Video games might soon be without many of the voices that bring stories to life, as the actor union SAG-AFTRA is considering voting for a strike for more payments and greater rights for game voice actors – such as Nolan North, John DiMaggio and Troy Baker (below). It’s proposing that these performers should get bonuses every time a game sells 2 million copies, and stunt pay when they have to strain their voices, such as when a character screams in pain.
The guild also wants stunt coordinators for motion capture work, and it hopes to prevent companies from both hiring their own unionless staff as well as instituting fines over relatively arbitrary faults, such as failing to audition for small roles.
An upcoming strike will be held to determine of there will be a strike – it requires a 75% “yes” vote. If the strike goes ahead, it will undoubtedly sideline many huge, big-budget titles, which will be no laughing matter for gamers. Â Let’s hope that the dispute can be resolved soon, so we can all keep playing the games we love.