Gamers fear that many games in France will soon be banned.
Recently Emmanuel Macron has once again attracted the attention of gamers. During an interview with the YouTube channel Brut, the president admitted the possibility of banning violent video games in France:
What we want to do with video games and artificial intelligence chats is to turn to independent experts in the next two to three months to get an opinion. And if they tell us that it is harmful and dangerous for children and adolescents, then we will propose rules.
He did not rule out that "it may be necessary to introduce bans" - this caused concern in the gaming community.
Emmanuel Macron soon turned to gamers and posted the meme "ah ****, here we go again" from GTA: San Andreas:
I have (once again) upset gamers... I have noticed a lot of misunderstandings. So let me be perfectly clear. [...] There are so many talented studios and players in France whose influence is felt all over the world! This is something to be truly proud of. But supporting industry and culture doesn't prevent us from asking a simple, unexaggerated question: what are the consequences of consuming certain content and certain habits for the youngest? Parents notice that some teenagers spend whole days or even nights playing games. The problem is also often raised that children play projects with a PEGI 18 rating. This is a serious topic - a matter of public health, education and responsibility. It is also about physical health (especially vision) and mental health, when a young person stops leaving the house due to excessive enthusiasm for games. Of course, this is a cause for concern, and we cannot leave the problem unattended. What I said during the interview with Brut, answering the words of an outraged teacher, is not a ban on video games. This is the launch of scientific, comprehensive work to take a sober and calm look at reality, with the participation of all interested parties. It is our duty to instruct researchers, scientists and specialists to assess the impact, separate facts from myths and clarify public discussion. This is exactly what I am doing: initiating a serious, informed and calm conversation, without simplifications and stereotypes. You can love video games, be proud of them and at the same time openly discuss individual practices and their consequences.
