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[Draugoth]

You may not know his name, but Richard Wells is one of the most-heard voices in video games - and now he's blowing up on TikTok.

Wells' TikTok account, which he created last Friday, now has over 17m views - mostly on his first video, where he reveals himself as the voice of video gaming's PEGI logos.

Yes, Wells voiced the "PEGI 12" and "PEGI 18" logos that play before video game trailers - and now, he's told fans he was only paid €200 (£170) years ago to do it.

"Hi, I'm Richard Wells, and I've been a professional voice actor for 40 years. I've made at least 10,000 recordings and spoken millions of words - but ironically I'm best known for just two. You won't know my face, but millions of you gamers really do know my voice - because I'm the guy who says 'PEGI 18' on all your video games."

Wells concluded by asking viewers to interact with the video if they recognised his voice - prompting more than 2.8m Likes (and counting).

"I'm absolutely overwhelmed by the reaction to that video," Wells said in a follow-up post, thanking viewers for their response. "I'm absolutely gobsmacked."

Wells has since replied with further videos answering common viewer questions - such as how much he was paid, and his thoughts on the use of AI.

"A few people have said 'do I get paid every time I say it?'" Wells said of his PEGI logos. "Well, I wish," he laughed. "I actually got paid €200 back in September 2009, and that's all the money I've ever made [from it]."

via Eurogamer

 

[Men_in_Boxes]

I assumed he was a multimillionaire. His work has moved so many people.

 

[EverydayBeast]

 

[ByWatterson]

......should he have made more? It's two words.

 

[ResurrectedContrarian]

......should he have made more? It's two words.

there's a weird contemporary concept that wide exposure automatically means you should be wealthy; this probably stems from the social media generation and their belief that views & likes = fame & wealth

on the contrary, there are multitudes of people who worked on something with wide reach, something known to millions in one way or another, who were just doing their jobs and compensated at a normal hourly wage

 

[Mr Hyde]

This guy and Charles Martinet are the most recognizable voices in the industry and they did it by just speaking a couple of words.

 

[pqueue]

sounds like he got.... pegged.

 

[Gaiff]

We call that voice acting, huh?

 

[ShadyAcshuns]

Sounds fair.

 

[Shin-Ra]

DAME PEGI to you.

 

[SirTerry-T]

We call that voice acting, huh?

 

[bitbydeath]

Well, if nobody gets paid to use it then theirs no money to pay him. Simple as that really.

 

[ZVWQP-9B8TM-VH9CT]

200? Too high.

 

[Sushi_Combo]

okay

 

[The Infectious Paradox]

Wow what a loser. He should definitely be swimming in a pool of $100 bills

 

[LavitzSlambert]

I've never felt more connected to anyone in my life.

 

[TheInfamousKira]

Buuuwaaahhhhhh!!!!!

Dang it, Pegi

 

[salva]

Fuck imagine the $$$$ spent on the "EA Games, challenge everything".

There's like a group of people saying "EA Games" and then child labour for "challenge everything".

 

[ReBurn]

Imagine all the suckers out there saying it for free.

 

[Hawking Radiation]

sounds like he got.... pegged.

 

[mitch1971]

I've been a professional voice actor for 40 years. I've made at least 10,000 recordings and spoken millions of words

Is everyone skipping this bit?

 

[newtypepilot]

why make a big deal out of it now? He got paid for a simple gig.
there's like zero chance they would pay him royalties

 

[Kilau]

Wow what a loser. He should definitely be swimming in a pool of $100 bills

Meanwhile, the “Rated M For Mature” guy.

 

[DaciaJC]

Meanwhile, the “Rated M For Mature” guy.

Imagine the paper cuts.

 

[MCplayer]

Just 200? Jesus poor guy, imagine how talented you need to be to say two words

 

[StreetsofBeige]

there's a weird contemporary concept that wide exposure automatically means you should be wealthy; this probably stems from the social media generation and their belief that views & likes = fame & wealth

on the contrary, there are multitudes of people who worked on something with wide reach, something known to millions in one way or another, who were just doing their jobs and compensated at a normal hourly wage

Pretty much.

