Welcome to our blog! We are excited to share the latest news from the world of video game performers. After a month-long strike, video game performers have finally reached agreements with 80 games that have accepted the artificial intelligence provisions they have been seeking.
Members of the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) went on strike in July after negotiations with game industry giants stalled over AI protections. The union was concerned that AI could replicate the likeness of voice actors and motion capture artists without their consent or fair compensation.
SAG-AFTRA announced the agreements with the 80 individual video games on Thursday, allowing impacted performers to resume work on those projects. However, the strike against major video game publishers like Disney, Warner Bros., and Electronic Arts Productions Inc. will continue.
The agreements include wage improvements, protections against “exploitative uses” of artificial intelligence, and safety precautions for physical and vocal performances. The tiered budget agreement aims to make working with union talent more feasible for independent game developers while providing performers with necessary protections.
Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, SAG-AFTRA’s national executive director, praised the companies that signed the agreements for supporting the human art and creativity behind interactive storytelling. He emphasized that these agreements demonstrate the feasibility and sustainability of AI terms for businesses in the video game industry.
In an exciting development, game development studio Lightspeed L.A. has agreed to produce games under the union’s interim agreement, allowing them to work with union talent during the strike.
Stay tuned for more updates on this evolving story. Let’s continue to support the talented performers behind our favorite video games!
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