French President Emmanuel Macron has emphasized the growing importance of the video game industry to Europe’s cultural landscape and sent a clear political signal. As part of his speech at the Lumière Summit, the politician announced the creation of a new “International Video Games Festival” that will be designed as a global platform for creativity, technological innovation, and exchange between industries and communities. Macron clearly emphasized that video games are an integral part of modern culture and national heritage. The government’s move is a direct response to the huge global success of French games, such as the award-winning role-playing game Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, which has given a major boost to the industry on the international stage.
The initiative represents a change in the way politicians approach interactive media. While video games have previously been often ignored in political debates or reduced to child protection issues, their economic and artistic value is now coming to the fore.
France has a long tradition of successful development studios – from industry giants like Ubisoft to acclaimed creative studios like Asobo Studio (A Plague Tale) or Sifu maker Sloclap. Sandfall Interactive’s debut title, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, was a huge success, breaking international records and winning critics’ awards, changing public opinion in Paris forever.
Macron has repeatedly praised the game publicly and is now using the momentum to launch a state-backed offensive. The planned film festival does not act as a purely consumer and sales fair like the established Paris Games Week, but is instead an international forum modeled on the larger film festivals. Its purpose is to connect public institutions, private investors, technology pioneers and artists from around the world.
Especially with regard to the fundamental industrial changes brought about by artificial intelligence and new platform models, the French government is seeking to join forces with partner countries such as South Korea to ensure its own cultural sovereignty. Although the specific dates, exact location and financial resources of the new event remain under wraps, the initiative has generated significant interest from European developers.
