Latest news with #InteractiveMediaAgreement
Engadget
14 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Engadget
SAG-AFTRA has suspended its gaming industry strike over AI protections
SAG-AFTRA has suspended its strike against ten game studios. The organization's national board will meet tomorrow to consider a tentative agreement with the developers; more details of the arrangement will be disclosed if and when the board agrees to the terms. Variety obtained a statement from a spokesperson for the gaming companies that offered some hints about the contents of the potential deal: "This agreement builds on three decades of successful partnership between the interactive entertainment industry and the union. It delivers historic wage increases of over 24 percent for performers, enhanced health and safety protections, and industry-leading AI provisions requiring transparency, consent and compensation for the use of digital replicas in games." It's been almost a year since the performers' union called a strike against the companies participating in the Interactive Media Agreement. The move was part of an effort to secure protections for its members regarding AI-generated likenesses of their voices and bodies in the gaming industry. The studios signatory to the IMA are: Activision Productions Inc. Blindlight LLC Disney Character Voices Inc. Electronic Arts Productions Inc. Formosa Interactive LLC Insomniac Games Inc. Llama Productions LLC Take 2 Productions Inc. VoiceWorks Productions Inc. WB Games Inc. In addition to the negotiations with the IMA businesses, SAG-AFTRA recently took action against Epic Games for its use of an AI-generated voice for Darth Vader in Fortnite .
NBC News
15 hours ago
- Entertainment
- NBC News
Video game actors' strike ends after tentative deal is reached
The video game actors' strike was suspended on Wednesday after a tentative deal with game publishers was announced, bringing an end to the union's nearly year-long strike. The previous Interactive Media Agreement between the actors and video game companies expired in July 2022, and did not have any protections for artificial intelligence, according to the SAG-AFTRA, which counts 2,600 voice actors, stunt performers, motion capture and performance capture actors among its union members. The actors began striking in July. Activision Productions, Blindlight, Disney Character Voices, Electronic Arts Productions, Formosa Interactive, Insomniac Games, Llama Productions, Take 2 Productions and WB Games were among the struck video game companies. The strike also applied to specific games on a case-by-case basis. The future of generative AI — and how it can be used to replace labor — was a crucial sticking point for actors and writers during last year's Hollywood strikes. While the actors and writers unions came to deals with studios in 2023, negotiations between video game actors and major game developers continued. Terms of the new contract have not yet been announced. But in a news release about the tentative deal, SAG-AFTRA National Executive Director Duncan Crabtree-Ireland mentioned progress had been made regarding AI provisions. "Patience and persistence has resulted in a deal that puts in place the necessary A.I. guardrails that defend performers' livelihoods in the A.I. age, alongside other important gains," he stated. Crabtree-Ireland, who also served as the chief negotiator, acknowledged "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 President Fran Drescher also commended the "incredible courage and persistence" of the video game performers, as well as 'the tireless work of our negotiating committee" in helping secure a deal. A spokesperson for the union did not immediately respond to a request for additional comment on Wednesday. Audrey Cooling, a spokesperson for the video game producers party to the Interactive Media Agreement, also commended the deal. 'This agreement builds on three decades of successful partnership between the interactive entertainment industry and the union," she sand in an email statement. "It delivers historic wage increases of over 24% for performers, enhanced health and safety protections, and industry-leading AI provisions requiring transparency, consent and compensation for the use of digital replicas in games. We look forward to continuing to work with performers to create new and engaging entertainment experiences for billions of players throughout the world.'
