ThanderSnB Posted September 17, 2023 Share Posted September 17, 2023 (edited) It looks like voice actors represented by SAG-AFTRA may soon be joining the ongoing actor strike. Their current contract with the video game producers ends September 25 and insiders are saying there isn't much progress being made in the talks. The union is asking for an 11% wage increase (same the actors are asking for) and job protection from AI-generated voices, among other things. I couldn't find a list of video game voice actors represented by SAG-AFTRA, but I think many big names are part of it. Just from a quick search it appeared the voice actors below are part of the union: Jennifer Hale (female trooper) David Hayter (male jedi knight) Kari Wahlgren (female jedi knight) Maury Sterling (male smuggler) Tom Spackman (male bounty hunter) Grey Griffin/DeLisle (female bounty hunter) What this means for SWTOR is possible delays for major story updates like 7.4 or anything after that. I think 7.4 has probably already been recorded, but stories for 2024 might not be. It doesn't really work if some player characters have a voice and others don't. Of course, some stories use the old KOTOR-style conversations with a silent player character, but they can't do that for the major story updates. Edited September 17, 2023 by ThanderSnB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spikanor Posted September 17, 2023 Share Posted September 17, 2023 there are still on strike and cant do it at all to stop it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VegaMist Posted September 18, 2023 Share Posted September 18, 2023 The AI-related requests are unrealistic. It's in the same category as "prohibit movies to defend theater" or "prohibit cars to protect carriages" would be. Progress always modified or erased professions only to create new and different ones. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThanderSnB Posted September 18, 2023 Author Share Posted September 18, 2023 20 hours ago, VegaMist said: The AI-related requests are unrealistic. It's in the same category as "prohibit movies to defend theater" or "prohibit cars to protect carriages" would be. Progress always modified or erased professions only to create new and different ones. I think they'd probably be okay with being paid if their voice is being re-created by AI for a game. The problem is there isn't any industry standard for generating AI voices where they can legally say, for example, "this AI voice is the same as Jennifer Hale's voice". I think the technology and law will get there some day, but it's not there at the moment. Every voice actor will have to get their voice scanned and turned into some unique number which will match the AI-generated voice within some tolerance level (dictated by law or industry standard). Of course, there will be people breaking the law and some will get away with it, but big projects like AAA games will have to pay if they base an AI voice on a real voice actor without paying them. That's why they are just saying no to AI-generated voices. I think they will be open to it when they know they will be paid for it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psikofunkster Posted September 19, 2023 Share Posted September 19, 2023 7.3.1 was all about beeps and blahs (alien language) so i'm not worry about 7.4 can be... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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