It’s been a strike-heavy couple of months, and now video game actors may get brought into the mix.
“Once again, artificial intelligence is putting our members in jeopardy of reducing their opportunity to work,” wrote SAG-AFTRA president Fran Drescher. And once again, SAG-AFTRA is standing up to tyranny on behalf of its members.”
Guild negotiation director Duncan Crabtree-Ireland added onto her statement, saying “he voice and performance capture artists who bring video game characters to life deserve a contract that reflects the value they bring to the multibillion-dollar gaming industry. Voice and performance capture AI are already among the most advanced uses of AI…Without contractual protections, the employers are asking performers to unknowingly participate in the extinction of their artistry and livelihoods.”
The last time SAG-AFTRA and the games industry went head to head was in 2016, and lasted 183 days (or a little over six months). The Interactive Media Agreement struck between the two parties was extended beyond its original expiration date as part of the renegotiation process. But SAG-AFTRA has claimed studios “failed to address [our] needs” during that extended period, hence the potential strike looming overhead.
In a statement sent to io9, a spokesperson for the video game producers that are party to the Interactive Media Agreement wrote that they’re “negotiating in good faith and hope to reach a mutually beneficial deal as soon as possible. We all want a fair contract that reflects the important contributions of SAG-AFTRA-represented performers in an industry that delivers world-class entertainment to billions of players around the world.”
SAG-AFTRA’s full comments on the strike authorization can be read here.
Update: 9/2/2023 @ 11:38 AM ET: This story has been updated with a statement from the video game producers party to the Interactive Media Agreement.
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