SAG-AFTRA votes for strike approval for video game performers

Action-packed thrills and spooky chills await this month’s selection of games joining the PlayStation Game Catalog. All titles playable from Tuesday, October 17. Let’s get into it.

Developers at CD Projekt Red—the Polish studio responsible for a trilogy of videogames about a worker who believes in negotiating a fair price for his labor and one game set in a dystopian future where corporate exploitation is the rule—have formed a union. The Polish Gamedev Workers Union (PGWU) is part of the national union OZZ Inicjatywa Pracownicza, and is open to developers who work for other studios in Poland.

A new report suggests that the video game industry’s struggles in 2023 run deeper than firing staff and closing studios.

The Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists () has issued a statement now that the organization is resuming negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP).

BackerKit will not allow AI-generated content on its platform, which includes many high-profile board game and tabletop role-playing game projects. The announcement, made formal in a blog post on Monday, stands in stark contrast to its biggest rival, crowdfunding giant Kickstarter, which has no such restrictions. The announcement comes less than one month after AI-generated art in a Terraforming Mars board game expansion raised alarms among creators and backers alike. BackerKit’s policy goes into effect on Oct. 4.

Last month featured a wide range of diversity – sports, indies, fighting, RPGs, and more. Which game was best in genre for September? 

Voting for this year's Golden Joystick Awards has begun, with a raft of nominees across multiple categories now available for you to consider for a vote. 

The actors union group SAG-AFTRA has voted overwhelmingly in favour of a potential strike against the games industry. Members were nearly unanimous, with 98.32 per cent of the vote being in favour of a strike — if a strike is necessary.

SAG-AFTRA union members have voted yes to authorize a video game strike. It did so with a 98.72% vote in favor of authorizing a strike on the Interactive Media Agreement that covers its members' work in the games industry. In total, 34,687 members cast ballots, which represents 27.47% of eligible voters, SAG-AFTRA writes in a press release. 

SAG-AFTRA, the union representing actors, broadcast journalists, hosts, voice actors, and other media professionals in the US, has voted overwhelmingly to authorize a strike against videogame companies including Activision, Electronic Arts, Epic Games, and Take-Two Interactive. The vote does not mean that a strike will be called, but the union hopes it will provide «added leverage» in its negotiations for a new Interactive Media Agreement.

The vote to authorize a potential strike for SAG-AFTRA video game performers passed overwhelmingly.

SAG-AFTRA members have approved a strike authorization vote to enable the union to strike against game companies if deemed necessary.