also states the actors get roughly 2% of a game total profit. Wait a minute… that seems very disproportionate to me... A voice actor in a game I guarantee does less than a .1% of the work involved in creating the game. Why is it that they deserve 2% of the profit? Halo 2 made $100 Million in the first day of release, the developers that wrote it probably make on average about 60K a year * 2 years = 120K. 25 Developers - That’s 3 Million! 3% of the profit of ONE day and your half a days work is worth 2%? I call bullshit!!
Again I don’t disagree with the fact that, ok you are providing a key point to the game by adding a voice to the digital characters so you deserve a share, but without the developers, the geeky guys in the cubicles who did 99% of the work, this game would not exist at all! I FIRMLY believe the money needs to go to the developers long before it goes to the actors.
3 Comments:
Don't you think that as a famous actor Mr Weaton brings a certain amount of inexpensive advertising for the video game. Is it not possible that, without him, or people like him, the game might fail, or if not fail, then not sell quite so well? Granted, none of this could have been pulled off without the likes of you but there's only one Wil Weaton and there's lots of developers around.
Actually, considering the revenues created, I should be complaining if I were him. It's all about scarcity, or supply and demand. He's slightly more in demand than you are, because he's a well known and rare commodity. Despite your obvious intelligence, which in and of itself, doesn't make any money, does it? you perhaps need a better grasp of the subject, ie capitalism. You simply don't sell yourself properly. Instead you complain about what you do in relation to money earned and consequently will always be miserable.
Yours sincerely Johnsarge
Although John's argument is a bit tough to swallow since he not-so-tactfully wrapped it in a 12" turd sandwich, he's got a bit of a point. Now before you go all nuclear on me, let me explain. I realize that if a game gets bad reviews, it's most likely going to tank, but there is a small percentage of buyers who will buy a game because they recognize the voice actors. If that wasn't true, why would they even bother to mention that Ray Leota voiced for GTA? I'm more of the mind that you are Justin since talking/yelling for a couple hours is hardly taxing, but name recognition does play a factor. How much of a factor? Probably not enough to justify more money if you ask me.
I dont mean in any way to diminish the role that actors play in this. I adds a great deal to a game when someone like Wheaton an Liaotta and Snoop-godd and so on add thier tallents to a game. I just feel that absolutely no credit is given to the developers of such games? Do any of you actually know the names of the guys and gals that spend much of their free time making these games for us? I know I can only name a few, and Im one of them. (Ok Im not as cool os a game developer but I am a deveoper.)
To me a name like John Carmak being part of a game is a much bigger draw than the name of an actor that is in it.
Again I do believe that voice actors add a major piece to the game. But credit where credit is due please...
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