Soon after the very public success of GTA IV, the actors have come to arms and started complaining about the lack of residuals not granted to them. In other forms of media (i.e. radio, films, television) actors are paid initially and continue to receive compensation well after the product they worked on has released.

The above video is the one of the outcries, nosebleed and all, as Mr. Roman Bellic himself, voiced by Jason Zumwalt, complains about the lack of new funds after the game has gone and sold half a billion in sales.

Michael Hollick, voice of Niko Bellic, takes a more conservative approach when talking to The New York Times by saying the following:

“Obviously I’m incredibly thankful to Rockstar for the opportunity [...] But it’s tough, when you see Grand Theft Auto IV out there as the biggest thing going right now, when they’re making hundreds of millions of dollars, and we don’t see any of it.”

Via YouTube
and The New York Times

[Thanks to Phil for sending the video in!]

written by Carlos Macias \\ tags: compensation, Disgruntled, game, GTA, Jason Zumwalt, lack, Michael Hollick, New, Niko Bellic, Phil, product, radio, Rent, Roman, success, television, Times, video, York

Life is complicated. I killed people, smuggled people, sold people. Perhaps here, things will be different.
–Niko Bellic, Grand Theft Auto IV


Many of you playing GTA IV, are aware of the current missions and only some of Niko Bellic’s past. We feel it’s important to decipher the criminal mind behind Niko Bellic all before he arrived to America!

Name: Niko Bellic
Age: 30 years old
Weight: 187
Eyes: Brown
Born: Croatia

Notable Characteristics: Scar over his left eye, limps off his left leg, European accent

Background: Niko grew up in war-torn Serbia. He is an illegal immigrant hailing from the Balkans who arrived in Liberty City by way of the merchant navy ship Platypus. Niko’s father, Karmalaf Bellic, bullied and made life difficult for Niko. Milica Bellic, his mother, felt sad that her son had to grow up in such a harsh environment. Niko also fought in the Bosnian War as a teenager for the Serbian Army. He witnessed and possibly committed numerous atrocities which deeply affected him and gave him a cynical view on life. A defining moment in the war for Niko was when his army unit of fifteen young men (including him) were ambushed by the enemy. Niko barely escaped with his life, but most of his friends were killed - he later discovered that two others also survived. Realizing that one of them tipped the enemy off to their location, Niko vowed to track down the culprit, not solely on revenge, but because he needed closure.

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When the war ended, work was hard to come by in the country. His cousin, Roman Bellic, moved to America to start a new life in Liberty City. Niko, knowing only violence most of his life, turned to the criminal underworld for the next ten years while at the same time searching for the two men who survived the ambush. At some point during this interval, he was arrested and imprisoned for Drug Smuggling. Sometime after he was released, Niko joined a human trafficking ring run by Rodislav Bulgarin. Niko eventually discovered that Florian Cravic, another survivor of the ambush, was living in Liberty City.

When a boat sank during one smuggling run, Niko managed to swim to safety, but everything else was lost. Bulgarin believed Niko sunk the boat and escaped with the money onboard. Niko denied this, but Bulgarin’s decision was final and he was too powerful a figure to fight back against. Niko quickly joined the crew of the Liberty City bound cargo ship Platypus and fled Bulgarin. Roman had been asking Niko to come to Liberty City to share a new life of money and women, which Niko wanted, but he mainly wanted to find Cravic and escape Bulgarin’s wrath.

Upon arriving in Liberty City, Niko realizes that Roman’s tales of success were lies: he lives in a tiny apartment, runs a small taxi depot and owes gambling debts to several criminals. Niko ends up working for Roman, protecting his cousin from the loan sharks that keep harrassing him. Roman soon loans Niko’s services to friends and enemies alike, which angers Niko although he needs the money, and sets in motion the events of the game.

Niko’s view of American culture is one of confusion and mild disgust. The rampant materialism annoys him and he has trouble relating to Roman’s fascination with the country. Plus, after working for so many criminals, he feels that everyone in Liberty City is a crook.

Niko is voiced by Michael Hollick.

Some information in article via Wikipedia

written by Juan Perez \\ tags: ambush, America, Auto, Biography, boat, Brown Born, Bulgarin, enemy, Features, Florian Cravic, game, Grand, Grand Theft Auto IV biography, GTA, IVMany, Liberty City, life, money, Niko, Niko Belic, Niko Bellic, past, Roman, Theft, Video Games, War