Video game voice actors could strike after the majority of members of the The Screen Actors Guild - American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, more than 96 percent, agreed to terms set out by the Interactive Media Agreement Strike Authorization Referendum.
Although the vote does not guarantee a strike, it does mean that if the voice actors wish to strike, they can now do so.
Before the vote, negotiations began with some of the big AAA video game publishers and developers, including Electronic Arts, Disney, Activision and Warner Bros.
The original agreement between publishers/developers and SAG-AFTRA dates back to the 1990s. However, video game voice actors' roles in video games have changed: not only do AAA titles require more hours in the studio, but many now also require actors to perform motion capture.
Video game voice actors now want to limit stressful vocal performances to a maximum of two hours. They also want stunt coordinators present during motion-capture performances, particularly those that seem dangerous.
These demands don't seem unreasonable, but of course the video game industry also has changed financially since the 1990s: games are far more successful now. That means more profits, with video game voice actors also wanting more of a piece of the pie.
"We're asking for a reasonable performance bonus for every 2 million copies, or downloads, sold, or 2 million unique subscribers to online-only games, with a cap at 8 million units/subscribers," states the SAG-AFTRA website. "That shakes out, potentially, to FOUR bonus payments for the most successful games: 2 million, 4 million, 6 million and 8 million copies."
Finally, video game voice actors would like more transparency during the audition process: they want to know what they're agreeing to work on before they audition for a job. With many titles kept secret by developers and publishers, at present, that's not often the case.
Several of the more recognizable voice actors support the decision to strike if these demands aren't met.
#PerformanceMatters#IAmOnboard2015
— Roger Craig Smith (@RogerCraigSmith) September 22, 2015
voted YES bc #performancematters #Iamonboard2015 pic.twitter.com/RxsdD1S1Zj — Jennifer Hale (@jhaletweets) September 22, 2015
I love voice acting in video games, but our employers don't seem to think #PerformanceMatters, so I voted YES to strike. #iamonboard2015 — Wil SCREAMton (@wilw) September 22, 2015
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