French President Emmanuel Macron insists we are “misunderstanding” his recent comments about video games.
Macron felt compelled to jump onto X/Twitter over the weekend after he “once again made gamers lose it” following an address to the nation earlier this month, wherein he confirmed plans to study how children are affected by AI and gaming.
“I’ve seen a lot of misunderstandings. So let me be clear,” he wrote (as translated by machine and what I remember from GCSE French). “The facts: I have always supported video games, pop culture – the industry, creation, culture, jobs. I have put French esports in the spotlight at the Élysée and made commitments to structure the sector and attract major events to France, which we have done.
“We have honoured the Sandfall teams and, even better, I support the participation of our teams (Karmine, Vitality, Gentle Mates, etc.) in the creation of a French national team around video games for a world competition. There are so many French gems that have global influence! We can be extremely proud of that.”
However, Macron added that supporting the games industry and its culture does not mean he cannot “ask a simple question” about the impact of gaming on young people.
“Parents’ observation is that some young people spend their days and sometimes their nights playing. It has also often been pointed out that games rated PEGI 18 are played by children,” he added. “This is a major issue of public health, education, and responsibility. For physical health, especially the eyes, and mental health, when a young person no longer goes out at all because they play excessively, of course, it is worrying, and we must take it seriously.
“What I announced on Brut, in response to this teacher who was shouting her anger, is not a ban on video games: it is the launch of a scientific, collective work to look reality in the face. Calmly, lucidly, and with all stakeholders involved. It is our responsibility to ask researchers, scientists, and clinicians to assess the impacts, to untangle received ideas and to shed light on the public debate.”
Macron added: “That is exactly what I am doing: I am opening a serious, informed and calm debate, which I want to keep far away from shortcuts. One can love video games, be proud of them, and at the same time look without taboo at certain practices and their effects.”
If you’re wondering what he means by honouring Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, developer members of Sandfall Interactive were knighted last week in recognition of their significant contributions to the French arts. The Ordre des Arts et des Lettres – the Order of Arts and Letters – was given to Sandfall developers to mark a “major moment in the history of French video games”.
Macron also congratulated Sandfall Interactive when Clair Obscur: Expediyion 33 released last year, calling its RPG a “shining example of French audacity and creativity”, and just last month, Macron once again publicly congratulated Sandfall Interactive for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, this time for securing a record-breaking nine wins at The Game Awards in December.
