Is the strike really JUST about AI any more? (Genshin & SAG-AFTRA)

What is actually going on with Genshin’s english voice actors?

This isn’t my usual kind of topic, but after months of being generally supportive of the strike but a little unaware of the details, this week’s events finally pushed me to find the time to dive in.

This has now consumed my life for the past several days, as I’ve made a point to go to the original source for everything.

The situation has escalated globally, to the point where the playerbase and actors alike are turning on each other, and things are starting to take a really nasty turn. There’s a lot of misinformation being spread, and it can be difficult to get a clear picture of what’s really going on.

Like many, for over a year I saw the surface-level discussions and explainers, and understood that the strike was just about protections against the use of generative AI, and the actors demanding to be paid a fair wage for their work. Both, in my opinion, are important topics and reasonable requests.

The studio acting as the middleman between Hoyo and the voice actors were painted as the bad guys — after all, they have an awful track record on previous controversies, and were refusing to sign a simple contract which would protect their talent from the end of the voice acting industry as we know it — and Hoyo were seen as avoiding the opportunity to step in and protect the people who do so much to bring their characters to life.

Typical, greedy corporations, right?

Unfortunately, that was just the beginning.

SAG-AFTRA Strike: https://www.sagaftra.org/contracts-in...
SAG-AFTRA Strike Authorization: https://www.sagaftra.org/sag-aftra-me...
SAG-AFTRA IMA Comparison Chart: https://www.sagaftra.org/sites/defaul...
SAG-AFTRA Independent ILA: https://www.sagaftra.org/sites/defaul...
Side Global: https://www.side.inc/services/audio-p...
Beijing Internet Court Ruling: https://english.bjinternetcourt.gov.c...
Taft-Hartley Act: https://www.nlrb.gov/about-nlrb/who-w...
SAG-AFTRA Fi-Core Info: https://www.sagaftra.org/financial-core
SAG-AFTRA Global Rule One: https://www.sagaftra.org/contracts-in...

00:00 Intro
01:15 The beginning
01:55 The problem
02:57 My initial take
03:31 Replacing Formosa
04:23 The Kinich recast
05:34 Why don't Hoyo sign?
06:40 The comparison chart
07:44 Union security
08:13 Union security • Taft-Hartley act
09:23 Union security • Long-term waivers
10:04 Closed shop unions
12:03 Legitimate questions
13:04 Why didn't changing studios help?
14:06 Why are some VAs returning?
14:45 Why are some roles recast?
16:15 Crossing the picket lines
17:38 An absolute dumpsterfire
20:06 Possible outcomes
20:43 Possible outcomes • The stalemate continues
21:06 Possible outcomes • The strike ends
21:37 Possible outcomes • The strike succeeds
21:55 Possible outcomes • The union compromises
22:14 Conclusion

Genshin Impact is an open-world action/exploration game, available on PC, PS4, PS5 and mobile devices (iOS & Android).

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