Video game voice actors prepare for strike

[ThunderingHERD]

By Ronald Grover

Video-Game Voices: On Strike?
In a rare labor dispute in tech land, two powerful Hollywood unions are ready to walk out over pay for actors who provide voice-overs


It's among the fastest growing parts of the entertainment world, but the video-game industry, mostly built around folks shooting bad guys or aliens, or slaying dragons with mythical swords, has been relatively free of its own behind-the-scenes fisticuffs. Until now. Unless the plot changes dramatically, two of Hollywood's largest unions are likely to strike the $9 billion-a-year game industry by early June.
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On May 24, the Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television & Radio Artists, which together represent an estimated 2,900 members who provide "voice-overs" to the video-game industry, asked their members for a referendum to authorize a strike against 70 game makers, including such giants as Electronic Arts (ERTS ) and Activision (ATVI ).

INTO TINSELTOWN'S ORBIT. Talks between the two sides broke off on May 13 after the game publishers delivered what industry negotiator Howard Fabrick called their "last, best, and final offer" to increase pay for actors doing voice-over work by 35% over three years and to hike payments to pension and health benefit funds. At present, actors get a minimum of $556.20 for a four-hour voice-over session. The industry's offer would have taken that amount to $750 by the deal's third anniversary, says Fabrick, a partner in the firm Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld. A one-hour rate would go to $375 from $278.

If authorized, it would be a rare strike in the tech field, which doesn't usually deal with unionized workforces. But as video games increasingly become based on movies, the publishers have moved into the orbit of Hollywood and its powerful unions. "It's a growing industry, and I can see where SAG and AFTRA want a bigger piece of the pie," says Adam Levine, a labor attorney with Mitchell, Silberberg & Knupp.

But Levine, like the game industry itself, believes that voices heard in the games are ancillary for the people who play them. "The actors are trying to squeeze a square peg into a round hole," he says. "Actors in video games are essentially extras. Can you imagine Mission Impossible without Tom Cruise?" Levine asks. "In a video game, the real stars are the computer graphics people and others who make the game itself."

NO CRIPPLING BLOW? That hasn't stopped the two unions from demanding that the industry consider some form of profit-sharing for the voice-over actors, akin to the "back-end" that actors typically get for their work in films when they go to TV or cable. "The concept of profit-sharing, or residuals, is widely accepted throughout the entertainment industry," SAG said in a statement on May 24.

According to the union, the industry refused to consider "even a modest profit-sharing proposal," which it said would have applied only to games that sold more than 400,000 units. In 2004, the union says, fewer than 30 games reached that mark. Fabrick counters that the companies believe they need the profits generated by some of their bigger hits to continue to pay the costs of developing and creating other games that often don't break even.

A strike won't likely cripple the game companies. Only an estimated 15% to 20% of titles use voices from folks who are union members, say industry insiders, although some of them -- Arnold Schwarzenegger in Terminator 3 or the late Marlon Brando in the upcoming Godfather game -- are essential to the game.

SHOWDOWN SOON. So, for the most part, the industry believes it can get along fine without union members who supply the voice-overs. "I imagine that business will go on," says Fabrick, who nevertheless says he's "terribly disappointed" that the union is trying to secure "the same residuals that a studio gives to an actor who makes $20 million for a movie that costs over $100 million to make."

The union, which has been working with temporary extensions since its contact expired in December, expects to announce a decision soon after June 7, when ballots on the strike question are due from its members. Then, the folks who brought you Halo, Grand Theft Auto, and other games will decide whether they want a little action of their own.

How absurd is that demand for residuals?

[Ksyrup]

I don't know man, I hear their voices in my head for years. That should be worth something.

[sabotai]

A strike won't likely cripple the game companies. Only an estimated 15% to 20% of titles use voices from folks who are union members, say industry insiders, although some of them -- Arnold Schwarzenegger in Terminator 3 or the late Marlon Brando in the upcoming Godfather game -- are essential to the game.
Strike and no more crappy games made from movies? STRIKE! STRIKE!

[Philliesfan980]

Wasn't there a Simpsons episode about this one time?

[Raiders Army]

Scabs. Hire some scabs. Or just scratch them off and let the pus run out. That was a punchline to a joke, right?

[dawgfan]

Strike and no more crappy games made from movies? STRIKE! STRIKE!

