Video game performers reach agreements with 80 games as strike continues

According to news on September 6, 2024, more than a month after the strike, video game performers have reached agreements with 80 games. These games have signed interim or tiered budget agreements with the performers' union and accepted the artificial intelligence provisions that performers have been seeking.

Members of the Screen Actors Guild - American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) began their strike in July after negotiations with gaming industry giants stalled more than a year and a half ago over issues of artificial intelligence protection. Union leaders have pointed out that the likenesses of game voice actors and motion capture artists could be replicated by artificial intelligence and used without consent and without fair compensation.

SAG-AFTRA announced agreements with these 80 independent video games on Thursday. Performers affected by the shutdown can now work on these projects. However, the strike against other major video game publishers such as Disney, Warner Bros. Games, and Electronic Arts continues.

The interim agreements ensure wage increases, protections against the "exploitative use" of artificial intelligence, and safety precautions that take into account the physical performance and vocal stress. The tiered budget agreements are designed to make it more feasible for independent game developers or projects with smaller budgets to work with union talent while providing performers with the protections under the interim agreements.

Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, national executive director and chief negotiator of SAG-AFTRA, said in a statement that the companies signing the agreements are "helping to protect the human art, creativity and ingenuity that drives interactive storytelling." He also said that many companies that have agreed to the artificial intelligence provisions have demonstrated that these provisions are reasonable and viable and sustainable for businesses. The union announced on Wednesday that game development studio Lightspeed LA has agreed to produce current and future games under the union's interim agreement, including the popular game "The Last Sentinel," meaning it can also work with union talent while the strike continues.