It is one of the most dynamic sectors of the cultural world. Every year, the video game industry has a string of artistic and public successes, generating boundless admiration from its audience. With such a display of talent, creativity and energy, video games, although today recognized as an artistic discipline in its own right, is too often known only by its followers.
Les Pégases du jeu vidéo – a ceremony organized since 2020 by the Syndicat national des jeux vidéo (SNJV) and supported by the Centre national du cinéma et de l'image animée (CNC), intended to celebrate the various players of video games in France – are working to make the sector a permanent part of the cultural agenda.
The presence of Rachida Dati, Thursday, March 7, at this great professional event, sounded without a doubt like a strong signal towards the entire sector. The Minister said she wanted to continue “ the French excellence in the area of video games, providing support to the industry and training.
Ambitious productions and independent games
For the 5th edition of the Pégases, the competition was particularly high. A good balance has been found between the most ambitious productions and independent video games. The first are mainly carried by Ubisoft, European leader in the sector, which presents this year in particular «Assassin’s Creed Mirage» and «Unknown Soldier».
As for independent games, whose more modest budgets go hand in hand with particularly singular artistic choices, they impose themselves from the point of view of the graphic universe, the narrative approach or the mechanics of games («Jusant», «Dordogne», «Chants of Senaar»). This year again, 90% of the games competing in the categories reserved for French games are games supported by the CNC (Video Game Assistance Fund and/ or Video Game Tax Credit).
A healthy sector
In his 2023 barometer, the Syndicat national du jeu vidéo talks about the good health of a sector that is essentially based on three pillars: international reach (French productions continue to be exported around the world, particularly in the United States), a strong regional anchorage (one company in two is located in the region, where regional associations play a decisive role in the animation of these ecosystems) and a largely independent editorial positioning (39% of production).
Note: publishers have a growing weight from year to year: if in 2019, 39% of studios worked with a publisher, they were 53% in 2020, and 62% in 2022. « This is excellent news in an increasingly complex and expensive market access environment ", comments the SNJV. All of these reasons make it reasonable to consider the future of the sector with serenity.
Pégases 2024: «Chants of Sennaar» crowned best video game of the year
Dedicated to the best game of the year at Pégases 2024, «Chants of Sennaar» is developed by Rundisc Studio, a small Toulouse video game development company founded in 2016, and published by Focus Entertainment.
Mixing adventure and reflection, the game is based on the following scenario: the player plays a mute character, responsible for restoring the linguistic link between the different peoples of the Sennaar tower, and faced with many puzzles to solve. These are spread over five floors, each with its own community and language.
«Chants of Sennaar» has benefited from the video game assistance fund (writing) and the video game tax credit, awarded by the Centre national du cinéma et de l'image animée.
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