Bayonetta Actress Defended By Studio After Fan Attacks
PlatinumGames has stepped up to defend voice actress Jennifer Hale after fans attacked her online.
This article is more than 2 years old
Well, here’s an interesting twist; PlatinumGames issued a statement in support of Bayonetta 3’s current voice actress Jennifer Hale by asking the fans to refrain from any further comments that would disrespect the actress. This report follows our previous reports about Hellena Taylor, the previous voice actress, calling for a game boycott after publicly stating that the studio mistreated her. It would seem that Bloober Studio, the developer of the Silent Hill 2 remake, isn’t the only one with its pants on fire.
Platinum games posted a message on Twitter, as seen above, offering sincere appreciation to anyone who had a hand in creating the Bayonetta franchise over the years, as well as the series fandom. They also expressed their full support to Jennifer Hale, the current voice actress behind the protagonist, and aligned with everything she had stated about the “backstage” situation at PlatinumGames and Nintendo. As stated above, PlatinumGames asked people to refrain from any further comments that would disrespect Hale.
Unfortunately, Hale was a target of online abuse after Hellena Taylor publicly stated that Nintendo had offered her a tiny paycheck for her performance as Bayonetta — a mere $4,000, opposing a $400-$900 per studio hour the industry pays its voice actors. The story spread like wildfire, which isn’t surprising since Nintendo has a history of mistreating its employees. However, more recent reports, like the one from Bloomberg, cast a different light on the situation.
Apparently, PlatinumGames sought to hire Taylor for at least five sessions, with each four-hour session paying $3,000 to $4,000 (between $750 and $1,000 per hour) for her performance. That would mean that Taylor would’ve walked out of the studio with at least $15,000 for 20 hours of work (a very, very rough estimation). Bloomberg’s sources stated that Taylor wasn’t actually satisfied with PlatinumGames’ offer and asked for a six-figure sum and residuals on the game. Of course, the developer had refused and, after lengthy negotiations, offered a role to Hale.
However, the developer of Bayonetta 3 offered Taylor a cameo in the game for the aforementioned flat fee of $4,000, which the voice actress turned down. So, to be completely fair, Hellena Taylor didn’t lie; she was offered $4,000 for her performance in the upcoming Bayonetta 3 game. However, if the accounts of Bloomberg’s sources are true, she left out some key details that now paint a whole different picture. So, who’s actually telling the truth here?
If Nintendo and PlatinumGames were really penny-pinching by offering a mere $4,000 for a voice role in a $450 million franchise (not counting the merchandise), why would they approach Jennifer Hale — the actress behind the iconic Commander Shepard and Seamus Aran — with such an insulting offer? On the other hand, we’ve seen some really deplorable attitudes from gaming giants toward talent to neglect Tayor’s initial statement, regardless of how improbable it may now seem.
Her original statement struck a nerve among gamers, who had the opportunity to witness the heinous behavior rampaging through the gaming industry. Of course, enraged by what increasingly seems like a false narrative, gamers wasted no time firing away at Hale with insults and harsh commentary. Luckily, the tides in the gaming industry are changing, and the developer of Bayonetta 3 actually stood with its star talent.
