ACLU members vote to allow video game strikes

Actors in the US have voted in favor of a potential video game strike, raising the possibility of another strike in Hollywood.

Sag-Aftra union members voted 98% in favor of action on a games industry agreement covering sound, motion capture and stunts.

Actors are already on strike at film and television studios.

Film and TV shutdowns have focused on concerns about pay and the use of artificial intelligence, and actors in video games face many of the same issues.

The vote does not guarantee a new strike, but it gives the union the power to call one if negotiations fail after they resume on Tuesday.

“It’s time for video game companies to stop playing games and get serious about reaching an agreement on this contract,” said Fran Drescher, president of Sag-Aftra.

“The result of this vote shows that our members understand the existential nature of these negotiations, and that now is the time for these companies — which make billions of dollars and pay their executives handsomely — to give our artists an agreement to continue performing via video.” Gaming as a viable career.”

The Sag-Aftra agreement covering video game artists expired in November and has been extended on a month-by-month basis while the union negotiates with major video game companies including Activision Blizzard, Electronic Arts, Epic Games and Disney Character Voices.

In response, a spokesperson for the companies said they would “continue to negotiate in good faith” to reach an agreement that “reflects the important contributions” of the performers represented in video games.

“We have reached preliminary agreements on more than half of the proposals and are optimistic that a solution can be found at the negotiating table,” they said.

In recent years, the gaming industry has seen an increasing number of actors and celebrities taking on character roles in voice and appearance, including Kit Harington, Rami Malek, and comedian Conan O’Brien.

Idris Elba, who plays Solomon Reed in the latest expansion for the spy action adventure Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty, this week told BBC News that a “sign of the times” is that video games are becoming a growing medium for actors.

“Games and actors have always worked together but we are seeing more high-profile film actors moving into games,” he said.