SAG-AFTRA has initiated a strike within the video game industry, as voice actors protest against the implementation of AI in productions. Here is everything you need to know about the situation.
In recent times, the incorporation of AI in video game development has sparked debate among artists and publishers, with some studios openly promoting its use while others are believed to be concealing their implementation of AI.
As instructed by SAG-AFTRA, voice actors have been instructed to cease work for certain productions and publishers, resulting in major titles and developers being affected.
Therefore, below is a summary of the details regarding the SAG-AFTRA video game voice actors strike, including their requests and the video game titles that will potentially be impacted.
When did the video games strike begin?
The first SAG-AFTRA strike for the video game industry began on July 25, 2024.
In September 2023, SAG-AFTRA members voted with a majority of 98.32% in favor of authorizing a vote. Negotiations between SAG-AFTRA and video game developers initially started in October 2022, but ultimately failed.
— SAG-AFTRA NEWS (@sagaftranews) July 25, 2024
During the year and a half of talks, numerous agreements were reached between SAG-AFTRA and employers. However, developers refused to “plainly affirm, in clear and enforceable language, that they will protect all performers covered by this contract in their A.I. language,”as stated in their official statement.
Why was the video game strike called?
The SAG-AFTRA video game strike was initiated due to the inability of the union and video game companies to reach a consensus on the conditions of AI protection.
Despite the employers’ refusal to include written protections for actors against AI in the negotiations, a strike was voted upon due to the inability to reach an agreement on the matter. This decision was in accordance with their statement.
During the negotiations, both SAG-AFTRA and video game companies were able to reach agreements on several crucial matters. According to a statement from Audrey Cooling, a spokesperson for the video game producers, to The Verge, a total of 24 out of 25 proposals were successfully approved.
Which video games are affected by the strike?
SAG-AFTRA has identified numerous major video game developers as companies that should be avoided for work. This list includes well-known names such as Activision Blizzard, Take-Two, EA, WB Games, and others.
Listed below are some of the major games that will be impacted by the strike:
- GTA 6
- Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
- Overwatch 2
- Marvel’s Wolverine
- EA Sports FC 25
- Skate
- Battlefield
- The Sims
It is important to acknowledge that these are only the games mentioned by SAG-AFTRA in their statement, and there may be additional titles from well-known developers that were not included.
In order for a game studio to hire SAG-AFTRA talents, they are required to enter into the “Interim Interactive Media Agreement”, which guarantees protection from AI for members. The union strongly encourages actors to collaborate with these studios.
Despite the extensive list of affected developers and games, SAG-AFTRA offers a search database for actors to check which productions are affected by the strike. However, since many production IDs for upcoming games are not publicly available, this database is not very helpful for non-actors.
It is worth mentioning that numerous upcoming games scheduled for release within the year are already in the final stages of production, with a significant amount of their voice acting and motion capture already finished. As a result, it is probable that these games will not be heavily impacted by the strike. Nevertheless, ongoing projects will undoubtedly be affected by it.
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