#levelupthecontract

[yusuke-of-valla]

So, Video Game Voice Actors Are On Strike: A Quick and Dirty Guide for Tumblr Users

Starting on July 26th, SAG-AFTRA members that are part of the Interactive Media Agreement (so mostly voice actors for video games) will be on strike. If you're a member of SAG-AFTRA with questions, I would speak to them.

Most of this information is coming from the SAG-AFTRA website, feel free to correct me if I'm wrong about anything or ask if you need anything.

If you are a random tumblr user who wants to know what's going on, here we go.

Why are video game voice actors striking?

AI, as one could expect. From the union's statement:

Although agreements have been reached on many issues important to SAG-AFTRA members, the employers refuse to plainly affirm, in clear and enforceable language, that they will protect all performers covered by this contract in their A.I. language.

Which Games Are Being Struck?

Games from: 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., VoiceWorks Productions Inc., and WB Games Inc. are all being struck.

There is also a website to confirm which union projects are being struck but you'd need to be a member actively working on it to use it.

Ok so I'm not a voice actor, union or otherwise, I just like games. What should I do.

I can NOT stress this enough. Do NOT stop playing games. The union has not asked for this, and is instead asking for people to amplify our messages online using #LevelUpTheContract, #VideoGameStrike and #SagAftraStrong."

You can also sign this petition in support of voice actors getting a fair deal.

I'm not a union representative but if a game you're looking forward to is being covered by the struck companies, I'd blow up your social media and their mentions with how much you love the voice acting and the actors deserve a fair contract, but other than that you are not being asked to boycott any games or not cosplay or attend events.

A Streamer is playing a struck game! Is that crossing the picket line?

No, SAG-AFTRA explicitly says that is fine, and in fact encourages it.

An actor is promoting/promoted a struck work at SDCC, is that crossing the picket line?

No, the statement explicitly says those attending SDCC can still do work there because of the short notice, they are also fine.

Wait didn't SAG-AFTRA already do some weird bullshit regarding video game voice actors and AI?

Yes, at the Consumer Electronics Show in January, SAG-AFTRA signed a deal with Replica AI to allow their members to create digital replicas, it was a whole thing and many voice actors were pissed.

So they're hypocrites?

Ok it's more complicated than that. Their logic for the Replica AI thing is rather than allow companies to do whatever they want, it was better to have a system in place to be able to clearly say when a company was breaking the rules and ensure that talent got some compensation.

We can debate the efficacy of that strategy all day and voice actors at the time were not happy, BUT the companies being struck here refuse to even rise to THAT standard and will not agree to the most basic protections for actors, which is worse.

People and organizations contain multitudes and it is not a betrayal or hypocritical to disagree with SAG-AFTRA leadership on the Replica AI situation and side with them, and more importantly their members in this case.

Why aren't game devs striking/ It's not devs on strike so I don't care

The Screen Actors Guild covers actors, so it would not be in everyone's best interest if they were to try and negotiate on behalf of people in different fields with different needs.

However, one way to build support for the various movements to unionize at places like Activision-Blizzard and Bethesda is to support labor movements everywhere and show solidarity whenever it comes up.

Why are the actors striking when the developers should be paid more.

They should be paid more! And they should not be laid off as much. One way to help with that is to be able to point to voice actors and say, hey they got a raise, I want one too.

[the-fandom-crossroads]

I Uninstalled Genshin Impact | #Boycotthyv #videogamestrike

This video is a cut down stream I did on our twitch channel. In it I share how many play hours I have in Genshin before uninstalling the game for good. This is for accountability as I can't go back and play more of the game without that time going up. If that happens it means I went back on my word and failed at the Boycott. I explain in the video why i feel it's important for content creators to fully boycott the game and not just go free to play.

The rest of the video is me going through comments from multiple PoC genshin players sharing their own experiences and frustrations with the Natlan news. As many of them say it is not just "White US SJWs" upset with this but real people from these cultures. I felt it important to compile a large chunk of their voices in one place. If you are struggling to understand why people are upset please consider pausing at these comments and reading a few of the full comments themselves.

If you decide not to fully boycott Genshin that's up to you. But please consider signing these petitions supporting the two strikes at the very least.

Change.org petition about the whitewashing directed at Mihoyo

Petition about video game voice actors directed at voice acting agencies

[soda-p0p-sauce]

I don’t post much, but support the SAG AFTRA strike.

[unofficialdragonageday]

We appreciate your wonderful creations and seeing how you all enjoy The Veilguard. We'd like to remind everyone of the current VA strike for AI regulations, among other things! #LevelUpTheContract Please also be mindful of others and always tag spoilers.

