The video game actors' strike may be over soon
American Screen Actors Guild members have reached a 'tentative' contract agreement with major gaming companies that could potentially end the 11-month-long video game actors' strike.
SAG-AFTRA announced the tentative contract on Monday without specifying terms or protections for performers. The strike began on July 26th, 2024, after the union and a bargaining committee of video game companies — including Activision, Epic Games, EA, Disney Character Voices, Take-Two, Insomniac Games, WB Games, and others — failed to agree on worker protections around AI.
'It is expected the terms of a strike suspension agreement will be finalized with employers soon,' SAG-AFTRA announced. 'Until such agreement is reached, however, SAG-AFTRA members will remain on strike against these employers.'
The contract is subject to approval by the SAG-AFTRA national board and is expected to be put to a ratification vote with union members 'in the coming weeks.' If all goes well, the lengthy list of restrictions preventing SAG-AFTRA's approximately 160,000 members from undertaking video game projects will be lifted, alleviating some development headaches for new titles.
'Everyone at SAG-AFTRA is immensely grateful for the sacrifices made by video game performers and the dedication of the Interactive Media Agreement Negotiating Committee throughout these many months of the video game strike,' SAG-AFTRA's Chief Negotiator, Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, said in the announcement. 'Patience and persistence has resulted in a deal that puts in place the necessary AI guardrails that defend performers' livelihoods in the AI age, alongside other important gains.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Washington Post
20 minutes ago
- Washington Post
Indiana Jones' whip, Kane's Rosebud sled and Culkin's 'Home Alone' snow cap are going up for auction
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. — Many of movies' most sought-after props are going up for auction, including the Rosebud sled from 'Citizen Kane,' Macaulay Culkin's knit snow cap from 'Home Alone' and a whip wielded by Harrison Ford during the Holy Grail trials of 'Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.'
CBS News
23 minutes ago
- CBS News
Blue Moon partners with eos for new orange-flavored lip balm
In an unusual pairing, beer maker Blue Moon and personal care product company eos have teamed up to create a new orange-flavored lip balm, The Valencia Orange Lip Balm debuted Tuesday and is available exclusively on Blue Moon and eos' websites. It comes in a round shell typical of eos' style but with a twist: A small Blue Moon label is printed on the orange casing. In the online description of the product, the companies say the lip balm was designed to enhance the flavor of Blue Moon beer, a Belgian-style wheat beer known for its citrusy flavor. "This limited-edition balm doesn't just resemble a Valencia orange, it delivers the same refreshing, juicy taste," Blue Moon and eos said in a statement. While the product does not contain any alcohol, the companies say it is intended for an audience 21 and older. The balm retails for $4.99 and is available while supplies last, according to the companies' statement. Blue Moon is owned by Molson Coors Beverage Company, whose beer brands include Coors, Coors Light, Miller High Life and Miller Lite. "Through this unexpected partnership with eos, we're giving fans a whole new way to enjoy that iconic citrus taste," Courtney Benedict, vice president of marketing at the Molson Coors, said in a statement.
Forbes
27 minutes ago
- Forbes
Brian Wilson Embodied The Warmth Of The Sun
God only knows what we'd be without the music of Brian Wilson. What good is the dawn, that grows into day; the sunset at night, or living this way. For I have the warmth of the sun, within me at night. Brian Wilson, who died on June 11, overcame immense life challenges to share 'the warmth of the sun' with multiple generations of fans, throughout his near 60 year career. And despite his passing, his musical and cultural significance is guaranteed to continue, with the consistency and majesty of waves rolling across the sea. Wilson's place in American history is primarily as the leader of The Beach Boys, one of the most influential bands in rock n' roll history. As the band's principal composer, his mastery of harmonies was principally responsible for the 'sound' that led to the sale of over 100 million records globally, including over 33 RIAA Platinum and Gold Records. His 1965 masterpiece 'Pet Sounds' is generally recognized as one of the top two or three album recordings in popular music history. Wilson also achieved fame with his extraordinary achievements in musical production and arrangement. His ability to use the voices of his bandmates as musical instruments themselves, and his willingness to incorporate professional musicians (e.g., the famous 'Wrecking Crew') set the standard for record production for a generation. It's no stretch to describe Wilson as the modern day equivalent of Stephen Foster, referred to as 'the father of American music'. But Wilson's legacy extends far beyond his achievements as a composer and performer. It extends to the broader meaning of the music, his related impact on American culture and his courageous battle to overcome crippling mental illness. Wilson once attributed the success of the Beach Boys to how the music 'celebrated the joy of life in a real, simple way.' And that they did, whether it involved a surfboard, a T-Bird or 'girls on the beach'. Aspects of Wilson's music as sung by his band can be found in many aspects of our daily life; it's hard not to watch television or a movie, or listen to the radio, and not hear some reflection of Wilson and The Beach Boys' music. Beyond the music, few artists have had such a significant impact on American culture than did Wilson. The band's early focus on an 'Endless Summer', with its lifestyle of sunshine, surfing, cars and young romance contributed enormously to the explosive 1960s attraction of Southern California as a magical destination. If everybody had an ocean…across the USA, then everybody'd be surfin', like Californ-i-a…Wilson's music moved people, both figuratively and literally. And as Wilson's listeners grew older and confronted more serious emotions than life at the beach, his music evolved to address what they ‒ and he ‒ were feeling. The enduring attraction of Pet Sounds is found in the way in which Wilson, and his lyricist Tony Asher, reflected 'coming of age' sensitivities within a lush orchestral mixture. Rolling Stone described it as '…an intense, linear personal vision of the vagaries of a love affair and the painful, introverted anxieties that are the wrenching precipitates of the unstable chemistry of any love relationship.' Yet the most understated aspect of Wilson's life was his ability to write such joyous harmonies while suffering from the traumas of an abusive father and mental challenges ultimately diagnosed as schizoaffective disorder and depression. These challenges were exacerbated by the drug abuse so typical of artists of that era. And they were exploited in near-legendary manner by a controversial 'celebrity psychologist'. That Wilson was able to prevail for decades against such pressures is a testament to both his personal courage and his artistic commitment. When many would have abandoned their careers when confronted by such barriers, Wilson persevered. His ability to complete the legendary Smile album, after 40 years of suspended work, gave hope to others struggling with similar conditions. Of course Wilson was not the sole messenger of his music; full credit is due to his lifelong band mates: brothers Carl and Dennis, cousin Mike Love and friends Alan Jardine and Bruce Johnston. There could be no substitutes. Indeed, Love's autobiography tells of the remark one-time Beach Boy Glen Campbell once made to Johnny Carson, that 'The Beach Boys' music will never die'. Carson retorted that 'Everyone has to die. Even the Beach Boys have to die sometime'. And certainly they do, at least from a bodily perspective. But the spirit of their music, as crafted by Brian Wilson, will undoubtedly live on as long as American popular music is chronicled. My love's like the warmth of the sun; it won't ever die.
