Video game workers called on to join SAG-AFTRA, WGA Strike
Facing a shared threat of artificial intelligence, members of the video game development community could join the writers and actors in their dual strike against the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. Photo courtesy of Unsplash
No cheat codes have been able to get studios to stop feeling the effects of the joint strike from the Writers Guild of America (WGA) and the Screen Actors Guild and American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA). Now it seems even the video game industry, including its writers and actors, isn’t safe from the final boss: fair compensation.
“The problem in video games is that there isn’t necessarily a standard for writing,” said Morgan Read-Davidson, who teaches Chapman University students about screenwriting and writing for video games. “Different games require different things, and as such, writers aren’t always called writers. Sometimes the title is Quest Designer or Narrative Director. The non-standard approach makes it hard for writers to unionize, though unionizing will likely force industry standards that define what ‘writing’ means in video games and bring equitable pay rates.”
Ever since May 1, Hollywood has been in a state of chaos. Production has been halted on films and shows, and thousands of people are out of work after stalled negotiations between WGA and SAG-AFTRA and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP). On Sept. 1, SAG-AFTRA president Fran Drescher called on performers within the gaming industry to join the fight in a joint statement with SAG-AFTRA’s chief negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland.
“These are largely the same fight over the same issues, and members are stronger together,” Drescher said about the video game industry. “By standing shoulder to shoulder and in solidarity, we multiply our strength and send a clear and unmistakable message to all of our employers: We will not be exploited. Without fair terms that protect our members and respect their contributions, employers should not have the benefit of our members’ services.”
The current state of the video game industry is already a very complex issue, and one that requires a lot of consideration. The industry has been under fire for harsh working conditions in the past few years, and now the introduction of artificial intelligence has threatened the role of video game actors and writers, much like the creatives in the film industry.
Read-Davidson posits that the WGA should “consider how they can open their membership up to game writers.”
“Right now, the WGA only includes film, TV and radio writers…” Read-Davidson said. “I think the most interesting part of all this is how deeply SAG-AFTRA committed to this strike and became a real force behind pressuring the studios since they have more ‘star power’ and public recognition. Hopefully, by striking against game publishers as well, they’ll force positive changes for writers in the video game industry.”
Senior public relations and advertising major Brenda Lai is a member of Chapman’s video game and film community feeling some “warranted anxiety” about the future of both industries. As a game development programming minor, she sees the merit of using artificial intelligence (AI) as a tool, but she is worried about people relying too heavily on it.
“I don’t think you could outright say (AI) is evil, just because I think there are a lot of benefits,” Lai told the Panther. “I think that, for example, if you’re coding or trying to think of different ideas for what you’re working on, it’s a good tool to brainstorm or get the gear running. But I feel like AI shouldn’t replace any creative work that we’re doing. We shouldn’t use and rely on AI for generating pictures or art.”
“I don’t think you could outright say (AI) is evil, just because I think there are a lot of benefits. I think that, for example, if you’re coding or trying to think of different ideas for what you’re working on, it’s a good tool to brainstorm or get the gear running. But I feel like AI shouldn’t replace any creative work that we’re doing. We shouldn’t use and rely on AI for generating pictures or art.”
Lai is supportive of the joint SAG-AFTRA/WGA strike and encourages video game performers and developers to throw their digital hat in the ring as well. She advocates for students to “keep a pulse on the news and see what change that they could possibly create.”
Similarly, Chapman class of 2023 screenwriting alumnus Trevor Gore has some complicated thoughts on the topic. As a card-carrying member of SAG-AFTRA, a graduate with a screenwriting degree and someone entering the game industry, Gore has multiple dogs in this fight. That being said, he thinks the public’s perception of artificial intelligence and what it can do is a “heightened take on AI.”
“AI is essentially constantly training an algorithm over and over and over again to do a certain thing, to perform an output,” Gore said. “It's nothing more than just a tool right now. There’s a lot of people that are overgeneralizing or blowing out of proportion what AI could possibly be. A lot of people are improperly labeling what AI is.”
Gore claims that AI does not have the power to replace a writer or replicate someone’s likeness. However, he does think that it’s necessary to make a kind of game plan in the case that it ever does become that advanced.
“I think that it is important to get proper procedures put in place and to make sure that the proper protections are in place for writers and actors alike,” Gore told The Panther. “Because they essentially both need to be able to protect their work and protect their livelihoods, and this is unfortunately the way that it needs to be done because no agreements have been made thus far.”
On top of there being no end in sight for the Hollywood strikes, it seems people in other industries are taking SAG-AFTRA and the WGA’s lead. This year has seen over 200 strikes against companies like Amazon, UPS and more. Things are made harder by the fact that California doesn’t offer unemployment to striking workers. Gore explains why this is worrying particularly for people in the entertainment industry, who already struggle with a sort of instability in their chosen field.
“(Writers and actors) get jobs maybe once every couple months, and those jobs have to be able to sustain them in that glorious city of (Los Angeles) for as long as possible,” Gore said. “When you’re in that profession, it’s sort of difficult to be able to continually live paycheck-to-paycheck or project-to-project, so I think (the strike) is very timely, and it’s very necessary.”
Voting to authorize the video game strike started on Sept. 5, and will close on Sept. 25. The official SAG-AFTRA website is updated frequently, as well as publications like Deadline, The Hollywood Reporter and Game Developer. For those worried about creatives getting the compensation they deserve, Lai has some parting reassuring words.
“The reason why all these strikes are happening is so that we can pave a better future for the next generation,” Lai said. “So I feel like they shouldn’t be too worried, because better things are yet to come.”
“The reason why all these strikes are happening is so that we can pave a better future for the next generation. So I feel like they shouldn’t be too worried, because better things are yet to come.”