SAG-AFTRA has confirmed 80 video game projects are going ahead during the ongoing video game actor strike, as these companies have agreed to the tiered-budget or interim contract agreements provided by the union.
Video game actors are currently on strike over a lack of AI protections in contracts for voice and motion capture work in video games, and they are seeking greater entrenched protections. Despite SAG-AFTRA feeling the demands are “common sense” and “fair and achievable,” actors have been on strike since July with only small steps made in negotiations with major companies.
Recently, Lightspeed L.A. – a development studio party to SAG-AFTRA’s negotiations – became the first major signee to adopt the SAG-AFTRA Interim Interactive Media Agreement, to continue working on its latest games. This includes Last Sentinel, a narrative sci-fi project with veteran voice actor Troy Baker already on board.
“Lightspeed L.A. has always recognised and valued the irreplaceable role of talent, which injects creativity, innovation, and the human touch into video games,” Steve Martin, General Manager of Lightspeed L.A. said in a press release. “Supporting our cast is the right thing to do and there was never any hesitation to consider the performer protections that anchor this agreement.”
Read: Why SAG-AFTRA video game actors are striking
So far, it’s the biggest company to have signed SAG-AFTRA’s agreement – and there is hope it will lead the charge for further signees, and the end to the video game strike. Likewise, the news that 80 game projects are being allowed to go ahead under interim or tiered-budget agreements should be heartening to voice actors fighting for more rights.
Adding their voices to the chorus, these developers have expressed support for video game voice actors in their ambitions, encouraging them to continue fighting for the right to perform, and to have their work treated with the respect it deserves.
“Studio Wildcard partners with production company Noah Protocol for all of its SAG-AFTRA member video game voice recordings, in ARK Survival Evolved and beyond,” Jeremy Stieglitz, Development Director at Studio Wildcard said. “SAG-AFTRA has enabled us to work with top-tier talent using standardised union agreements, which has been a huge benefit to the quality and consistency of voice work in our games.”
Little Bat Games, developer of Vampire Therapist, has also expressed support for its workers. “Little Bat Games is proud to work with SAG-AFTRA in ensuring that top-tier voice talent is appropriately compensated and protected,” the company said. “As a small studio working on a game about psychology, we always advocate protecting human interests and appreciate SAG-AFTRA’s help to keep the industry accountable.”
Going forward, there is hope that more studios signing agreements with SAG-AFTRA will lead to wider changes to work contracts, to ensure nobody working in games can be exploited for their likeness and voice print.
“We applaud those video game companies signing our tiered-budget and interim agreements. Not only are they doing the right thing by their workers, they’re also helping to preserve the human art, ingenuity and creativity that fuels interactive storytelling,” Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, SAG-AFTRA’s National Executive Director & Chief Negotiator said.
“These agreements signal that the video game companies in the collective bargaining group do not represent the will of the larger video game industry. The many companies that are happy to agree to our A.I. terms prove that these terms are not only reasonable, but feasible and sustainable for businesses.”
The SAG-AFTRA video game actor strike will continue until more companies agree to protect these workers from AI and other exploitative technologies.
