SAG To Reconsider Industry Offer

GameInformer has details on a special meeting of the board that the Screen Actor's Guild is putting together. From the article: "When the NEC rejected the tentative contract earlier this week, we said we'd explore all our remaining options...Since then, we have received feedback from enough of our membership to conclude that this matter must be brought before the full board for its consideration."

Comments

SAG's Hubris

[Anonymous Coward]

I find the whole thing rather absurd except in very special cases (like Vin Diesel in Chronicles of Riddick). And in those special cases the actor has enough clout that they'll probably walk away with a deal they're happy with. The hubris of these negotiations makes me gnash my teeth. Any star that thinks that for a few hours of work they deserve a chunk of the profitability of such a massive group effort needs therapy to deflate an out of control ego.

Fortunately, I think they are overestimating their importance. If this passes then my best guess is that game companies will just use other actors.

Does the game industry really even *need* SAG?

[Deagol]

The inclusion of "real" actors in games s fairly recent in gaming history, isn't it? I mean, the VG industry managed to gross more revenue than the movie industry without all that much help. Hell, aren't a majority of the majorly popular title not based on a Hollywood franchise?

Game producers should just tell Hollywood to shove off.

Question: Who Cares?

[Shihar]

If the gaming industry is even vaugly in touch with its consumer base, they are laughing their asses off as SAG attempts to dictate terms. Players really don't give a shit. Is good voice acting nice? Sure. Does rate ANYWHERE near good graphics, sound, game play, lack of bugs, content, exc exc? Hell no. If a voice actor thinks he/she is worth even one half way decent programer then said voice actor is very sadly mistaken. Voice acting rests exactly last on my criteria of things to look for in a game. Yes, I mean it, last. I can't think of anything else less important in a game.

I would rather video game makers simply higher non-union voice actors. There are plenty of young folks in or just out of college drama degrees that would be more then happy to work for a reasonable wage for a few hours worth of work. What SAG doesn't seem to realize is that unlike the movie industry, there are no other unions to threaten the gaming industry with. If the voice actors walk out (for the two days they work in a three year long project), no one else is walking with them. If a game has no union voice actors, it isn't going to be noted by anyone other then perhaps a foot note in a review stating that the game was awesome, but the voice acting was lacking. Voice actors a footnote in game, not a life or death component.