Round-Up: Actor Unions Vote, IGDA Fights AB450

Today's round-up includes further news on the possible SAG voice acting stoppage, as well as a call to arms from the IGDA, as well as the latest product news and job postings. - The latest news on a possible work stoppage directed at videogame companies from the Screen Actors Guild and American Federation of Television and Radio Artists is that voting materials have been mailed to 2,900 members of the respective acting unions. Talks between the unions and a loose coalition of game companies ended on May 13, with the publishers refusing the unions' request for a formal profit-sharing scheme. The voting packages being sent out to the union members will now determine whether the unions will hold a strike; the required majority to enact a strike is 75 percent in the SAG or 2/3rds in the AFTRA. The result will be announced late on June 7th. - The International Game Developers Association is asking its members to help out in fighting bill AB 450 in the California senate, which recently passed committee before its upcoming vote in the main legislature. The bill places restrictions on the sale of violent games, as determined by unspecified means other than the currently existing ESRB rating system. "Your urgent and immediate action is needed to help defeat a bill in California which poses a serious threat to the constitutional rights of those who develop and publish video games," the letter begins, and offers a link to a section of the IGDA website for a form letter to sign and a list of assemblymen to contact. - Also updated today: product news including information on the new eMagin gaming visor display, plus the latest job postings from companies including Anark, Black Ops, Cryptic Studios, EA Tiburon, Irrational Games, ManTech, Midway Games, Nokia, The Art Institute of CA, Upstart Games, and Volition.