The Ongoing Voice Actor’s Strike Is More Than Just a Little Drama

The strike that was supposed to raise the consciousness of working people in the games industry has been strangely quiet since it was announced. The SAG-AFTRA voice actors strike began in late October of 2016, a full two months ago now. There’s been scant footage of picket lines, no canceled or delayed games. For all the world, it looks like it’s barely happened at all. But behind the scenes, there’s a palpable anger.

“They led off undervaluing what we provide to the video game industry,” says JB Blanc, a voice actor and observer on the preliminary negotiations. “I was at the second negotiation which occurred. Scott Witlin (the lawyer representing the studios) sat down and said—and I will quote him almost verbatim—’it’s so great to see so many of you coming here to support your contract, we’re very proud to see you all here. Really no one cares about voiceover in video games, and we could get anyone to do what you do for 50 bucks an hour. So we’re showing extraordinary good faith by even turning up.’ I think he still believes that, and he’s patently wrong.” Scott Witlin did not respond to our request for comment.

It was this notion that voice actors are so easily replaceable that got their backs up, in Blanc’s words. It’s also an idea that seems resoundingly disrespectful, not only to the voice actors, but also to people who play video games. It casts them as ignorant consumers, unable to discern good performances from bad. Sean Vanaman, co-owner of Campo Santo and co-director of the studio’s debut game  Firewatch, finds the quote shocking.

“Yeah, maybe it doesn’t matter so much for the next AAA shooter. Fine. Continue to make that game,” he says in irritation. “But when that game is no longer viable, you’re not going to have many places to turn. That person should be fired. That’s malpractice. He’s saying that industry tastes aren’t going to change, that market trends will not fluctuate, and that something popular in 2016 will be popular in 2019. I would be very, very afraid as a shareholder if that’s the attitude.”

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