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Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
SAG-AFTRA, video game companies reach tentative deal that would end strike
Video game performers and producers have hammered out a tentative contract agreement, reaching terms that could end a nearly year-long strike over artificial intelligence. The Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists and the game companies came to a resolution on Monday, more than two years after their previous agreement covering interactive media expired. The walkout began last July. The deal is subject to review and approval by the SAG-AFTRA National Board and ratification by the membership in the coming weeks, the union said. Specific terms of the deal were not immediately available. Terms of a strike suspension agreement are expected to be finalized with employers soon, the union said. Until then, though, SAG-AFTRA members will remain on strike. SAG-AFTRA members also must vote to ratify the new contract, which covers roughly 2,600 performers doing voice-acting, performance- and motion-capture work in the video game industry. Read more: SAG-AFTRA, video game companies resuming negotiations as actors' strike continues The proposed agreement would cover guild work for major industry players, including Activision Productions Inc., Disney Character Voices Inc., Electronic Arts Productions Inc., Epic Games Inc. and Take 2 Productions Inc. Since the fall of 2022, video game performers have been fighting for a new contract containing AI protections, wage increases to keep up with inflation, more rest periods and medical attention for hazardous jobs. Game actors went on strike in late July after contract talks broke down over AI. Throughout the walkout, performers demanded a deal that would require video game producers to obtain informed consent before replicating their voices, likenesses or movements with AI. Read more: Video game actors are on strike. Here's what that means During the first few months of the strike, SAG-AFTRA reached numerous side deals with individual game companies that agreed to follow the union's AI rules in exchange for a strike pardon. By Nov. 18, the labor organization announced that it had made AI pacts with the developers of 130 different video games. 'The sheer volume of companies that have signed SAG-AFTRA agreements demonstrates how reasonable those protections are,' Sarah Elmaleh, chair of the union's video game negotiating committee, said in a statement in September. While some companies earned the union's approval, others felt its wrath. Halfway through October, SAG-AFTRA added the popular computer game "League of Legends" to its list of struck titles in an effort to punish audio company Formosa Interactive for allegedly violating terms of the walkout. SAG-AFTRA also filed an unfair labor practice charge against Formosa, which provides voice-over services to 'League of Legends,' according to the union. Formosa denied SAG-AFTRA's allegations. Read more: Striking video game actors hit picket lines over AI: 'The human element is irreplaceable' The biggest sticking point for actors under the umbrella of AI involved on-camera performers, whose job is often to disappear into the characters they are bringing to life. They expressed concerns that the companies' AI proposal would leave them defenseless against the technology. The game companies argued that their AI proposal already contained robust protections that would require employers to seek prior consent and pay actors fairly when cloning their performances. 'All performers need AI protections,' said Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, national executive director and chief negotiator of SAG-AFTRA, in an interview with The Times months ago. 'Everyone's at risk, and it's not OK to carve out a set of performers and leave them out of AI protections.' This work stoppage marked SAG-AFTRA's second video game strike in less than a decade and second overall strike in roughly a year. While the walkout persisted, video game performers weren't allowed to provide any services — such as acting, singing, stunts, motion capture, background and stand-in work — to struck games. Union actors were also barred from promoting any struck projects via social media, interviews, conventions, festivals, award shows, podcast appearances and other platforms. AI was also a major sticking point during the film and TV actors' strike of 2023. That walkout culminated in a contract mandating that producers obtain consent from and compensate performers when using their digital replica. Sign up for our Wide Shot newsletter to get the latest entertainment business news, analysis and insights. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Los Angeles Times
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
SAG-AFTRA, video game companies reach tentative deal that would end strike
Video game performers and producers have reached a tentative contract agreement, reaching terms that could end a long strike over artificial intelligence. The Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists and the game companies came to a resolution on Monday, more than two years after their previous agreement covering interactive media expired. The deal is subject to review and approval by the SAG-AFTRA National Board and ratification by the membership in the coming weeks, the union said. Specific terms of the deal were not immediately available. Terms of a strike suspension agreement are expected to be finalized with employers soon, the union said. Until then, though, SAG-AFTRA members will remain on strike. SAG-AFTRA members must vote on whether to ratify the new contract, which covers roughly 2,600 performers doing voice-acting, performance- and motion-capture work in the video game industry. Since fall 2022, video game performers have been fighting for a new contract containing AI protections, wage increases to keep up with inflation, more rest periods and medical attention for hazardous jobs. Game actors went on strike in late July after contract talks broke down over AI. Throughout the walkout, performers demanded a deal that would require video game producers to obtain informed consent before replicating their voices, likenesses or movements with AI. During the first few months of the strike, SAG-AFTRA reached numerous side deals with individual game companies that agreed to follow the union's AI rules in exchange for a strike pardon. By Nov. 18, the labor organization announced that it had made AI pacts with the developers of 130 different video games. 'The sheer volume of companies that have signed SAG-AFTRA agreements demonstrates how reasonable those protections are,' Sarah Elmaleh, chair of the union's video game negotiating committee, said in a statement in September. While some companies earned the union's approval, others felt its wrath. Halfway through October, SAG-AFTRA added the popular computer game 'League of Legends' to its list of struck titles in an effort to punish audio company Formosa Interactive for allegedly violating terms of the walkout. SAG-AFTRA also filed an unfair labor practice charge against Formosa, which provides voice-over services to 'League of Legends,' according to the union. Formosa denied SAG-AFTRA's allegations. The biggest sticking point for actors under the umbrella of AI involved on-camera performers, whose job is often to disappear into the characters they are bringing to life. They expressed concerns that the companies' AI proposal would leave them defenseless against the technology. The game companies argued that their AI proposal already contained robust protections that would require employers to seek prior consent and pay actors fairly when cloning their performances. 'All performers need AI protections,' said Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, national executive director and chief negotiator of SAG-AFTRA, in an interview with The Times months ago. 'Everyone's at risk, and it's not OK to carve out a set of performers and leave them out of AI protections.' This work stoppage marked SAG-AFTRA's second video game strike in less than a decade and second overall strike in roughly a year. While the walkout persisted, video game performers weren't allowed to provide any services — such as acting, singing, stunts, motion capture, background and stand-in work — to struck games. Union actors were also barred from promoting any struck projects via social media, interviews, conventions, festivals, award shows, podcast appearances and other platforms. AI was also a major sticking point during the film and TV actors' strike of 2023. That walkout culminated in a contract mandating that producers obtain consent from and compensate performers when using their digital replica.
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
