Video games have come an awful long way in the past 25 years. From 2D platformers featuring an Italian plumber and the like, to major games with a story and narrative that wouldn’t just equal the major blockbusters getting churned out of Hollywood, but surpassing them in their sheer brilliance and scope. And it takes more than level designers and programmers to make these games what they are – it takes a veritable army of talented voice actors to bring these games even more to life.
Many of these actors belong to the Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) and they have decided to go on strike against the following “video game employers with regard to all games that went into production after Feb. 17, 2015”
- Activision Publishing Inc.
- Blindlight, LLC
- Corps of Discovery Films
- Disney Character Voices, Inc.
- Electronic Arts Productions, Inc.
- Formosa Interactive, LLC
- Insomniac Games, Inc.
- Take 2 Interactive Software
- VoiceWorks Productions, Inc.
- WB Games, Inc.
The reason for striking is that the SAG-AFTRA have been trying for over a year-and-a-half to negotiate a new deal with these employers in the video game industry, since the actors involved have been dealing with a contract that has not been updated for 20 years. The .pdf “Why We Strike” which is linked above states:
“SAG-AFTRA has gone to the negotiations table with serious concerns affecting voiceover and stunt performers,” said SAG-AFTRA Chief Contracts Officer Ray Rodriguez. “It’s time for video game employers to take our concerns seriously and negotiate a modern contract based on actor safety, industry precedent and best practices.” “SAG-AFTRA doesn’t want to strike, who does? But we cannot stand by and watch our members suffer serious injury and put their careers at risk in the current environment,” said Keythe Farley, a voice actor, casting director, and voice director who chairs SAG-AFTRA’s Interactive Committee. “The time is now for a new contract for our members.”
The SAG-AFTRA have raised the following concerns:
- A reasonable performance bonus for every 2 million copies sold (physically, downloaded or subscribers) with a cap at 8 million.
- More transparency – the actors are often left in the dark over what they are working on. A simple addition is “that the actual title of the project and the role being hired for should be made available before signing a contract.”
- Taking the SAG-AFTRA seriously and providing better vocal safety.
- The industry has changed dramatically since the original contract was written up in 1994.
What do you think about this? Should the actors who star in your favorite games get a better deal? Let us know in the comments below, the RGM Forums or on Twitter.
