Video Game Voice Actors may Strike after Negotiations Stall
Negotiations between the games industry and The Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) have been ongoing for much of 2015, with the talent behind some of our favourite characters feeling that they haven't got a deal with works for them. They have been asking for a number of things, including better conditions and royalty payments based on success of larger games as actors in other forms of media recieve.
Unfortunately, these negotiations have so far not borne fruit with both sides failing to reach an agreement despite numerous meetings. Frustrated with the lack of progress, SAG-AFTRA have decided to open a ballot with their members proposing strike action. Voting opened last week and is a postal ballot, set to end at around the 5th October. At this time, if the percentage of members in agreement to a strike is over 75% then unionised actors will not be performing and vocal recording duties until the issues are resolved.
Gaming overtook Hollywood in terms of profitability in 2012, however the Interactive Media Agreement, the contract to which companies employing unionised staff adhere, has not been updated since 2005; a full two console generations ago.
Former Star Trek actor Wil Wheaton took to Twitter to show support for the proposed strike
Talent from the world of voice acting have been voiding their support on twitter using the hashtags #PerformanceMatters and #iamonboard2015 in an attempt to get their voice heard. The full details of the dispute can be seen on the official SAG-AFTRA website here.
COMMENTS
Acelister - 09:10pm, 24th September 2015
Anyone who remembers the Screen Writers' Strike of 2008 will know that a strike from a union related to entertainment can be one hell of a blow.
It killed Heroes by making them air only half a season (and leave a woman stranded in the far future, never to be refered to again!),
X-Men: Origins: Wolverine and Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen were made with no rewrites,
Dragonball Evolution was made full stop...
Need I go on? I was a fan of ALL of those franchises!
Dombalurina - 10:52pm, 24th September 2015 Author
Yeah, it screwed up a lot of things. I support them personally though. Having read through their list of requests, none of it seems particuarly unreasonable at all.
Acelister - 09:46am, 25th September 2015
Oh, I absolutely agree that gaming voice actors should be afforded the same benefits as movie voice actors are.
Except for Nolan North. He gets too much money already.
Mister Woot - 02:30pm, 25th September 2015
I trained as a did some voice actor training when I was working in a call centre because it made it easier to get people to do what they are told if you manipulate them by sounding authoritative. Having seen the conditions some work under and the remuneration 90% of them get (poxy is not the word...) I would side with the strike too.
Mister Woot - 02:31pm, 25th September 2015
hoo boy, commenting when you have a 104 fever makes for some amusing typos and word salad!
Calmine - 12:58pm, 26th September 2015
I for one support this. It is hard enough to try and break into the voice acting industry (and I've tried). Considering sales of games surprass the box office these days, they deserve better. With the improvements in game technology and mo-cap, I'm surprised that they haven't updated the media agreement in 10 years.