French President Macron entrusts a long and passionate declaration of love towards the video game sector to a social worker. The statement comes a few weeks after some comments he made in which he placed the violence of the protests alongside the codes of some titles.
''I have always considered video games an opportunity for France, for our young people and its future, for our work and our economy.
I want to be (more) clear.
At the end of June I expressed my concern because video game codes had been used by some criminals to trivialize violence on social networks. It is this violence that I condemn, not video games.
Video games are a culture, an entertainment, a show!
They are a ground of artistic experimentation, a fascinating learning space, which mixes all the arts. Playing means listening to music, immersing yourself in stories, feeling emotions, traveling through time. It's about exploring visual universes that write a new chapter in the history of art.
The competitive practice of video games is a sport, an ecosystem, with true professionals, high-level gatherings and international tournaments that mark history, which forge generations around strong values.
Video games are places of sharing, where creators are passers-by and players are storytellers. Places of sociality and meeting, with games that have origins in the metaverse, such as Fortnite or Roblox. They're a place where you can not only play, but also attend concerts, preview films, and even create. Up to several tens of millions of people connected to each other, this demonstrates the global power of these platforms and universes!
They bring together vibrant young people in our largest venues, like this evening in La Défense for the KCX3, or last week in Montpellier for the LEC and EMEA Masters finals.
Last Saturday at Le Mans you demonstrated it once again with the GP Explorer: your passion has no limits!
Video games are an integral part of France. Assassin's Creed and Dofus are creations of French talent. We are proud of it and make access easy with the Culture Pass.
Video games offer job and future opportunities, creating champions, but also engineers, developers, designers and creators. The sector inspires, makes you dream, makes you grow!
With the France 2030 plan I wanted to accelerate the sector. We did this in particular by significantly strengthening around fifteen public and private schools that are already among the best in the world: there is ENJMIN, Isart Digital, Rubika, Creative Seeds, ArtFX and so on.
These will create new pathways, welcome more students, open new sites and participate in talent renewal with unprecedented social openness to ensure talent succession and encourage greater diversity in creation.
Without forgetting the numerous infrastructures that proudly represent our country in a global ecosystem.
In June 2022, I brought together numerous players from French eSports and the sector at the Elysée. If I didn't shine at Trackmania, my words were sincere. I promised a new era: it is opening.
I remain fully mobilized to continue supporting the organization of major events in France, to take action to support the sector and help it develop.
There is still much to do.
You can count on me.''
