{"id":98361,"date":"2022-10-16T01:12:05","date_gmt":"2022-10-16T01:12:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/bayonetta-3-original-voice-actress-calls-for-boycott\/"},"modified":"2022-10-16T01:12:05","modified_gmt":"2022-10-16T01:12:05","slug":"bayonetta-3-original-voice-actress-calls-for-boycott","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/bayonetta-3-original-voice-actress-calls-for-boycott\/","title":{"rendered":"Bayonetta 3: Original Voice Actress Calls for Boycott"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\tAs Nintendo’s Bayonetta 3 closes in on its long-awaited release date of Oct. 28, the video game franchise’s fanbase has been rocked by a statement shared by the series’ original lead voice actor, Hellena Taylor, who shares that she did not return for the new entry after being offered only $4,000 to reprise her role.<\/p>\n

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\t\u201cThe Bayonetta franchise made approximately $450 million. That’s not including merchandise. As an actor, I trained for a total of seven and a half years, \u201dTaylor shared in a statement on her Twitter. \u201cWhat did they think this was worth? What did they offer to pay me? The final offer to do the whole game \u2014 as a buyout, flat rate \u2014 was $4,000. This is an insult to me [and] the amount of time that I took to work on my talent and everything I’ve given to this game and to the fans.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\tTaylor first voiced the character Bayonetta, a shape-shifting witch who can summon demons, in the action series’ first 2009 entry, released by Sega and developed by PlatinumGames. PlatinumGames partnered with publisher Nintendo for the sequel Bayonetta 2 in 2014, in which Taylor reprized her voice role. Beyond the main franchise entries, Taylor is also credited as the voice actor for Bayonetta in the fighting video games Super Smash Bros. for 3DS and Super Smash Bros. for Wii U. <\/p>\n

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\tBefore directly addressing the matter, Taylor’s absence from Bayonetta 3 had been raising eyebrows among the franchise’s fanbase for some time. In the new game, Bayonetta is voiced by Jennifer Hale, who is seen as one of the more prominent voice acting talents working today, with big credits like Mass Effect, Metal Gear Solid and Halo 5: Guardians.<\/p>\n

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\t\u201cI am asking the fans to boycott this game and instead spend the money that you would’ve spent on this game donating it to charity,\u201d Taylor continues. \u201cI didn’t ask for too much. I was just asking for a decent, dignified living wage. What they did was legal, as it was immoral\u2026 I decided to do [this] to stand up with people all over the world who do not get paid properly for their talents. Fat cats cream off the top and leave us the rotten crumbs.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\tTaylor shared that she has from depression and anxiety regarding her financial situation, which had escalated to the point that she \u201cbecame suicidal\u201d at one point.<\/p>\n

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\tThe actress also offered an explanation of the timeline behind her decision to bow out from the franchise, sharing that she was asked to audition for the role again before receiving an \u201cinsulting\u201d offer. After writing to Hideki Kamiya, Bayonetta series creator, she received a response from the developer saying that \u201cthe memory of first meeting me as Bayonetta is a memory [he holds] dear.\u201d That note came with the revised offer of $4,000.<\/p>\n

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\t\u201cI am not afraid of a non-disclosure agreement. I can’t even afford to run a car. What are they going to do? Take my clothes? Good luck to them,\u201d Taylor continued. \u201cBayonetta always stands up for those with less power and what is right. In doing this, you stand with her.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\tKamiya, whose Twitter account is restricted, has had backlash directed towards him on the social media platform. Although the developers have not directly acknowledged Taylor’s, he shared a vague message as the voice actor’s statement began to circulate, writing \u201cSad and deplorable about the attitude of untruth.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Sad and deplorable about the attitude of untruth. That’s what all I can tell now.<\/p>\n

By the way, BEWARE OF MY RULES.<\/p>\n

\u2014 \u795e\u8c37\u82f1\u6a39 Hideki Kamiya (@PG_kamiya) October 15, 2022<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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\tWatch Taylor’s video below.<\/p>\n

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Friends, Worldlings, Bayonutters. Eat Hear!#PlatinumGames<\/a> #Nintendo<\/a> #Bayonetta<\/a> #Bayonetta3<\/a> #Bayonutters<\/a> #boycott<\/a> #NintendoEurope<\/a> #NintendoAmerica<\/a> #NintendoJapan<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/h9lwiX2bBt<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Hellena Taylor (@hellenataylor) October 15, 2022<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote><\/div>\n