Voice Actors Threaten To Strike

Things are looking gloomy for certain members of the video game entertainment industry. A deep air of uncertainty looms over supporters of the video game and entertainment industries. Members of the professional acting union, including many popular voice actors, have expressed their support for a potential strike against many video game publishers.

Numerous video game publishers are in the middle of a serious disagreement with members of the SAG-AFTRA union. A vote to strike is currently underway. This is a move that would have several implications for video game players across the globe. Members of the SAG-AFTRA union have reportedly spoken out against video game publishers, citing backend bonuses as a “top concern.”

The union is calling for bonuses to be paid out to talent for every two million units sold. The video game industry has grown over the past decade. New video games are being designed on powerful game engines, many of which feature vocal talent. Check out this clip of Nolan North, the vocal talent for the Uncharted Series.

[gap height=”15″]Game developers of projects like Fallout 4, and The Walking Dead, hire vocal talent to bring additional life to the characters. Some of these games become sensations, with the sales to prove it. There have been, reportedly, several cases of talent who claim to be upset at the payment structure for these types of projects. In fact, they are now calling for proposals to change the payment structure across the media landscape. This has sparked growing demand for a union strike. A vote to move to a strike is currently in place, according to the SAG-AFTRA website. The union is also asking for non-union members to support the cause by refusing to work.

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Meetings between leaders of both sides of the disagreement have reportedly failed. An agreement has yet to be reached.  The online FAQ for the union is calling for its members to “send a strong signal to the industry that we are prepared to negotiate over proposals that are based on precedent and best practices…” Voice actors like Jennifer Hale have expressed their support for the vote on social media, using #PerformanceMatters and #iAMOnBoard2015.

A vote to strike would require over 75% of the union member votes to begin. The implications of such a strike are many for video game players. How do you think a vocal talent strike would affect the video game industry? Let us know in the comments below.