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
SAG-AFTRA Inks Tentative New Deal With Major Video Game Developers That Includes 'Necessary A.I. Guardrails'
After more than 10 months on strike, SAG-AFTRA has reached a tentative deal with the major video game companies. Specific terms of the new Interactive Media Agreement, which the union announced late Monday night, were not immediately available. More from Deadline Editors Guild Protests Against Nonfiction Producer Story Syndicate At Tribeca Premiere Of OceanGate Submersible Documentary 'Titan' Disney Layoffs Hit TV Development & Casting Executive Ranks SAG-AFTRA Launches The Producer Portal To Streamline Signatory Process Despite the announcement, the union also made clear that members are not back to work quite yet. SAG-AFTRA says it expects to finalize a strike suspension agreement with the employers 'soon,' but the work stoppage continues until then. Now, the National Board will consider the deal before it is put to a ratification vote with the membership. '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 National Executive Director & Chief Negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland said in a statement. 'Patience and persistence has resulted in a deal that puts in place the necessary A.I. guardrails that defend performers' livelihoods in the A.I. age, alongside other important gains. Thank you, Interactive Media Agreement Negotiating Chair Sarah Elmaleh and Chief Contracts Officer Ray Rodriguez for your hard work and advocacy in pursuit of this contract.' SAG-AFTRA went on strike against the signatories of the Interactive Media Agreement in July 2024. The sides had bargained on and off for more than a year by then, operating without a contract since November 2022. Artificial intelligence was the big sticking point in these negotiations. The contract covers voice and performance-capture talent on video games, and the union has repeatedly sounded the alarm on how AI could negatively impact these professions. SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher said: 'Our video game performers stood strong against the biggest employers in one of the world's most lucrative industries. Their incredible courage and persistence, combined with the tireless work of our negotiating committee, has at last secured a deal. The needle has been moved forward and we are much better off than before. As soon as this is ratified we roll up our sleeves and begin to plan the next negotiation. Every contract is a work in progress and progress is the name of the game.' The gamer companies involved in this contract are Activision Productions, Blindlight, Disney Character Voices, Electronic Arts Productions, Formosa Interactive, Insomniac Games, Llama Productions, Take 2 Productions and WB Games. Best of Deadline Sean 'Diddy' Combs Sex-Trafficking Trial Updates: Cassie Ventura's Testimony, $10M Hotel Settlement, Drugs, Violence, & The Feds A Full Timeline Of Blake Lively & Justin Baldoni's 'It Ends With Us' Feud In Court, Online & In The Media Where To Watch All The 'John Wick' Movies: Streamers That Have All Four Films
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
SAG-AFTRA Files Unfair Labor Practice Charge Over Darth Vader AI Voice in ‘Fortnite'
SAG-AFTRA has filed an unfair labor practice charge against Fortnite's production company, alleging that its use of an AI-powered James Earl Jones Darth Vader voice infringes on the union's right to negotiate major changes to its collective bargaining agreement. The union claimed that a signatory to its collective bargaining agreement, Llama Productions, made 'unilateral' changes to terms and conditions of employment when Fortnite began employing the use of an AI-powered Vader voice starting Friday without giving the union notice or the ability to negotiate. More from The Hollywood Reporter VFX Workers Behind Marvel, Disney and 'Avatar' Ratify First Labor Contracts Disney, Epic Games Using AI to Bring James Earl Jones' Darth Vader Voice to 'Fortnite' International Cinematographers Guild Launches Podcast In its filing to the National Labor Relations Board on Monday, SAG-AFTRA argued that using this generative AI voice essentially displaces 'bargaining unit work' — suggesting that actors could have been employed to play the Star Wars character — for the massively popular games platform. The Hollywood Reporter has reached out to Epic Games, which publishes Fortnite and is the owner of Llama Productions, for comment. SAG-AFTRA members are not currently forbidden from working on Fortnite during the union's ongoing Interactive Media Agreement strike, which hinges on AI protections for voice actors in video games. A sideletter in the union's contract allows performers to work during a strike on particular titles that were in production prior to a certain date; in this case, titles that were in development before August 2023, as Fortnite was. The Walt Disney Co. and Epic Games announced that Fortnite players would be able to recruit and chat with the Darth Vader on Friday. The use of the iconic voice of Jones, who died last year, was done in 'close consultation' with the actor's estate, the companies said in a blog post. 'Ask him all your pressing questions about the Force, the Galactic Empire … or you know, a good strat for the last Storm circle. The Sith Lord has opinions,' the post added. In a statement about its unfair labor practice charge, SAG-AFTRA stated that it celebrated 'the right of our members and their estates to control the use of their digital replicas.' Still, 'we must protect our right to bargain terms and conditions around uses of voice that replace the work of our members, including those who previously did the work of matching Darth Vader's iconic rhythm and tone in video games,' the union added. Best of The Hollywood Reporter How the Warner Brothers Got Their Film Business Started Meet the World Builders: Hollywood's Top Physical Production Executives of 2023 Men in Blazers, Hollywood's Favorite Soccer Podcast, Aims for a Global Empire