I'm sure your response is tongue-in-cheek, but there are a lot more games than crappy movie tie-ins that use SAG actors for voice talent. Almost every big game these days is using "name" actors for some of their voice talent: the GTA games, Half Life 2, Halo & Halo 2, etc.

[dawgfan]

How absurd is that demand for residuals?

Very. With the exception of tie-in games where having "name" voice talent is a near-requirement, the use of "name" talent in most games is just an added cool factor. Would less people buy the GTA games if they didn't have some famous voices in them? It would have a negligable impact, if any.

This proposal would seriously backfire on the SAG - games studios would simply hire non-SAG voice talent. And at the rates they're talking about, I have no doubt they'd have no problem finding good voice talent willing to cross union lines.

The SAG is seriously over-reaching on this one...

[sabotai]

I'm sure your response is tongue-in-cheek, but there are a lot more games than crappy movie tie-ins that use SAG actors for voice talent. Almost every big game these days is using "name" actors for some of their voice talent: the GTA games, Half Life 2, Halo & Halo 2, etc.
Yeah, I do realize that, but let's be honest. Who buys a game because the voice acting is great? Who doesn't buy a game because the voice acting os horrible?

The voice actors are vastly overvaluing what they do.

Greatly appriciate good voice acting in a game, but it hardly ever factors into what I buy.

[dawgfan]

I agree completely, and I think the SAG is reaching way too far on this one. I just wanted to point out that it's more than crappy movie tie-in games that would be affected...

[Blackadar]

Don't let the door hit you in the ass on the way out!


"You must gather your party before venturing forth"
"You must gather your party before venturing forth"
"You must gather your party before venturing forth"
"You must gather your party before venturing forth"
"You must gather your party before venturing forth"
"You must gather your party before venturing forth"
"You must gather your party before venturing forth"
"You must gather your party before venturing forth"
"You must gather your party before venturing forth"
"You must gather your party before venturing forth"
"You must gather your party before venturing forth"
"You must gather your party before venturing forth"



AUGHHHHH!! SHUT UP!!!!

[ThunderingHERD]

What really gets me is that these guys put in--what? Maybe 10 hours of work? Yet they think they should get residuals that most of the guys who work 60 hours a week for years creating the games never see.

[dawgfan]

What really gets me is that these guys put in--what? Maybe 10 hours of work? Yet they think they should get residuals that most of the guys who work 60 hours a week for years creating the games never see.

Ding ding ding - we have a winner!

These guys have serious delusions of grandeur about how important they are to the success of the games they appear in.

Of course I'm biased - I'm one of those 60 hour a week guys...

[dawgfan]

This guy has it right:

Talks have broken off, and the two unions will soon ask their members to authorize a strike.

That appalls Lev Chapelsky, general manager of Blindlight LLC, a West Hollywood, Calif., firm that supplies voice actors. Chapelsky said the game companies want to use the best actors they can find. But rather than pay residuals, they could easily switch to nonunion actors, eliminating hundreds of jobs for union members. Chapelsky figures few gamers would notice. ''There's a lot of substitutes that are open to this industry," Chapelsky said. ''There's a lot of great actors who don't hold SAG cards."

http://www.boston.com/business/articles/2005/05/20/talk_is_cheap_they_say/

[ThunderingHERD]

http://www.boston.com/business/articles/2005/05/20/talk_is_cheap_they_say/

I liked this line:

But residuals? ''As a matter of principle it's unacceptable; as a matter of economics, its outrageous," Fabrick said.

[Draft Dodger]

I'll gladly provide voiceovers for $375 an hour if they don't want to.

[sabotai]

I'll gladly provide voiceovers for $375 an hour if they don't want to.
No kidding. Is there a school I can go to in order to get that job?

[HomerJSimpson]

Where do I send my resume?

[HomerJSimpson]

Don't let the door hit you in the ass on the way out!


"You must gather your party before venturing forth"
"You must gather your party before venturing forth"
"You must gather your party before venturing forth"
"You must gather your party before venturing forth"
"You must gather your party before venturing forth"
"You must gather your party before venturing forth"
"You must gather your party before venturing forth"
"You must gather your party before venturing forth"
"You must gather your party before venturing forth"
"You must gather your party before venturing forth"
"You must gather your party before venturing forth"
"You must gather your party before venturing forth"



AUGHHHHH!! SHUT UP!!!!


