The odds are good that video game voice actors will join SAG-AFTRA and WGA in their collective strike, given the forthcoming vote.
SAG-AFTRA announced the vote on the official website to prepare for “forthcoming bargaining dates with signatory video game companies.” This previous contract was extended about a year ago, with new negotiations set to take place on September 26.
According to the post, the following signatory video game companies apply to the discussion:
- Activision Productions Inc.
- Blindlight LLC
- Disney Character Voices Inc.
- Electronic Arts Productions Inc.
- Epic Games, Inc.
- Formosa Interactive LLC
- Insomniac Games Inc.
- Take Two Productions Inc.
- VoiceWorks Productions Inc.
- Warner Bros. Games Inc.
In an official press release, President of SAG-AFTRA Fran Drescher said “Once again we are facing employer greed and disrespect. Once again artificial intelligence is putting our members in jeopardy of reducing their opportunity to work. And once again, SAG-AFTRA is standing up to tyranny on behalf of its members.”
Key terms the union is fighting for with respect to video game voice actors include identical pay rates to film and TV actors, job security from AI, and a mandatory rest period of five minutes every hour for on-camera motion capture actors.
