How much is your talent worth? How much is your time and energy worth regarding putting everything you have into a specific project or piece? That is a question that many people across all walks of life have been asking ever since payment began. To be fair, no one can fully get what they want all the time. The world’s just not made that way. However, there are times when it’s clear that someone, or a group of people, is getting underpaid, and something should be done about it. That sadly brings us to Bayonetta 3, and the original voice of the Umbra Witch.
In the first two games of the series, plus the two appearances in Super Smash Bros, Bayonetta was voiced by Hellena Taylor. In the gamer’s eyes, she is the character’s voice, bar none. So when PlatinumGames confirmed that she wouldn’t be the character in Bayonetta 3, many were curious why. The studio said it was because of her “busy schedule,” so they recast the role with legendary voice actress Jennifer Hale. Fans accepted that, sad as they were, and looked forward to the upcoming release.
However, Hellena Taylor decided to speak out on the real reason for the departure. Her explanation wasn’t what PlatinumGames said at all. Instead, she revealed the insulting reason that she was forced to depart. In a three-part video she posted on her Twitter handle, Taylor told that after getting the role of Bayonetta once again, which she had to audition for, she was made a lowball offer to voice the entire game. It was a flat rate, and it was insulting to her.
So, she had a friend who spoke Japanese, and she wrote to Hideki Kamiya of PlatinumGames and asked for a price that she felt her talents were worth. She even noted in the video that the franchise had already grossed about $500 million in profit, not including merchandise. Kamiya wrote back to her and said that he “adored meeting her” and that “fans wanted her to come back” for the third title in the franchise. Taylor thought that this would mean she would be getting a better offer. But that wasn’t the case, as she got an offer of just $4000 for the entire video game.
Voicing a video game as the main or side character is a lot of work. But when you’re the lead? That’s a lot of lines you’re doing. Taylor was Bayonetta, and Bayonetta loved to talk. So she should’ve gotten paid a lot. Instead, she was given that offer and refused to take it. She also denied having a “busy schedule” and said she had “nothing but time” to do the game.
Taylor asks fans to boycott Bayonetta 3 and instead donate the money they would’ve spent to charity instead. You can watch the complete thread below.
Source: Twitter
