Niko Bellic wants more money b!#@%
What Niko wants, Niko gets. Well maybe not in this case as the voice talent behind Grand Theft Auto IV’s Niko Bellic is a bit upset because he isn’t getting a proper piece of the incredibly large pie that Rockstar has received. Michael Hollick is the voice behind Niko and he received $100K for providing the voice for everyone’s favorite cousin from another mother.
Grand Theft Auto IV is nearing half a billion dollars in dough and Michael feels he should get some of that. I agree with him but apparently there are no royalties in video games as there are with movies and music. Voice talent isn’t properly represented in video games as it is in animated movies and TV shows. Blame their union!
“I’m incredibly thankful to Rockstar for the opportunity to be in this game when I was just a nobody,” said Michael Hollick, who received $100,000 for 15 months of voice-over work, according to the New York Times. “But it’s tough, when you see Grand Theft Auto IV out there as the biggest thing going right now, when they’re making hundreds of millions of dollars, and we don’t see any of it. 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.”
I feel for him really and I have to say that Rockstar should pony up some sort of “pat on the back” check to this guy. How much would you enjoy Grand Theft Auto IV if Niko sounded like Gilbert Gottfried? I don’t think you’d enjoy it as much. It’s not like they can’t afford to dish out a little somethin’ extra for these guys. Having decent voice work is critical to a game like this I believe. What say you?
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May 22nd, 2008 at 8:04 am
well his union worked the deal for him so as he said, he blames his union.
can’t believe though that some of you guys don’t think a little bonus or something is too much of Rockstar. i dont’ think it is. true enough he screwed himself but still…you’d like to believe a company could look out for a guy after the fact especially making some much $ of which he obviously helped.
all the designers, testers etc are getting bonuses. why not this guy?
May 22nd, 2008 at 8:50 am
i would have paid more if Gilbert Godfried was the voice of nico!! lol…
in all honesty, he should have had a blanketed contract that would have promised him royalties… i think more money should go to the developers and artists… But you are right, Rockstar should give good-will bonuses to their actors…
May 22nd, 2008 at 10:39 am
But the character is more than the voice.
What about the artist that designed him? What about the artist that designed the street? Should they be getting royalties too? Stupid ass!
All that ‘profit’ that Rockstar is creating goes to pay all the hundreds of people who worked on the game and to help fund the development of the next one.
I don’t think this guys voice talent had much to do with the success of GTA4. (If you hold the caps down too long, you get GTA$. kind of ironic…)
May 22nd, 2008 at 10:45 am
the development team is getting a huge bonus. that includes the people that designed the streets etc.
i don’t know why it’s too out of reach to consider the people who voiced the characters in the bonus rounds. i mean if they were so pointless, then why not just have GTA4 filled with no voice at all. i don’t think it would be the same.
but hey, it is what it is. i couldn’t care less really. i’m not getting money no matter what lol. i’m just saying, throw the guy a bone.
it won’t hurt.
May 22nd, 2008 at 3:00 pm
I agree with most of you on both sides- @ Deac business integrity is why so many things are wrong in the world. They KNOW they should anty up but again a contract was made and unfortunately our industry is like checkers- once you lift your finger off, that’s the move you make and money ya gotta take
May 22nd, 2008 at 3:16 pm
true dat Danger.
May 22nd, 2008 at 8:00 pm
@Dangerdoll - it’s a great point you make regarding the contract and very true. Unfortunately, the voice-actors for GTA IV were in no position to negotiate future earnings because they had no leverage. It’s not like any of them are as tied to their character as say Michael Ironside is with Sam Fisher. EA would have simply moved to the next name on the surely long list of voice actors they had at their disposal.
May 26th, 2008 at 11:47 am
Pony up and give the guy a litte extra! and next time write up a better contract!