The world of video games, often associated with epic quests, immersive storytelling, and cutting-edge technology, is facing its own epic battle on a different front. SAG-AFTRA, the Screen Actors Guild‐American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, has sounded the rallying cry, asserting that the industry has failed to address crucial issues related to on-set protections, artificial intelligence (AI) regulations, and fair wages during contract negotiations.
Their response? A resounding call for a potential strike against ten major video game companies.
🎮 TOMORROW, 9/7 at 6 PT/9 ET: Get info, strategize & VOTE YES to reshape the industry. #LevelUpMyContract#SagAftraMembers, the future of games is in our hands! Join us for an update on the Interactive Media (Video Game) Agreement. Get more info/RSVP👇 https://t.co/mIdm7pNTaE
— SAG-AFTRA (@sagaftra) September 6, 2023
Artificial intelligence vs. artists: The showdown in the video game industry
SAG-AFTRA, representing the interests of actors and performers, took a unanimous vote to authorize a strike against video game industry giants. This move follows the failure of these companies to meet the members’ demands, mirroring the ongoing strike action within the film and television industry. The common thread in both battles is the pursuit of fair compensation and protection against the “unrestrained use of artificial intelligence.”
Fran Drescher, the president of SAG-AFTRA, expressed the sentiment shared by many members, saying, “Here we go again! Now our Interactive (Video Game) Agreement is at a stalemate too. 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.”
The Interactive Media Agreement has been a point of contention, covering union members’ employment with companies like Activision Productions, Epic Games, and Warner Bros. Games. Originally set to expire last November, it was extended for a year due to disagreements between the union and these major players. The heart of the matter lies in the union’s call for regulations on how artificial intelligence can be used in performance capture. This process involves tracking the movements of trained actors and stunt performers, digitally preserving their actions and expressions for video game animation.
The union’s concerns aren’t limited to the digital realm; they also extend to voice actors working in video games. SAG-AFTRA demands contractual protections against the “extinction of their artistry and livelihoods” in the face of advanced AI use in voice and performance capture.
Moreover, background actors on strike in the film and television industry have raised alarms about being replaced by AI. The fear is that studios will employ AI to manipulate 3D scans of actors on set, potentially replacing them entirely. While studios deny this accusation, it highlights the wider implications of AI’s influence on the entertainment industry.
SAG-AFTRA’s demands are multifaceted, encompassing wage increases for video game performers, equivalent rest periods to their on-camera counterparts, the presence of a set medic during stunts or hazardous work, bans on stunts during self-taped auditions, and vocal stress protections.
Greed meets resistance
Drawing connections between these two SAG-AFTRA contracts, Fran Drescher warns of the “disease of greed” spreading within the industry, threatening workers’ livelihoods and the usefulness of humans. The fight for worker rights, it seems, extends far beyond the world of pixels and polygons.
This strike authorization vote occurs amid a broader movement to unionize the video game industry. Earlier this year, SEGA of America’s workers voted to unionize. At the same time, quality assurance testers at Microsoft’s Zenimax Studios, the publisher behind titles like Elder Scrolls and Doom, formed the largest union in the U.S. games industry.
As the union’s national board gears up to resume negotiations with video game companies on September 26, they propose having a member-approved strike authorization in hand when bargaining resumes. Voting on the matter will conclude on September 25.
In this ongoing battle, SAG-AFTRA’s members are determined to secure their rights, ensuring that the magic of video games is not built on the backs of exploited workers. Their quest for fair treatment and safeguards against AI’s unbridled use highlights the evolving challenges the entertainment industry faces in the digital age.
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Featured image credit: SAG-AFTRA