Keep video games people powered!

As we're returning to Thedas, we want to take a moment to remind everyone that the performers of SAG-AFTRA are currently striking against several video game companies to ensure better protections against A.I.

You can find more information here: https://www.sagaftra.org/contracts-industry-resources/contracts/interactive-media-video-game-strike

#LevelUpTheContract ✊🎮

[countesschewi]

SAG-AFTRA VIDEO GAME STRIKE

SAG-AFTRA are officially striking against video games. Check out the FAQ here (you'll need to scoll down a bit to find the stuff aimed at non-members, creators and fans).

[nthspecialll]

I stand with the SAG-AFTRA strike!

The livelihood of the actors who made our favourite video-games is at stake, and so is the soul and personality of the future master-pieces which they are supposed to create.

Companies are stealing the voice actor's voices and faces, making AI versions of them, slowly removing the "need" for the real deal. This is not just something that is a problem for the actors, but also for the consumers as a robot in no way will be able to replicate the emotions and the feelings we see in characters.

Some companies will completely have a disreguard to the health of their actors in the motion captures, asking them to repeat hard fighting scenes or stunts over and over again with little pay and without a medic on scene, though it is their job to make sure there is. It is tough work and they deserve to be able to make a living with conditions that are safe and humane.

The studios are refusing to acknowledge these amazing preformers as preformers.

Now what does that mean for us as players, fans and content creators? Not a lot, we are not being asked to stop playing or anything similar. Here is what their websides says for content creators and streamers:

"The only situation in which streaming a struck video game would be in violation of our strike order is if you had rendered services as a performer in that struck game. Otherwise, we are not asking you to stop playing/streaming video games. In fact the opposite! Please continue doing what you love, and any support and solidarity would be extremely appreciated!"

And as for fans they simply ask that we show our support by talking about the strike and making posts similar to these which can be found on their webside:

Video game performers deserve fair wages, safe working conditions and A.I. protections. I call on the employers to #LevelUpTheContract. #SagAftraStrong #VideoGameStrike

I support video game performers in their fight for A.I. protections and a fair contract. It's time for the employers to #LevelUpTheContract! #VideoGameStrike #SagAftraStrong

Video game companies must offer A.I. protections to ALL video game performers. Join me and show your support for those who bring our favorite games to life. #LevelUpTheContract #VideoGameStrike #SagAftraStrong

More information can be found on SAG AFTRA's webside or their social media platforms

[felassan]

EquityUK on Twitter: "🚨 SOLIDARITY FOREVER 🚨 📣Equity stands in total solidarity with our sister union @/sagaftra as their members working in video games go on strike. #/VideoGameStrike #/LevelUpTheContract" [source]

[bad-shepherd-gaming]

In the center of the guarden, encased in a glass box under a shady tree, an image of the Allmother, raised above the height of the Sisters, stretches its arms outward towards any viewers.

The gesture seems benevolent at first glance.

🎮 1000xResist

follow along on #YouTube for more

support video game performers in their fight for A.I. protections and a fair contract. It's time for the employers to #LevelUpTheContract ! #VideoGameStrike #SagAftraStrong

https://www.sagaftra.org/videogamestrike

[fans4wga]

Active on Instagram, X/Twitter, and other social media? SAG-AFTRA has asked fans to use the following hashtags and profile pics to raise awareness about the video game strike:

#LevelUpTheContract, #VideoGameStrike and #SagAftraStrong

Sample Social Messages from sagaftra.org

Video game performers deserve fair wages, safe working conditions and A.I. protections. I call on the employers to #LevelUpTheContract. #SagAftraStrong #VideoGameStrike

I support video game performers in their fight for A.I. protections and a fair contract. It's time for the employers to #LevelUpTheContract! #VideoGameStrike #SagAftraStrong

Video game companies must offer A.I. protections to ALL video game performers. Join me and show your support for those who bring our favorite games to life. #LevelUpTheContract #VideoGameStrike #SagAftraStrong

source

[adhduck]

Guys, I’m BEGGING you to stop assuming there’s a boycott. Consumers are NOT being asked to boycott games for this strike. It’s right on SAG-AFTRA’s FAQ for this strike:

[ID: Are creators and streamers being asked to stop playing certain video games?

The only situation in which streaming a struck video game would be in violation of our strike order is if you had rendered services as a performer in that struck game. Otherwise, we are not asking you to stop playing/streaming video games. In fact the opposite! Please continue doing what you love, and any support and solidarity would be extremely appreciated! End ID.]

