Nearly three weeks since contract renewal negotiations broke down between SAG-AFTRA and the video game industry, the union announced that talks will resume soon.
Bargaining “will continue with new dates to be released as soon as they are determined,” SAG-AFTRA said, after its members voted last month to authorize a strike against 10 of the major video game companies passed with an overwhelming 98.32% approval.
This all comes amid the ongoing three-month actors’ strike against major film studios, which shares many common issues with the union’s video game negotiations.
Among these concerns are an 11% wage increase, on-set medics for filming hazardous performances and most critically, protections against the use of generative AI to replace working actors.
“Video game actors are particularly vulnerable to having their likeness, voices and performances stolen without informed consent or fair compensation,” said the union.
According to an estimate by Todd Holmes, a professor of entertainment industry management at Cal State Northridge, Hollywood strikes have already cost the California economy upwards of $3 billion.
That figure comes from analysis of the last Writer’s Guild Strike that occurred in 2007, adjusted for inflation.
But despite significant losses in revenue that will climb if the union decides to strike against video game studios, until they return to the negotiation table terms will remain uncertain.
“We can stand up and say this is the kind of world we want o live in. This is the kind of content we want, which is authentic content that’s not made by ripping people off,” said SAG-AFTRA’s national executive chairman, Duncan Crabtree-Ireland at New York Comic Con. “That is within our power. All we have to do is say no and stand up and stand together.”
The 10 companies facing a possible strike are:
Activision Productions Inc.
Blindlight LLC
Disney Character Voices Inc.
Electronic Arts Productions Inc.
Epic Games, Inc.
Formosa Interactive LLC,
Insomniac Games Inc.
Take 2 Productions Inc.
VoiceWorks Productions Inc.
WB Games Inc.
It’s been nearly a year since the guild’s video game contract, known as the Interactive Media Agreement, was extended beyond its expiration date. SAG-AFTRA’s last strike against the video game industry in 2016 lasted 183 days. The union has been on strike against the film and TV industry since July 14.