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
SAG-AFTRA Outlines Remaining Sticking Points Over AI in Video Game Contract
SAG-AFTRA has released its latest counterproposal to the offer made by video game companies' to end the nine-month strike on interactive media, outlining the remaining sticking points on artificial intelligence protections that have been the sole impasse between the two sides. The counterproposal, which can be read here, comes ahead of a Wednesday evening membership meeting hosted by the actors' guild's negotiating committee for the Interactive Media Agreement, and two days after the companies publicly released their proposal to Variety, calling it their 'best and last' offer. 'We are hopeful the union will not choose to walk away when we are so close to a deal,' Audrey Cooling, spokesperson for the video game producers party to the Interactive Media Agreement, said in a statement to Variety. 'Our proposal includes wage increases of over 24% for SAG-AFTRA-represented performers in video games, enhanced health and safety protections, industry-leading terms of use for AI digital replicas in-game and additional compensation for the use of an actor's performance in other games. This is our last and best offer, and we hope the union will return to the table so we can reach a deal.' SAG-AFTRA condemned the companies' decision to take their proposal public, saying they had no intention of walking away from talks and had sent their latest counterproposal on May 2, three days after receiving the companies' offer. 'The statement suggesting that the union would 'walk away' from negotiations on this contract is absurd and the opposite of the truth. It is the employers who have threatened – through backchannel representatives – to move work to foreign countries and recast performers, in an unsuccessful effort to intimidate our negotiating committee and membership to capitulate to their demands,' SAG-AFTRA said in their own statement. 'It is the employers who have characterized their last counter as 'their last and best offer,' the union has taken no such step,' the statement continued. The 17-page document released by SAG-AFTRA breaks down the union's counterproposal on AI protections, showing where the union has reached a tentative agreement with the companies and where it has made concessions. The document is intended to help members understand how the contract language impacts them and their work. In terms of remaining sticking points, two notable ones remain. SAG-AFTRA is seeking language that guarantees performers' ability to withhold consent to their likeness and performance being used for digital replicas during a strike. 'Right now, employers have to find another performer to scab as placeholder or stand-in performance during a strike, but without the ability to suspend your Consent they could use your Replica to do it as you,' the guild wrote to members in the document. SAG-AFTRA also wholly rejected a proposal from the companies that they would offer buyouts for the use of a digital replica 'includes unlimited amount of dialogue and/or unlimited amount of new visual performance in scripted cinematic content.' The buyout would have a minimum of six times the applicable minimum scale for three years of unlimited digital replica use, after which time the buyout could be renewed or terminated, with the latter case resulting in the company no longer generating new material with the replica. SAG-AFTRA says it fundamentally opposes buyouts, calling them a 'purposeful discount to employers' and 'make it harder for performers to make a sustainable living,' as the performers who would work enough sessions on a project for a company to want to offer a digital replica buyout would earn far less under buyout pay than they would doing all the sessions. 'We reject unlimited DR use buyouts without a strong, clear justification. Employers have urged that Real-Time Generation and visual performance outside cinematics are difficult to track and pay by specific amount of use. We have repeatedly asked for why they can't pay by specific amount of use for performance they do typically track, meaning dialogue and visual performance for cinematics. No answer,' the union wrote. SAG-AFTRA previously went on a video game strike in 2016 that lasted for 11 months before being resolved in September 2017. While the strike is affecting video games on a case-by-case basis, the companies that are signatories to the Interactive Media Agreement are Activision, Blindlight, Disney Character Voices, Electronic Arts, Formosa Interactive, Insomniac Games, Llama Productions, Take 2 , VoiceWorks and WB Games. TheWrap has reached out to spokespersons for the video game companies for further comment. The post SAG-AFTRA Outlines Remaining Sticking Points Over AI in Video Game Contract appeared first on TheWrap.