Boycotting, struck games, etc is only for UNION MEMBERS and for anyone who ever wants to be a member. Notably, promotion/publicity (like interviews and social media, not E3 type shit) of struck games is only applicable if the member performed in that game.

(Also, while EA is indeed a piece of shit, the union notes that it’s better to think of it in terms as struck Games rather than struck Companies, since some games can’t be struck due to contract terms. You can find out what is struck—again, for Performers!—on their website.)

Here is what their FAQ says you SHOULD do to support them:

[ID: Share what's going on - whether you're on Twitch, X, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Threads, etc., please consider letting your audience know why this strike is so important to the performers who bring the games you love to life. Need some talking points? We got you! Just email influencer@sagaftra.org.

Include #LevelUptheContract and #Video GameStrike in your messages of support and solidarity.

Check out our digital toolkit HERE

Invite one of our video game performers to join your stream or show and use the opportunity to discuss the strike and what's at stake. Reach out to us at Influencer@sagaftra.org and we can help connect you with a performer who will be a good fit.

Have another idea? Reach out to us at Influencer@sagaftra.org and let's make it happen! End ID.]

All that said, still don’t preorder games lol. It’s not like preordering books, which is actually helpful to the author; it just lets companies know you’ll buy anything without knowing if it’s good, encouraging them to push games to be out before they’re ready, crunching, not caring about quality, etc etc. If you really wanna buy the game super soon, just mark it on your calendar and buy it day of.

And remember: CHECK WHAT A STRIKE WANTS YOU AS A CONSUMER TO DO! IT’S NOT ALWAYS WHAT THEY WANT MEMBERS TO DO! IT’S NOT SUPPORT IF YOU’RE NOT LISTENING TO THEM!!!!!!!!

so the new dragon age dropped for preorders and what im seeing is that the physical merch bundles to not actually come with the game? unreal. unreal. starting off strong with this one. cant wait to witness all of the bountiful discourse cycles this game will provide. as someone who has never played dragon age its one of my favorite spectator sports

[doomsdaywriter]

#LevelUpTheContract #VideoGameStrike #SagAftraStrong

[atinygamer]

I support video game performers in their fight for A.I. protections and a fair contract. It's time for the employers to #LevelUpTheContract! #VideoGameStrike #SagAftraStrong

[unofficialdragonageday]

Keep video games people powered!

As we're returning to Thedas, we want to take a moment to remind everyone that the performers of SAG-AFTRA are currently striking against several video game companies to ensure better protections against A.I.

You can find more information here: https://www.sagaftra.org/contracts-industry-resources/contracts/interactive-media-video-game-strike

#LevelUpTheContract ✊🎮

[amandasgeekblog]

#VideoGameStrike #LevelUpTheContract #SagAftraStrong

A lot of people who did not look at the FAQ don't know that SAG-AFTRA is encouraging streamers and influencers to keep doing what they are doing but to spread the word:

"Share what’s going on - whether you’re on Twitch, X, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Threads, etc., please consider letting your audience know why this strike is so important to the performers who bring the games you love to life. Need some talking points? We got you! Just email influencer@sagaftra.org. Include #LevelUptheContract and #VideoGameStrike in your messages of support and solidarity. 

"Invite one of our video game performers to join your stream or show and use the opportunity to discuss the strike and what’s at stake. Reach out to us at Influencer@sagaftra.org and we can help connect you with a performer who will be a good fit."

[rhube]

SAG-AFTRA Video Games members are going on strike!

Mainly video game companies are stealing their labour to duplicate their images and voices for AI.

Announcement:

FAQ for participants and fans:

Media kit for showing support:

Hat-tip to Monday Moon for sharing this info on Masto:

I 100% support this action and have been very concerned about this for some time, as many games now necessitate the use of motion capture and full-body scans in order to achieve the high-quality images we get to enjoy! I'm very happy to see the individual pores on Bryan Dechart's face, but not at the cost of his future livelihood!

One important aspect is that the strikers are NOT asking fans to stop playing games:

No, not at all! We are not asking you to stop playing video games. In fact the opposite! Please continue doing what you love, and any support and solidarity would be extremely appreciated!

This is the main action they request from fans:

You can help amplify our messages online using #LevelUpTheContract, #VideoGameStrike and #SagAftraStrong. Click HERE for a look at how you can engage in this fight.

Have another idea of how you want to show your support? Reach out to us at videogamestrike@sagaftra.org.

There's more detail in the FAQ for streamers, podcasters etc, but not that they are not calling for a boycott from people not involved in the industry.