Topic: Bloomberg Report Claims New Details On Bayonetta 3 Voice Acting Pay Controversy

[Shaymin]

Remember, it's all about the wording.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/news/61877/bloomberg-report-claims-new-details-on-bayonetta-3-voice-acting-pay-controversy

A report from Bloomberg Business Week (potential paywall) has provided new apparent details on this weekend's claims of a low-ball offer for Hellena Taylor to reprise the role of Bayonetta in next week's release.

According to reporting from Jason Schreier, Taylor was reportedly offered $3000 - $4000 a session for five sessions of voice work - $15000 to $20000 overall before taxes and other expenses. Reportedly, Taylor demanded "a six figure sum" (>$100,000) as well as residuals - a percentage of the game's sales - for the role. Taylor has denied the claims to Bloomberg, calling it an "absolute lie" and accusing Nintendo and developer Platinum Games of "trying to save their ass and the game".

Residuals were a frequent point of controversy in a 2016-17 strike by the SAG-AFTRA union local that represents gaming voice actors.

[pokepal148]

I'm just going to pull up a chair for another fun talkback thread. Anyone want popcorn?

[mereel]

All this attention is sure to help the game’s sales. I hope this Bayonetta entry lives up to the hype.

[broodwars]

I'm just going to pull up a chair for another fun talkback thread. Anyone want popcorn?

Nah. I'm good. 

Supposedly, Schreier's seen actual documentation from Platinum employees proving these new assertions (and other outlets have corroborated his assertions with their own contacts), and if that's the case Hellena Taylor needs to do herself a legal favor and stop talking before she triggers a defamation lawsuit (let alone the damage this has and will do to her professional reputation).

It was speculated in the previous Talkback thread that perhaps Taylor simply misunderstood the contract that was offered her (or it was mistranslated). Whether that is true or not, it would be in Taylor's best interest going forward to pretend it was and issue an apology. Then everyone can pretend it was just a simple misunderstanding, and perhaps bridges could be repaired with the community and Platinum so Taylor could return in a later project. That would be the best outcome for everyone involved at this point.

[UncleBob]

Let's be clear - regardless of the reasons behind it, Taylor's career as a professional in the industry is pretty much shot.  I don't see a path towards her mending bridges.  Even if the translation errors were on Platinum's side of things, and even if she tried to clarify and was given the incorrect info again... Hell, even if it turns out Platinum is lying and Taylor brings the receipts... The way she went about publically nuking the NDA has destroyed her reputation, legally and professionally, and I doubt she'll ever get that back.

I'd sincerely rather find out one of the two parties is just a big, fat liar so there's someone to hate on rather than it's all the world's stupidest misunderstanding and this individual just blew up everything for nothing. :/

[Luigi Dude]

Supposedly, Schreier's seen actual documentation from Platinum employees proving these new assertions (and other outlets have corroborated his assertions with their own contacts), and if that's the case Hellena Taylor needs to do herself a legal favor and stop talking before she triggers a defamation lawsuit (let alone the damage this has and will do to her professional reputation).

At this point it could be too late.  The original video calling for a boycott already has around 10 million views.  If Platinums documents clearly state it was going to be 3-4k over at least 5 session, and Nintendo has evidence that there was a noticeable spike in pre-orders being canceled after she called for a boycott, it's a pretty open and shut case against her. 

We know Nintendo loves to make examples out of people.  They probably wont do it now because it just leads to people talking about something other then the gameplay, but I could sometime next year when sales of Bayonetta 3 have completely dried up since these games are usually pretty front loaded, they decided to show what happens to NDA breakers who try to boycott their games under false or misleading information.

[broodwars]

Well...there it is. Taylor has now changed her story on Twitter. She's now claiming that she was offered $10,000 total for voicing Bayonetta in the 3rd game, later upped to $15,000 after she complained to Kamiya. She then confirms Bloomberg's reporting that she was then offered $4,000 to voice a cameo appearance. She denies she demanded $250,000 (though not the "6 figure salary + royalties aspect of the Bloomberg report itself), as well as the number of sessions. She also claims to have only been paid 3,000 Pounds for voicing Bayonetta in the 1st game and "a little more" in the 2nd game.

She also renewed her calls for a Boycott of the game.

Taylor, get off Twitter. You just admitted at the very least that you lied by omission in your boycott video, despite starting this Twitter thread stating you wanted to debunk the claim that you were a "liar and golddigger". I don't think you realize what you just did, even assuming you're telling the truth NOW.

https://twitter.com/hellenataylor/status/1584417050994221056

[nickmitch]

I'm confused. In her initial video, she said the final offer was $4K. In the third video, she says the final offer came after she wrote to Hideki Kamiya to get that final offer. But her recent tweets suggest that the total offer was $15K. So, she's basically walked her initial claim back? Or did I miss something there?