Hehe. Been there, done that.

[Bearcat729]

Hell I'd do voice over work for a lot less than $375 an hour if they want to come to Cincinnati and do the recording.

[Bonegavel]

Those people are insane.

They should be able to get whatever contract they can on a per game issue. They negotiate with the game studio.

Snobby Actor: "I want $1000/day and 76% of profits from the title's profits."

Game Studio: "Uh, we just need grunting sounds. They will be used when the character jumps."

Snobby Actor: "Do you know who I am? I had a t.v. show during the 90s."

Game Studio: "You were in a pilot that wasn't picked up. Oh, I'm sorry, you are actually doing the growling of genericMonster_32. We thought about recording the dog playing with a chew toy, but he is a really friendly dog and can't seem to growl properly. Can you growl for me?"

Snobby Actor: "I read $50 million budget scripts for breakfast, I'm not growling for anyone. Oh, and I cannot work more than 2 hours a day and I only work after 3pm."

Game Studio: "Look, we're really behind schedule. The graphics engine has taken an extra 3 years to develop and out of 3 GBs of artwork we still have 500 megs to finish. Can you make squeak sounds? There is a chair in the opening sequence that is missing assets."

Snobby Actor: "I don't have to take this. I'm gonna sue you for better wages! This is an outrage!"

Game Studio: "I can pay you $560 for 4 hours work. That's a $140 an hour."

Snobby Actor: "I can start on Wednesday. **GRRRRRRRR** @!@SQueeaKK!@!!"

If Tom Cruise can negotiate with EA to get $30 million dollars for his participation in a video game, all power to him. Demanding that somebody be paid X-dollars for voice talent alone is insane.

These actors better get used to it. Things are not going in their direction. In the begining of movies, you didn't have to have a good voice at all. The movies didn't have sound. Once talkies came in, it was all about the voice and the look. Once movies go ALL digital there will only be voice work.

The highest paid voice talents will be regular t.v. shows where you need the same voice week in and week out. And once they have equipment that can flawless create the acoustics of a human voice, they won't be needed at all. The talent of the creators will be king.

Cowboy Up, Hollywood!

[st.cronin]

The economy of Hollywood actually makes sense to economists, believe it or not. I'm not sure the same rules apply here.

[Bonegavel]

The economy of Hollywood actually makes sense to economists, believe it or not. I'm not sure the same rules apply here.I have a simple rule of reimbursement for services rendered.

Get as much as you can.

Why do studios pay $20 million to an actor? Because they are hoping that they can 100 times that at the box office and DVD sales.

Voice actors already make a minimum of $140/hour? That is a lot of money. Have you ever purchased a video game because of the voice actors? Don't get me wrong, good voice acting adds a LOT to a game. But, it doesn't spill over into "I would so buy that game if Tom Cruise was the lead voice actor."

I can say, however, that I will buy just about any game that was coded by John Carmack or created by Peter Molineaux.

They need to get their heads out of their asses and go and Voice Act for games, build up a resume, and ask for more money because they are so good at it.

[rkmsuf]

How is it even possible to be "good" at it.

It's all name recognition...that's it.

[Bonegavel]

How is it even possible to be "good" at it.

It's all name recognition...that's it.
If it isn't possible to be good at it, then why are most games filled with shitty voice acting?

[Bonegavel]

dola,

voice acting is a skill just like Coding, art work, QA, etc.

[rkmsuf]

I don't think it's much of a skill in video games. Just like it isn't much of a skill in animated movies and such.

Unless you are Robin Williams that is.

[rkmsuf]

If it isn't possible to be good at it, then why are most games filled with shitty voice acting?

The same reason movies about video games are crappy.

[gottimd]

The same reason movies about video games are crappy.
No they are not.

[rkmsuf]

I mean by definition if you are "acting" in a video game don't you suck to begin with unless you are already a hollywood star?

It's all retreads and hangers on pretty much for any of the names you hear. Occasionally you get a name you can market but guess what, you have to pay a premium for it.

For the average joe doing this to go on strike it's a joke.

"Warrior needs food...badly!" I think I could have done that.

[Passacaglia]

Lame. Especially considering the percent of people who turn the sound off in most games so they can listen to music.

