The video game industry will be getting hit by a major strike, according to SAG-AFTRA. The national entertainment union announced on Thursday that it’s National Board and Interactive Media Council officially agreed on a strike. This development was due to a year and a half of negotiations falling through, which began in October 2022.
According to the press release, the group SAG-AFTRA bargained with included major game companies like Activision, Blindlight, Electronic Arts, Formosa Interactive, Insomniac Games, Take 2, Warner Bros. Games and more. Despite the negotiations going smoothly on other issues, the group refused to agree to protect employees from A.I. technology if the contract was signed.
In order for video game employers to hire SAG-AFTRA talent, they must sign Tiered-Budget Independent Interactive Media Agreement, the Interim Interactive Media Agreement or the Interim Interactive Localization Agreement, which all include A.I. protections.
The strike was approved by a near-unanimous 98.32% yes vote by SAG-AFTRA members.
Multiple SAG-AFTRA executives, including their National Executive Director & Chief Negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, issued a statement on the new ruling.
“The video game industry generates billions of dollars in profit annually. The driving force behind that success is the creative people who design and create those games. That includes the SAG-AFTRA members who bring memorable and beloved game characters to life, and they deserve and demand the same fundamental protections as performers in film, television, streaming, and music: fair compensation and the right of informed consent for the A.I. use of their faces, voices, and bodies,” wrote Crabtree-Ireland.
“Frankly, it’s stunning that these video game studios haven’t learned anything from the lessons of last year – that our members can and will stand up and demand fair and equitable treatment with respect to A.I., and the public supports us in that,” he continued.
The official SAG-AFTRA strike against the video game community is set to begin on Friday, July 26. For more information on the strike head over to its official website.