Also, a lot of people have a notion that if a company uses your work over and over again, that person should get paid every time it's used till you die. If that's the case, just about every person on earth should be getting royalty checks forever because at some point every person's work has been used by the company or coworker at some point.

For example, if a cable technician drives around town in his truck and fixes wires in different neighburhoods on a daily basis, he should be the richest guy on Earth. Think how many royalty cuts he should make off every house since he fixed their internet connection. Each day that passes with a fixed connection he gets royalties.

At my work, I've been here 10 years. Some of the processes and reports I created have been used for years by various people all the time. I should get a cut. And when I leave the company, I should keep getting paid every time someone uses them or my past work or processes.

Ridiculous.

 

[cash_longfellow]

Wow what a loser. He should definitely be swimming in a pool of $100 bills

He is…a pool of two of them

 

[iHaunter]

......should he have made more? It's two words.

He didn't know he could do a royalty contract. Do you think Musicians just get paid once?

 

[Sentenza]

He didn't know he could do a royalty contract. Do you think Musicians just get paid once?

Royalties for WHAT?
It's not like someone is generating fat money every time the audio cue is played.

 

[Portugeezer]

What a robbery... he carried out, I mean.

 

[iHaunter]

Royalties for WHAT?
It's not like someone is generating fat money every time the audio cue is played.

I don't think you know what a Royalty is.

 

[ByWatterson]

He didn't know he could do a royalty contract. Do you think Musicians just get paid once?

Sounds like a him problem.

Should home builders get paid every time a home is rented out?

 

[Hoppa]

The voice is iconic, but it could’ve been anyone’s voice really. Shit even AI could queef something out at equal or better quality

 

[Dutchy]

People saying this old guy with 40 years of experience shouldn't be paid a single cent more has got to be the most unchivalrous things I've ever seen even on a gaming forum. Ya'll should be ashamed.

Not saying he should be swimming in cash but:

https://www.reuters.com/article/factcheck-nike-logo-designer-idUSL1N38L2EB/

 

[SJRB]

Bro why aren’t I rich? I say the word people hear everyday, and gladly pay money for.

O wait


Fucking boomers.

 

[KaiserBecks]

He should be grateful Troy Baker didn’t want this gig.

 

[Spukc]

2 words who the fuck cares man

 

[SirTerry-T]

He should be grateful Tom Baker didn’t want this gig.

Fixed.

 

[Hudo]

2 words who the fuck cares man

I mean, this board can get a thread going for 50+ pages about some Twitter LARPing as insider. Whereas some OG like this dude will probably be on page 2 by tomorrow.

 

[Knightime_X]

He most likely knew what whatever he signed stated that it's a one time payment for his service and that he agrees his created asset will be used repeatedly without extended permission from him.

 

[RoadHazard]

€200 for a 2-second clip = €100/second = €6,000/minute = €360,000/hour. That's a pretty decent hourly wage.

 

[Don Carlo]

there's a weird contemporary concept that wide exposure automatically means you should be wealthy; this probably stems from the social media generation and their belief that views & likes = fame & wealth

on the contrary, there are multitudes of people who worked on something with wide reach, something known to millions in one way or another, who were just doing their jobs and compensated at a normal hourly wage

Agreed.

 

[Majormaxxx]

But the gig got him notoriety. And he can now monetize the gen Z dummies on tiktok.

 

[Zheph]

quite a lot of money for two words

 

[Braag]

I mean, he said 2 words.
People get paid less for working 8 hours and making shareholders tons of money.

 

[kyussman]

When they say "only" $200 I'm not sure what the issue is,he went into a studio and said Pegi 18.......are they suggesting he gets residuals from every time someone fires up a video game,lol.

 

[Gudji]

Outrageous time to call the GTA6 joker guy and ask for advice.

 

[GamesDontSuck]

Would have assumed a grand or something.

 

[SirTerry-T]

Legend....

 

[Freeman76]

200 a second seems like a good rate to me