Video Game Actors to Resume Negotiations with Major Studios
By Movieguide® Contributor
SAG-AFTRA representatives for video game actors are set to resume in-person negotiations with major video game studios after a two-month strike has halted numerous productions.
League of Legends was recently added to the strike list after the game was accused of circumnavigating the strike by hiring non-union talent. This free-to-play game generates billions of dollars in revenue every year through microtransactions and merchandise, so slowing its production was the final piece to bring the major studios back to the table.
While new terms have been agreed upon for 24 out of 25 proposals, similar to last year’s dual strikes in Hollywood, the final proposal – which focuses on AI protections for the actors – has proven to be a sticking point for both sides. The studios have already ceded much of their control over AI use in the future to the actors but the union wants to ensure that all of its members are protected.
“The industry has told us point blank that they do not necessarily consider everyone who is rendering movement performance to be a performer that is covered by the collective bargaining agreement,” SAG-AFTRA Chief Contracts Officer Ray Rodriguez said, explaining where the union is fighting for stronger protections.
“I can crawl all over the floor and the walls as such-and-such creature, and [the studios] will argue that is not performance, and so that is not subject to their AI protections,” added Andi Norris, a motion capture performer who is on the union’s negotiation team.
The strike has certainly had an impact on the industry as the largest game studios’ work has been slowed or halted on many projects, while most independent studios have signed side deals to continue work with union talent. The list of studios impacted by the strike includes Activision, Electronic Arts, Disney Character Voices, Formosa Interactive, Insomniac Games, and Warner Bros. Games.
The in-person negotiations are set to resume on October 23rd.
Movieguide® previously reported:
Major video game studio Lightspeed L.A. has been approved by SAG-AFTRA to continue working on its next release after agreeing to interim terms regarding AI regulations.
“I am delighted to be partnering with Lightspeed L.A.,” said SAG-AFTRA Executive Director and Chief Negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland. “Their upcoming game may be set in a world of technology run amok, but by agreeing to equitable terms, they’re working to make sure that the real future will not be a dystopian one for performers. My gratitude to Steve [Martin], the entire crew at Lightspeed L.A., and the SAG-AFTRA members working on this project, all of whom made this collaboration possible.”
SAG-AFTRA-represented video game performers went on strike six weeks ago to negotiate more favorable terms when it comes to AI protections. The union had been in talks with major video game studios since October 2022 and had yet to find terms that were agreeable to both sides.
- Content: +2Share:
- Content: +4