SAG-AFTRA (Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists) has called a strike beginning July 26 because they think it’s amazing that game development studios have learned NOTHING from what happened last year!

The SAG-AFTRA National Board voted unanimously earlier this week to authorize its chief negotiator to call an immediate strike to protect voice actors fighting for job security as more studios explore generative artificial intelligence. National Executive Director and Chief Negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, acting under delegated authority from SAG-AFTRA, says the strike comes after more than a year and a half of negotiations without agreement on an interactive media contract.

The Convenience bargaining group with which SAG-AFTRA is negotiating includes Activision, Blindlight, Disney, Electronic Arts, Formosa Interactive, Insomnia, Llama Productions, Take 2 Productions, VoiceWorks Productions, WB Games. SAG-AFTRA has been campaigning for critical AI protections for its members by demanding that “any game that wishes to employ SAG-AFTRA talent to perform covered work must sign the new tiered-budget Independent Interactive Media Agreement [IMA], the Interactive Media Agreement or the Interim Interactive Localization Agreement.”

“The video game industry generates billions of dollars in profits each year. The driving force behind this success is the creative people who design and create these games. That includes the SAG-AFTRA members who bring memorable and beloved game characters to life, and they deserve and demand the same basic protections as performers in film, television, streaming and music: fair compensation and the right to informed consent for the use of their faces, voices and bodies by AI. Frankly, it’s amazing that these video game studios haven’t learned from the lessons of the last year – that our members can and will stand up and demand fair and equitable treatment when it comes to AI, and the public supports us in doing so,” said Crabtree-Ireland.

Audrey Cooling, a spokesperson for the game publishers involved in the IMA negotiations, told Gamesindustry: “We are disappointed that the union has chosen to walk away when we are so close to an agreement, and we remain willing to resume negotiations. We have already found common ground on 24 out of 25 proposals, including historic wage increases and additional safety provisions. Our offer directly addresses SAG-AFTRA’s concerns and extends meaningful AI protections, including consent and fair compensation requirements, to all performers working under the IMA. These provisions are among the strongest in the entertainment industry.

How does this affect the gaming industry? Not much in the short term. But in the case of English dubbing or Western development, many actors will not be able to participate in voice work. This could slow down the process, and the longer it takes to reach an agreement, the more delays developers and publishers will have to face, unless they can find alternatives who are not union members…

Source: Gamesindustry