SAG-AFTRA members said they will strike if needed, as the union heads into negotiations with 10 video game makers.
It’s not hard for most people to crawl on all fours, Zeke Alton, known for voice acting and motion capture in games like Ratchet & Clank: A Rift Apart, Saints Row, and World of Warcraft, told Polygon. But what is hard — an Olympic-level feat, according to Alton — is doing that for four hours straight. The video game industry is behind when it comes to safety for performers in ways that are standard elsewhere in Hollywood.
“Unlike a TV stunt, there’s no change of wardrobe, change of lights, or setup,” Alton said. “It’s fall, dive through a table, and then do it over again for eight hours straight.”
Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) video game performers are coming into negotiations on Tuesday for a new contract that addresses wage increases, AI use, and ensures basic health and safety precautions like breaks and stunt coordinators on set, something that Alton said isn’t always the case for video game performers.
It’s why video game voice actors with SAG-AFTRA have signaled they will strike, if necessary. SAG-AFTRA union leadership asked its members for a strike authorization vote ahead of upcoming negotiations that resume Tuesday. The “yes” vote doesn’t mean a strike will happen, but it lets the 10 video game companies bargaining with the union know that they’re serious about a fair contract.
“One year into this three-year contract cycle and we feel the need to escalate and apply a bit of extra pressure so they’re motivated to engage in that process to get us to a fair deal,” voice actor and negotiating chair Sarah Elmaleh, known for her work in Gone Home, Hi-Fi Rush, and Gears 5, told Polygon.
Heading into negotiations with the strike authorization in hand, the union is looking to secure fair, minimum contracts for the 2,600 or so performers that work under the Interactive Media Agreement each year.
