Voice acting, increasingly, is a big part of MMOs; while Star Wars: The Old Republic puts it forth as a core feature, games like World of Warcraft and Guild Wars 2 make extensive use of it as well. So it’s important to note that video game voice actors will likely be going on strike starting on October 21st, barring successful last-minute negotiations. This comes about as part of the long-running dissatisfaction with the game industry still paying actors at rates that were applicable 20 years ago when voice acting was seen as far more optional.
The demands of the actors boil down to more or less being treated with the dignity and compensation that voice acting in a big-budget triple-A game would command if it were any other sort of production with actors. A plethora of big-name publishers are included in the strike, including Activision, Electronic Arts, Disney, and WB Games. Unless some of the demands are met before the 21st, expect games to get a bit more silent for a while… or delayed until the issues are resolved.