[Bonegavel]

I don't think it's much of a skill in video games. Just like it isn't much of a skill in animated movies and such.

Unless you are Robin Williams that is.I've been watching a lot of anime lately and, unless it is intended, most voice acting for anime IS HORRIBLE! I wish they would pay their voice actors more just to get better talent in there.

Isn't much of a skill? I have a vehicle with a DVD in it and every morning on our way to grandmom's house my daughter watches Bugs Bunny. I can't see the screen from where I am but the voice alone is enough to make me laugh the entire ride. Mel Blanc is probably my all time favorite voice actor. People have tried to copy him over the years and they can't get it right.

Today, Mel would deserve above union minimums.

[rkmsuf]

I've been watching a lot of anime lately and, unless it is intended, most voice acting for anime IS HORRIBLE! I wish they would pay their voice actors more just to get better talent in there.

Isn't much of a skill? I have a vehicle with a DVD in it and every morning on our way to grandmom's house my daughter watches Bugs Bunny. I can't see the screen from where I am but the voice alone is enough to make me laugh the entire ride. Mel Blanc is probably my all time favorite voice actor. People have tried to copy him over the years and they can't get it right.

Today, Mel would deserve above union minimums.

Right because cartoons are much different. They require unique voice talents. You are not doing "humans" per say. It's the ultimate in originality.

I mean name one cartoon voice talent that has ever made the crossover to video games.

Actually name one video game voice talent that has made their mark on the industry not already a Hollywood star promoting a themed game tied into some other vehicle.

[Bonegavel]

I mean by definition if you are "acting" in a video game don't you suck to begin with unless you are already a hollywood star?

It's all retreads and hangers on pretty much for any of the names you hear. Occasionally you get a name you can market but guess what, you have to pay a premium for it.

For the average joe doing this to go on strike it's a joke.

"Warrior needs food...badly!" I think I could have done that.
You don't have to be a hollywood star to be a voice acting talent. If you get hired to do voice acting you are a voice actor. You can either suck at it or not.

I would be willing to bet that most people would be shitty voice actors, meaning it requires talent. Something you can get better at. Something you can practice.

Going on an interview for a voice acting job for a video game... you bring in article after article on reviews that touched on the great voice acting in the game you just worked on. That doesn't count? You don't think that will help you gain a reputation in the industry?

[dawgfan]

I don't think it's much of a skill in video games. Just like it isn't much of a skill in animated movies and such.

Unless you are Robin Williams that is.

Perhaps you are confusing the fact that many video games and animated movies feature bad voice acting with the concept that good voice acting isn't a skill.

Good voice acting is most certainly a skill, but you often don't find good voice acting in games. Part of it is the quality of the actors, part of it is the direction, part of it is horrible script writing, part of it is poor implementation. You can get the best voice actors in the world to work on your project, but you can still fuck it up on your end of the deal.

[Bonegavel]

Right because cartoons are much different. They require unique voice talents. You are not doing "humans" per say. It's the ultimate in originality.

I mean name one cartoon voice talent that has ever made the crossover to video games.

Actually name one video game voice talent that has made their mark on the industry not already a Hollywood star promoting a themed game tied into some other vehicle.Not sure why this has gone in this direction.

I think voice acting has 0 to do with video game sales. Zip. Zero. Nada.

I do, however, think that voice acting requires talent (whatever the medium).

I don't think that they should be unionized and demand a minimum to perform work.

[rkmsuf]

You don't have to be a hollywood star to be a voice acting talent. If you get hired to do voice acting you are a voice actor. You can either suck at it or not.

I would be willing to bet that most people would be shitty voice actors, meaning it requires talent. Something you can get better at. Something you can practice.

Going on an interview for a voice acting job for a video game... you bring in article after article on reviews that touched on the great voice acting in the game you just worked on. That doesn't count? You don't think that will help you gain a reputation in the industry?

There is a basic competency to the job yes. I'm just saying there isn't a Mel Blanc out there that everyone wants to play their hero. There's very little separation because there is very little differentiation in talent levels from #1 journeyman to #100 journeyman.

When they want to make a splash they hire a name to throw around as the voice.

Same reason Chris Rock, Adam Sandler, and David Schwimmer get the good animation roles.

[rkmsuf]

Not sure why this has gone in this direction.

I think voice acting has 0 to do with video game sales. Zip. Zero. Nada.

