Voice actor Jennifer Hale revealed that she was paid $1200 in 1998 for her role in Konami’s Metal Gear Solid. The game went on to make $176 million.
Speaking during the My Perfect Console podcast, voice actor Jennifer Hale stated that, for performing the role of Dr. Naomi Hunter in Metal Gear Solid, she was paid a sum of $1200. The game eventually went on to make a grand total of $176 million, she said.
Hale made the revelation during her response to a question regarding the disparity between voice actor wages in the game industry and the money AAA games make. She said that this is indicative of what’s happening in modern culture. She mentioned that the average CEO salary was 20 times employee wages in the 1960s, 40 times employee wages in the 1980s, and 399 times employee wages today.
She said that something happened during the 80s where company well being was no longer defined by the well being of those who worked there. She stated that, ideally, she would like to see residuals for games on a flexible structure that honors indie developers and budgets and capacities of teams.
A remaster for Metal Gear Solid will be included in the upcoming Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection, which is set for release on October 27, 2023. The first volume of the franchise compilation will encompass the initial five key entries: Metal Gear (1987), Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake (1990), Metal Gear Solid (1998), Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty (2001), and Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater (2004).
Additionally, it will include bonus content such as the VR Missions for Metal Gear Solid, the Nintendo Entertainment System version of Metal Gear, its standalone sequel Snake’s Revenge (1990), game guides, a curated selection of music from the series, and the motion comics Metal Gear Solid: Digital Graphic Novel and Metal Gear Solid 2: Bande Dessinée. The Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection is set to launch on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, and Xbox Series X/S.
