SAG-AFTRA Voice Actors Agree to Strike

A picket line is currently present outside the offices of a number of prominent games publishers, including Activision, WB Games and the internet's favourite villain, Electronic Arts. We reported last year on tensions between the Screen Actor's Guild & American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) union and representatives from the videogame industry.

The negotiations centred around a number of areas, including safety whilst performing motion capture, limitations of vocally stressful extended recording sessions and payments linked to the success of the game they are voicing. During negotiations, a mutually agreed "media blackout" was imposed, meaning that we've had little to report on the talks until this recent breakdown.

The strike is now on-going, with a picket line outside EA's Californian offices being one of the first displays of solidarity from union members, who make up around a quarter of all voice actors in gaming.

In an open statement to its members, SAG AFTRA said: "During a strike, it is critical that all members demonstrate solidarity so that we can present a united front to management. If you work for one of the affected productions, it's your responsibility to honor the strike, but even if you're not, your support is needed."

These negotiations have gone on for a long time now, with no sign of an end in sight, so what does it mean for gamers? Well, if you listen to the legal representation of the publishers, they feel it won't affect much at all. Representatives from the industry have stated that they expect the strike to have a "minimal impact on current and near-future games releases".

It's been said that a deal was offered to the union, but union bosses rejected it without calling a vote or making a counter proposal. Allegedly an offer was made of increased fixed rates for voicing sessions, which was not deemed acceptable to the union, who are looking for a percentage based remuneration in a manner akin to actors appearing in Film and TV.