SAG-AFTRA‘s strike against major video game publishers is set to continue as the actors union has extended contract negotiations with the employers following an inability to resolve the ongoing dispute over its Interactive Media Agreement after three days of scheduled talks concluded this week.
Per SAG-AFTRA, the new dates for returning to the table with the video game companies’ bargaining committee will be announced as soon as they are confirmed.
Prior to returning to the table with the corporate gaming side Wednesday, SAG-AFTRA announced more than 120 video game titles had signed either SAG-AFTRA’s proposed Interim Media Agreement or the indie developer-focused Tiered-Budget Independent Interactive Agreement, as the strike is largely handled on a title by title bases rather than studio by studio.
According to the union, “Negotiations resumed with the employer unit which includes Activision Productions Inc., Blindlight LLC, Disney Character Voices Inc., Electronic Arts Productions Inc., Formosa Interactive LLC, Insomniac Games Inc., Llama Productions LLC, Take 2 Productions Inc., and WB Games Inc. on Oct. 23. The SAG-AFTRA strike against all signatories to the Interactive Media Agreement began in July and remains in effect. No further comment is available at this time.”
The ongoing sticking point between in the two sides, which have reached agreement on 24 items in a 25-item proposal, surrounds uses of generative A.I. in games, particularly in regard to motion and performance capture.
More to come…