I do, however, think that voice acting requires talent (whatever the medium).

I don't think that they should be unionized and demand a minimum to perform work.

I agree. I guess my overriding point was your first one...that's it's meaningless in the overall sales of the game.

[sterlingice]

There's something to be said for the fact that while voice acting is a major part of cartoons, it's not nearly as much for video games- it's noticeable if it's bad but nothing is really added if it's good and either way doesn't really change if you want to play the game. However, for tv or movies, it's going to make a big difference since the voice acting will really affect how you feel about the story, emotions, etc. Stories and characters are one part of a game and can make a good game great or a mediocre game worse depending on the quality but there are dimensions to games which don't exist in other entertainment mediums. You can have an ok story and voice acting and not matter at all if the play control is great.

I've been watching a lot of anime lately and, unless it is intended, most voice acting for anime IS HORRIBLE! I wish they would pay their voice actors more just to get better talent in there.

Isn't much of a skill? I have a vehicle with a DVD in it and every morning on our way to grandmom's house my daughter watches Bugs Bunny. I can't see the screen from where I am but the voice alone is enough to make me laugh the entire ride. Mel Blanc is probably my all time favorite voice actor. People have tried to copy him over the years and they can't get it right.

Today, Mel would deserve above union minimums.
The superfanboys out there would argue there is no such thing as a good American voice actor but let's dismiss the pretentious snobs for a moment. Like anything, it all depends on what you're watching. There's even a stratification of voice actors among animation. For instance, most Funimation stuff has subpar voice acting- no one really cares about how good the Dragonball voice acting was since they money wasn't spent on the translation and verbal script but on the action and drawing. But, for Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, for instance, aside from occasionally having the problem of "I've heard X in various roles before so I keep seeing him when this other character is talking", the voice acting was pretty good.

There's also the issue of a lot of companies getting bad translations so they don't worry too much about voice acting. Or you have scenes were to say something in Japanese takes twice or half as long so the VA has to slur something or speed up just to match the lip animation. Anime's a lot more complicated than domestic cartoons for just this reason. Do you sit there and watch anything with even a moderate budget that's American from The Simpsons to Spongebob to Dexter's Lab to Kim Possible- not really an issue with voice acting there. In fact, some of it is quite good and memorable.

As for Mel Blanc, c'mon. He's one of the best, if not the best ever. It's like saying "Damn, Miguel Tejada sucks because he's no ARod".

Right because cartoons are much different. They require unique voice talents. You are not doing "humans" per say. It's the ultimate in originality.

I mean name one cartoon voice talent that has ever made the crossover to video games.

Actually name one video game voice talent that has made their mark on the industry not already a Hollywood star promoting a themed game tied into some other vehicle.
Anime/cartoon and video game voice talent swap back and forth all the time. Jim Cummings has been in Winnie the Pooh for years and was in Baldurs Gate, Michael Bell was in Transformers and GI Joe in the 80s but now has done voices in the Metal Gear Solid series and tons of other games, and Saffron Henderson was in the Gundam and Dragonball series while also being Everquest 2 voices. And that took all of about a minute to find on IMDB. If those "don't count" because they're anime, how about Kevin Conroy (Batman), Will Friedle (Batman from Batman Beyond, Ron Stoppable from Kim Possible), John Dimaggio (Bender from Futurama), and Clancy Brown (Lex Luthor) all have had video game voice acting work that wasn't their licensed character (ie if DiMaggio's only voice acting in games was as Bender in a Futurama game).

There are dozens of cases like this- there'd be more, but there just aren't that many voice actors out there. They tend to get recycled for lots of parts: video game, cartoon, commercials, whatever.


SI

[TazFTW]

Deal done.



Actors' Unions Carve Out Deal with Game Makers
Negotiators for the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) and the American Federation of Radio and TV Artists (AFTRA) have reached a tentative agreement with the publishers of video games giving the actors who provide voices on them a 36-percent hike in minimum pay over 3 1/2 years (to $750 from $556 per four-hour session) but no residuals. SAG President Melissa Gilbert (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001271/) said that union negotiators signed off on the deal "with great reluctance" because it contained no provision allowing for residuals. AFTRA President John Connolly sounded more upbeat, remarking, "While we did not get all we want and deserve, this contract is another important step in building artists' power in this growing sector."

