SACRAMENTO, California: Major video game publishers such as Electronic Arts and Take-Two are unlikely to face significant impacts from the recent strike by voice actors and motion-capture artists due to their in-house studios and the lengthy development cycles for games, analysts said.
The timing is critical for the video game industry, which has seen demand wane after a pandemic-fueled surge, with people spending less time on games and focusing on major titles. However, unlike last year’s strikes, the current action is expected to have minimal impact since voice actors and motion-capture artists represent a small part of the game development process and budget.
Wedbush Securities analyst Nick McKay noted, “Large publishers typically spend three to ten years developing their major titles. So, anything set to release in the next several quarters would have begun production years ago.” This means that Take-Two Interactive Software’s highly anticipated game “Grand Theft Auto VI,” scheduled for release in the fall of 2025, is unlikely to be affected by the strike initiated by the SAG-AFTRA union.
Additionally, the relatively small budget allocated for voice acting gives companies little reason to delay projects, and without a unified stance, once one developer reaches an agreement, others may follow suit, according to analysts.
Despite this, Joost Van Dreunen, a lecturer at NYU’s Stern School of Business, indicated that the strike would still be a significant topic during the upcoming earnings reports of these companies. He noted that the strike reflects broader issues in the industry, including widespread layoffs and studio closures. Van Dreunen warned, “If the strike isn’t resolved by early September, it could extend into the rest of the year and the holiday season, which would be much more impactful for publishers.”
