Enterprise

Video game actors are going on strike after SAG-AFTRA deal fails

Motivated by lack of protection from AI

Published

on

Our favorite games are nothing without their voice actors. Imagine playing Shadow of the Erdtree without the iconic “CURSE YOU, BAYLE” line. Voice acting just makes a game better. But much like other forms of acting, voice acting for a video game needs proper compensation, which, to the dismay of actors in the United States, the industry is not willing to provide.

Last year, the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) held a strike affecting actors in Hollywood. The extensive strike ended with an agreement that protects Hollywood from the unmitigated use of AI. Unfortunately, the same protections don’t extend to voice actors in games just yet.

Earlier, SAG-AFTRA negotiations fell through. The quest to create a more amicable deal between the industry and video game voice actors will continue indefinitely. As such, video game actors have decided to go on strike. Companies affected by the strike include Activision, Disney, Electronic Arts, Insomniac Games, Take 2 Productions, and WB Games.

While the organization remains willing to renegotiate terms, SAG-AFTRA cites the lack of protection against AI as a pain point for the current deal falling flat. Via The Washington Post, the proposed deal will still allow the industry to use AI to manipulate an actor’s likeness. This includes faking their voices and using their physical likeness for unauthorized poses.

At the moment, the newly formed strike has not caused companies to announce delays to upcoming projects. If the strike continues for a longer time, delays are inevitable.

SEE ALSO: ChatGPT takes down voice after Scarlett Johansson claims theft

Enterprise

Paramount wins bid for HBO Max, plans to merge streaming apps

It’s all part of the deal to acquire the Warner Bros. library.

Published

on

Last year ended with the bombshell announcement that Netflix might buy the entire Warner Bros. library. However, after some finagling and a rocky start, Paramount has now emerged as the main suitor for the lucrative library.

At the end of last year, it seemed all but confirmed that the gigantic Warner Bros. library was coming to Netflix as part of a huge buyout deal. This became even clearer when Warner Bros. Discovery rejected Paramount’s initial bid to counter Netflix. However, Paramount recently revised its offer to an astounding US$ 110 billion, or US$ 31 per share, which Warner Bros. Discovery signed off on. Netflix passed on the opportunity for a counteroffer, making Paramount the sole bidder.

Today, Paramount has announced that, if the deal pushes through, they will merge Paramount+ and HBO Max into one streaming service. This means that Paramount’s CBS, Comedy Central, and MTV will be under the same roof as DC, Game of Thrones, Harry Potter, and Mission: Impossible.

The value of the above names alone makes this into one of the most lucrative deals for Paramount. However, it’s not without its drawbacks. The combined entity will reportedly carry US$ 79 billion in net debt for both purchasing Warner Bros. and refinancing the newly purchased property.

Currently, the deal is expected to go through regulatory approval ending in the second half of 2026.

Continue Reading

Enterprise

ACMobility Launches ChargeFleet: Seamless solution for businesses

B2B solution for corporate fleets and transport groups

Published

on

Ayala Group’s ACMobility has launched ChargeFleet, a new B2B digital solution for corporate fleets and transport groups.

The new service introduces a shareable digital wallet that streamlines charging expenses, reduces manual tracking, and improves cost control.

As more organizations explore electrifying their mobility operations, many continue to face operational challenges — including fragmented payment systems, reimbursement delays, and limited visibility over charging usage.

ChargeFleet addresses these gaps by introducing a centralized, shareable digital wallet. Here, fleet managers can allocate and monitor charging credits across multiple drivers across a single platform.

The system is a seamless process designed for long-term usage and easy deployment across any organization.

Once integrated, ACMobility assigns charging credits to the client’s fleet manager. The manager then can distribute these to multiple drivers. Meanwhile, the latter will be able to see and use their assigned credits via the Evro app.

ChargeFleet is available as a prepaid product through the ChargeFleet Store. Users can buy offers via GCash or credit card. No application process is required.

Looking ahead, ACMobility will continue to enhance the ChargeFleet experience with exclusive value-added perks integrated through Evro and Power on Wheels.

The upcoming features highlight ACMobility’s ongoing push to provide a future-proof support system for the evolving needs of their customers’ businesses.

Continue Reading

Enterprise

Sony teams up with 13 companies for sustainable global supply chain

Sustainability through introduction of renewable plastics

Published

on

Sony WH-1000XM6

Sony, along with several companies, have established the world’s first global supply chain for the production of renewable plastics that can be used in Sony’s high-performance audiovisual products.

The supply chain consists of 14 companies across five countries and regions. The various plastic materials manufacture through this supply are slated for use in Sony’s products that will launch worldwide.

High-performance products such as audiovisual equipment involve a wide variety of plastics. The result is a complex supply chain that makes it difficult to visualize and manage the entire flow.

Additionally, plastic components that require high performance in terms of flame resistance and optical properties cannot be fully replaced with plastics from material recycling.

To address these challenges, these 14 companies have collaborated to visualize the existing supply chain for Sony’s products:

  • Sony Corporation
  • Mitsubishi Corporation
  • ADEKA CORPORATION
  • CHIMEI Corporation
  • ENEOS Corporation
  • Formosa Chemicals & Fibre Corporation
  • Hanwha Impact Corporation
  • Idemitsu Kosan Co., Ltd.
  • Mitsui Chemicals, Inc.
  • Neste Corporation
  • Qingdao Haier New Material Development Co.
  • Ltd., SK Geo Centric Co., Ltd.
  • Toray Industries, Inc.
  • Toray Advanced Materials Korea Inc.

Sustainability through renewable plastics

The new supply chain created will enable the production of multiple types of renewable plastics from biomass resources with a mass balance approach.

This allows Sony to proactively source raw materials for its products with quality, as well as properties equivalent to virgin fossil-based plastics.

Defining the supply chain also helps the companies track and document GHG (Greenhouse Gas) emissions data in a verifiable way.

This allows participating companies to leverage the data to advance efforts to reduce their carbon footprint going forward.

Sony’s initiative with a wide range of global partners is part of the “Creating NEW from reNEWable materials” jointly launched by the electronics giant and Mitsubishi.

It aims to achieve zero usage of virgin fossil-based plastics through the introduction of renewable plastics.

Continue Reading

Trending