[rkmsuf]

that's a relief

[SackAttack]

$187.50/hour is the minimum wage for the industry, and they have the nerve to say "...we did not get all we want and deserve..."?

[sabotai]

$187.50/hour is the minimum wage for the industry, and they have the nerve to say "...we did not get all we want and deserve..."?
They did not get what they wanted and deserved.

They wanted an insane amount of money.
They deserved a swift kick in the ass.

[Pacersfan46]

Don't these morons realize how many of us would do this for free, just to say we were in part of a video game?

This is one of the few things the Screen Actors Guild could have done to make themselves look more stupid than Team America did.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Wow, all the voice talent haters, who woulda thunk it?

Let me add a little perspective to what they're asking for ... I don't believe it'll help much, but I will anyway.

For union talent on commercial voice work, which we use at times, depending on the need, we pay about $250-$300 for 30 seconds of copy. That's whether they get it done in one take (about 10m, including set-up, rehearsal, etc) or 20 takes (up to 1 hr).
And if we want a "buy-out", giving us the right to use their voice for more than 6 month or more than a year, the fees are higher, depending on the situation, usually $1000 or more, up to $3000 to $5000 for a lifetime buyout.

Also, even with non-union talent, the fees are often much worse. Even some local radio station guys can easily get $5,000 per 60 spot (usually high rated/high demand ppl), some can pull $8k-$10k ... that's for usually about 3m-5m worth of work if you're lucky. And you pay it because there really aren't too many bargains to be found (luckily, I know a few), on the whole, you get about the quality level you're willing to pay for. There's some $50 a spot talent out there, but it also sounds like you paid $50 a spot for it.

With that in mind, I'm amazed that this group agreed to the contract proposal. They're getting quite a bit below the market value for their work (i.e. voice talent in general). This is definitely an area where you get what you pay for (or less), and one of the last places you can cut corners without it being noticeable.

edit to add: Hell, I charge anywhere from $75 to $125 a spot myself.

[Pacersfan46]

JonInMiddleGA -

Radio which you're referring to is one thing. All you have is sound.

Video games are a different world. The voice acting is rarely (if ever) important. People don't buy games for that. Otherwise the Gothic series would be much larger than the Elder Scrolls series. However, when people listen to the radio ... there's nothing else to listen, or watch for.

That's not even a viable comparison.

[sterlingice]

$187.50/hour is the minimum wage for the industry, and they have the nerve to say "...we did not get all we want and deserve..."? Very true, but if you think about it, it's kindof "seasonal" work. It's not like you can fill 40 hours a week doing that. You'll get work on a game, put in your 4-20 hours then spend the next week or month looking for your next job. Not that they still aren't doing well. But it's not like you can extrapolate "Wow! That's almost $400K per year" because I doubt it's that easy. Still, I doubt anyone who gets semi-regular work in this industry is waiting in bread lines or anything.

SI

[JonInMiddleGA]

JonInMiddleGA -

Radio which you're referring to is one thing. All you have is sound.

Video games are a different world. The voice acting is rarely (if ever) important. People don't buy games for that. Otherwise the Gothic series would be much larger than the Elder Scrolls series. However, when people listen to the radio ... there's nothing else to listen, or watch for.

That's not even a viable comparison.

Umm ... while I was thinking more of radio, the same general rates hold true for TV voiceovers as well.

Trust me on this one, I've been on both sides of it, and the comparison is quite valid.

[Pacersfan46]

Umm ... while I was thinking more of radio, the same general rates hold true for TV voiceovers as well.

Trust me on this one, I've been on both sides of it, and the comparison is quite valid.

Price comparison, probably.

That had absolutely nothing to do with what I said though. I was comparing the importance of them. Between radio and video game, the importance level is extremely different.

[JonInMiddleGA]

That had absolutely nothing to do with what I said though. I was comparing the importance of them. Between radio and video game, the importance level is extremely different.

But you didn't address the similarities for TV voice work & video game voice work.

Here's the bottom line -- X is what voice talent, be it for radio or television, costs. It matters not one iota what a spot is used for, the price is the price, you're paying for the voice work, not for the medium it will be used on.

If they don't want to pay that for the games, fine, that's their call and more power to them if they can negotiate it downward. But they got them at a bargain price (which is pretty much my original comment in the first place).