Quebec Demands "French-First" Videogames

[L33tsauce_Marty]

*golfclap*

I don't think they get it.


We Think You Are A-s-s-h-a-t-s

 

[Dele]

To make it worse, this means that the game developer has to go out of their way to offer an NTSC French version of a game: France uses PAL.

Actually France uses SECAM while the rest of us use PAL

 

[Sanglyon]

To make it worse, this means that the game developer has to go out of their way to offer an NTSC French version of a game: France uses PAL.

Actually France uses SECAM while the rest of us use PAL

Nope, never used SECAM for video games, always have been PAL.
SECAM is only for analog TV signals. Everything else is PAL or DVB-T.

 

[Nugoo]

OK, guys. I know this was posted on the 2nd, but the original article was put out on the 1st. And what special event happens on the first of April?

Seriously, Montreal is one of the video game capitals of North America (not the biggest, but it's up there). This is one of the few things I've seen that's actually too stupid to be true.

 

[I III II X4]

Everyone in Canada hates Quebec.
EVERYONE. We're actually looking to trade them for Alaska, I'm talking to you Obama.

...This does not fit into my plans for the creation of the independant nation of Ulusku...hmm, perhaps I could use the merging of our state to your country as a springboard?

Anyway, I haven't heard much of Quebec in the news, I guess the rest of Canada would prefer it that way, right?

 

[dukethepcdr]

I don't really understand why some people in Qubec are so insistant on having anything in French in the first place. Sure, the area was settled by the French a long time ago, but so was much of what is now the North American continent. It seems that the Quebecois are about the only ones who still care (them and a few Creoles in Lousiana). I've been to Quebec a couple of times, and it seemed to me that everybody knew and could speak English just fine. I doubt there are even a handful of Quebecois who can't understand English and I bet none of them play video games. Heck, for that matter, most of the people in actual France can understand English too. They teach it in their schools.

So, what's the point of insisting on French language games? That makes even less sense than trying to get more Spanish language games (like the Madden 08 Espanol) in the U.S. I've never really understood why they insist on having bilingual signs and labels for goods up there anyway, but this new law is just bonkers.

 

[RollForInitiative]

Ah, more uninformed decisions made by clueless people in the name of something nobody cares about. As a Canadian, some small part of me feels ashamed right now.

Of course, the rest of me has opted to remind me that Quebec barely classifies as a part of Canada anyways.

 

[bjj hero]

Quebec must be a terrible place to live if being French is preferable. Living next door is bad enough. My sympathies.

Doesnt France have similar issues? Passing laws on the percentage of material that is written in English etc?

 

[AbsoluteVirtue18]

Oh you crazy Canadians and your Canadian ways.

 

[Random Argument Man]

I cant wait till french becomes a dead language, supposedly if you go buy the scientific community and advertising it won't be too long

Coming back from exile just to hear this. Man, this is insulting. Don't kill my mother language man. I need it.

Quebec has a strange paradoxal. It wishes political rights to the federal for culture rights. However, it doesn't want to give any to the other cultures. Odd....

Montreal is still a great place. It's very multicultural. Quebec city is another story though...

 

[TheBluesader]

Living in New-Brunswick, which has a pretty healthy population of francophones (about a third of the population speaks French, including myself), and being an Acadian on top of that, I've still gotta shake my head at this. It's just unnecessary. I don't need some dumbass "French first" law to protect my culture.

I find that in general, laws "protecting cultures" are universally bad things.

Because they tend to lead to this. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nazi_Germany]

Or, for the Francophones, this. [http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Troisi%C3%A8me_Reich]

Or, for the Beowulfs, this. [http://ang.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natsi_%C3%9E%C4%93odiscland]

I think you just pulled a trilingual Godwin [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Godwin%27s_Law].

Regardless I agree with your intent: this law is fascist and discriminatory, and will do significant harm to the culture and entertainment of Quebec.

Personally, I hope the advocates of such a law choke on their own fascism.

I don't think it counts as a Godwin when the Nazi reference is actually factually accurate. The desire of many Germans to "defend" their native culture from "invaders" led directly to protectionist cultural legislation, which in turn led to the success of Nazism and its eventual crimes. It's not like someone said they like apple pies more than cherry and as a cherry lover, I called them all Nazis.

Though if that particular opportunity comes up, I just may, because it's pretty funny.

Of course maybe I pulled a Godwin in the sense that none of us really suspect this anti-English game legislation will eventually lead to systematic attempted genocide. That's really not a traditional Canadian response...

Fine, so I'll admit I pulled a Godwin. But only if it is acknowledged that I pulled one with a link to the Old English Wiki. For few are indeed so bored...

 

[A Random Player]

British Columbia seems better and better the more I think aboot...err...about it.

 

[Pipotchi]

These laws are ridiculous, the government doesn't realize how it is going to effect the gaming industry in their province. Which is sad, because Ubisoft is located there, which means their game productions may be slowed down in order to release English and French versions at the same time. It's the separatist part of the government that is doing this, which is sad because most Quebecois are not separatists.
But you have to realize that Quebec is just trying to keep its culture. They represent the French part of Canadian history and don't want that to fade away. Most people speak both languages (in fact,I had trouble finding people who DIDN'T know English in my trips there) so the language laws are getting ridiculous. I actually felt bad because I was taught French in school (mandatory in Canada) but don't remember a word of it, while they know English before their done Grade 6.
Anyways, I think you guys are ragging in Quebec to much, it's their government (which is not a majority government), not everyone.

Maybe Ubisoft will just stop releasing its games around their office.

*Pictures trucks full of Splinter Cell leaving the factories and driving past hordes of french gamers, "No no you cant have these they are all in English"

 

[TheMatt]

Silly french canadians. This is pretty stupid, I Never even knew about the french first laws until now. seems pretty unnecessary and more counter productive than anything.

Check out the movie "Canadian Bacon"

Some American asshole, who hates Canada, puts stickers like "fuck Canada" "Canada blows" and others all over his van. When he tried to cross the border the attendant there does not get angry about the signs, rather he forces the American to make at least 40% of his signage french.

K, I just read that and it is not funny in text. Check out the movie.

 

[KaZZaP]

And the funny thing is with their population these crazies basically rule most of our country.