Lightspeed L.A. Signs Agreement With SAG-AFTRA to Use Union Talent in Its Games

Video Game Studio Embraces A.I. Protections in Union’s Interim Interactive Media Agreement
 

Lightspeed L.A. and SAG-AFTRA today announced that the game studio has agreed to produce games under the SAG-AFTRA Interim Interactive Media Agreement. 

The agreement, which will cover current and future Lightspeed L.A. games, including the hotly anticipated LAST SENTINEL, gives the company access to SAG-AFTRA members under fair and equitable conditions. It permits members to work during the video game strike and reflects the union’s bedrock proposal requirements, which include common-sense A.I. protections. LAST SENTINEL is the first game to move forward under the studio's agreement with the union. 

“Lightspeed L.A. has always recognized and valued the irreplaceable role of talent, which injects creativity, innovation, and the human touch into video games. Supporting our cast is the right thing to do and there was never any hesitation to consider the performer protections that anchor this agreement,” said Steve Martin, General Manager of Lightspeed L.A. “We want to thank Duncan Crabtree-Ireland and everyone at SAG-AFTRA for their openness and collaboration to help deliver this agreement. On behalf of the Lightspeed L.A. team, we cannot wait to share the amazing world and narrative gameplay experience we are crafting with the help of our outstanding cast.”

 “I am delighted to be partnering with Lightspeed L.A. Their upcoming game may be set in a world of technology run amok, but by agreeing to equitable terms, they’re working to make sure that the real future will not be a dystopian one for performers,” said SAG-AFTRA National Executive Director & Chief Negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland. “My gratitude to Steve, the entire crew at Lightspeed L.A., and the SAG-AFTRA members working on this project, all of whom made this collaboration possible.” 

“This strike has always been as much about the start of work with proper A.I. protections as it is stopping work without them. Lightspeed L.A. understands how crucial these protections are to the actors, and followed through with an outstanding commitment not only to this cast, but their future casts,” said Interactive Media Agreement Negotiating Committee Chair Sarah Elmaleh. “They made their genuine appreciation of performers as contributors concrete and impactful. I am thrilled about this partnership and cannot wait to see what this talented team of developers and performers makes together.”

 With a strike against major video game companies as the backdrop, union performers, Lightspeed L.A., and SAG-AFTRA worked together to bring this agreement to fruition as quickly as possible so that production on LAST SENTINEL could continue and members could work on the project.

Today’s agreement demonstrates Lightspeeed L.A.’s commitment to treating actors equitably and respectfully, and that the terms actors requested — informed consent, fair compensation and transparency in the use of their A.I. replicas — are reasonable and achievable.

This agreement is a huge win for both Lightspeed L.A., which can employ a host of talented and experienced union actors, and SAG-AFTRA performers, who can continue to earn a living doing the job they love without fear of being replaced by digital replicas. 

About Lightspeed L.A. 

Lightspeed L.A. is a world class development studio focused on building open-world games that emphasize an ambitious living world, sophisticated player-driven gameplay, and mature, thoughtful storytelling. The studio seeks to craft engaging, provocative, and emotive games while being dedicated to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace, committed to upholding a no-crunch philosophy to ensure the most creative and sustainable environment for all its employees. Lightspeed L.A. is located in Irvine, California. More information can be found at https://lightspeed.la/en

About SAG-AFTRA

SAG-AFTRA represents approximately 160,000 actors, announcers, broadcast journalists, dancers, DJs, news writers, news editors, program hosts, puppeteers, recording artists, singers, stunt performers, voiceover artists and other entertainment and media professionals. SAG-AFTRA members are the faces and voices that entertain and inform America and the world. A proud affiliate of the AFL-CIO, SAG-AFTRA has national offices in Los Angeles and New York and local offices nationwide representing members working together to secure the strongest protections for entertainment and media artists into the 21st century and beyond. Visit SAG-AFTRA online at SAGAFTRA.org.