SAG-AFTRA Calls Strike Against Major Video Game Companies After Nearly 2 Years Of Contract Talks
SAG-AFTRA Calls Strike Against Major Video Game Companies After Nearly 2 Years Of Contract Talks
After nearly two years of talks with the video game companies, SAG-AFTRA is going on strike
from the SAG-AFTRA press release:
Any game looking to employ SAG-AFTRA talent to perform covered work must sign on to the new Tiered-Budget Independent Interactive Media Agreement, the Interim Interactive Media Agreement or the Interim Interactive Localization Agreement. These agreements offer critical A.I. protections for members.
Negotiations began in October 2022 and on Sept. 24, 2023, SAG-AFTRA members approved a video game strike authorization with a 98.32% yes vote. Although agreements have been reached on many issues important to SAG-AFTRA members, the employers refuse to plainly affirm, in clear and enforceable language, that they will protect all performers covered by this contract in their A.I. language.
“We’re not going to consent to a contract that allows companies to abuse A.I. to the detriment of our members. Enough is enough. When these companies get serious about offering an agreement our members can live — and work — with, we will be here, ready to negotiate,” stated SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher.
“The video game industry generates billions of dollars in profit annually. The driving force behind that success is the creative people who design and create those games. That includes the SAG-AFTRA members who bring memorable and beloved game characters to life, and they deserve and demand the same fundamental protections as performers in film, television, streaming, and music: fair compensation and the right of informed consent for the A.I. use of their faces, voices, and bodies. Frankly, it’s stunning that these video game studios haven’t learned anything from the lessons of last year - that our members can and will stand up and demand fair and equitable treatment with respect to A.I., and the public supports us in that,” said Crabtree-Ireland.
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Good. I'll happily see my favorite games delayed for this. AI isn't a huge threat to the movie or TV industry actors, but it's a massive threat to video game actors. It's absolutely shameful when a handful of studios receive massive profits and they want to shortchange the people at the bottom.
This paired with the news yesterday of studios starting to unionize gives me hope. It's about time, they've been taking advantage of their workers for so long, they deserve to see what that does long term. I hope they lose 10x from a strike and unionization vs just paying their employees fairly.
It's not a huge threat to the movie and tv industry yet, but it could be soon, from writing scripts, to using actors voices and then likenesses, then eventually crafting scenes and episodes based entirely on prompts and AI its probably only a matter of time, unless regulation and Unions stand in the way.
It's worth noting too that the games industry these days is bigger than movies, so I think this situation is a good thing for SAG AFRA to stand firm on.
Depends on who wins the election. Trump would come out with anti-union legislation so the large studios might decide to hold out for that.