SAG-AFTRA video game actors are going on strike, the organization announced this week. The strike has been declared as of Thursday following “more than a year and a half of negotiations” seeking fair compensation and other protections with concerns and decisions regarding the usage of AI and video games chief among the topics being discussed. This video game strike will be effective as of July 26th, SAG-AFTRA said, with prepared statements specifically highlighting the AI issue.
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The decision to strike was achieved with a nearly unanimous vote of 98.32% of members in favor of striking, according to SAG-AFTRA’s announcement. Chief negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland shared a statement which highlighted some of the issues SAG-AFTRA’s video game actors have taken with the use of AI in video games particularly in regards to how voices and likenesses will be used in projects which is a conversation that’s extended to other mediums such as movies and animation as well.
“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,” said Crabtree-Ireland. “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.”
Over on the SAG-AFTRA site, there’s a search function where users can look up games to see if they’d be affected by this strike. Many of these games are naturally already out at this point, but since so many games get continued content updates and DLC, the strike can impact existing titles as well as upcoming ones. SAG-AFTRA said the bargaining group it was negotiating with included big companies like Activision, Electronic Arts, Insomniac Games, Take-Two, and WB Games, to name a few.
It is unclear how and to what degree this will affect upcoming and current releases at this time, but we should know more soon as the situation developers and SAG-AFTRA provides more updates.
