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France Offers Grants For Game Makers

Posted by simoniker on from the steer-away-from-national-stereotypes dept.

vasqzr writes "According to a BBC News article, if you come up with a good idea for a video game in France, you could get a helping hand from the state." The article elaborates: "The French Government is offering four million euros [$4.5 million] to help aspiring game developers turn their ideas into reality." But not everybody can just purloin the money: "The government will pay for up to 40% of the cost... but there are strings attached... to get a slice of the cash, firms have to be French and the work developing an idea must be done in France itself" and apparently, the content of the game is important too, as "...the French Government... will not hand out grants for violent or pornographic games."

7 of 47 comments (clear)

  1. Free game: French Army by superpulpsicle · · Score: 3, Funny

    The game will be just like Americas Army. Except you control soldiers running away from Iraqi republic guards and pouring american beverage down the sewers for points.

    1. Re:Free game: French Army by LazerImp · · Score: 4, Funny

      Not to mention sending and receiving lots of courriels.

  2. One word... by ChrisSontagsAnus · · Score: 5, Funny

    Frogger.

  3. Nonviolent games. by executebusiness.com · · Score: 4, Funny

    Is there such a thing?

    PacMan was violent. And Pacman has an eating disorder.

    Pong. Those horrible little lines smash that poor speck of light on the screen. That poor speck!

    Any sports games are violent. And they cause violence.

    Even Barbie games are totally violent.

    And has anyone here played Aladdin for Sega Genesis? Geez. That was the roughest G-rated game I've ever played.

    Even Tetris is violent the way I play it.

    I can't think of one nonviolent game. So I guess these French guys want to not only cash in on the gaming industry, but they want to become famous by creating the first nonviolent video game!

    What will they call it?

    Clever Paint Drying 2005!

  4. Good Idea by Sszeto · · Score: 3, Insightful

    I think this is a awsome idea that the French are doing. I only wish they did that here in Canada so that we could encourage the Gaming Industry here. Games are such a big revenue now that it could be very benificial for both the programmer and the government.

    1. Re:Good Idea by Winterblink · · Score: 3, Informative
      The Canadian government CAN give cash injections for companies that are just starting out. In my local area they're carrying along quite well with a tech business incubator concept, where the region provides an area for tech companies to set up shop and helps them along with ideas for marketing and getting those government subsidies. So far it seems to be successful, there's at least one web designer company that "hatched" from that incubator and now has full fledged offices in a high-rise downtown. The idea of the incubator isn't new, but it seems to be really catching on around here thanks to an overall crummy economy.

      Anyway, the short of it is that there IS money out there from the Canadian government. You just have to know how to get it, and the money isn't JUST for tech companies-- it's for any small business starting up.

      --
      "I'm a leaf on the wind. Watch how I soar."
      -Hoban Washburn
  5. another failed attempt at humor by Synic · · Score: 3, Funny

    There goes my idea of the Erotic French Kiss of Death: The Game