LOS ANGELES (news agencies) — An 11-month strike by video game performers could formally end this week if members ratify a deal that delivers pay raises, control over their likenesses and artificial intelligence protections.
The agreement feels “like diamond amounts of pressure suddenly lifted,” said Sarah Elmaleh, a voice actor and chair of the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists’ interactive branch negotiating committee.
Union members have until Wednesday at 5 p.m. Pacific to vote on ratifying the tentative agreement.
Voice and body performers for video games raised concerns that unregulated use of AI could displace them and threaten their artistic autonomy.
“It’s obviously far from resolved,” Elmaleh said. ”But the idea that that we’re in a zone where we might have concluded this feels like a lightening and a relief.”
AI concerns are especially dire in the video game industry, where human performers infuse characters with distinctive movements, shrieks, falls and plot-twisting dialogue.
“I hope and I believe that our members, when they look back on this, will say all of the sacrifices and difficulty we put ourselves through to achieve this agreement will ultimately be worth it because we do have the key elements that we need to feel confident and moving forward in this business,” said Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, the SAG-AFTRA national executive director and chief negotiator.
Here’s a look at the contract currently up for vote, and what it means for the future of the video game industry.
Video game performers went on strike last July following nearly two years of failed negotiations with major game studios, as both sides remained split over generative AI regulations.
More than 160 games signed interim agreements accepting AI provisions SAG-AFTRA was seeking, the union said, which allowed some work to continue.
The video game industry is a massive global industry, generating an estimated $187 billion in 2024, according to game market forecaster Newzoo.
“OD,” and “Physint” were two games delayed due to the strike during the filming and casting stage, video game developer Hideo Kojima wrote in December. Riot Games, a video game developer, announced that same month that some new skins in “League of Legends” would have to use existing voice-overs, since new content couldn’t be recorded by striking actors. Skins are cosmetic items that can change the visual appearance of a player and is sometimes equipped with new voice-overs and unique recorded lines.
The proposed contract “builds on three decades of successful partnership between the interactive entertainment industry and the union” to deliver “historic wage increases” and “industry-leading AI provisions,” wrote Audrey Cooling, a spokesperson for the video game producers involved in the deal.
“We look forward to continuing to work with performers to create new and engaging entertainment experiences for billions of players throughout the world,” Cooling wrote.
Video game performers had previously gone on strike in October 2016, with a tentative deal reached 11 months later. That strike helped secure a bonus compensation structure for voice actors and performance capture artists. The agreement was ratified with 90% support, with 10% of members voting.
