The Bordeaux studio Asobo, already awarded last year, received this Wednesday the “Pegasus” for the best French video game of the year for “Flight Simulator”, during a ceremony intended to be the counterpart of the César of cinema.
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The flight simulator, which made its comeback after a fourteen-year hiatus and has received critical acclaim, was also recognized for its
“visual excellence”
at the second edition of these awards.
In 2020, it is another title of Asobo, "A Plague Tale: Innocence", a tale on the plague, which had received the supreme consecration.
"This is the second year in a row that we've been lucky enough to have the Game of the Year award, it's extraordinary,"
said Martial Bossard, co-founder of the studio created in 2002.
"Honorary Pegasus"
Health context requires, the various distinctions were awarded remotely, with the exception of two prizes: that of the personality of the year, returned to the streamer ZeratoR who organizes since 2017 a marathon of charitable video games, and a " Honorary Pegasus ”awarded to Eric Chahi.
The latter, at the origin of titles like "Another World" in the early 90s or "Paper Beast" in 2020, received his prize from the hands of the Minister of Culture, Roselyne Bachelot.
“I am the minister of video games.
Video games are a major cultural expression, so they have their place in the Ministry of Culture, ”
said Roselyne Bachelot, noting that the public authorities were mobilized to support the sector in France through various aids.
Some 1,500 members of the Academy of Video Game Arts and Techniques, created in 2019, had to comment on video games produced in France and released in 2020. Three categories also rewarded foreign titles.
The ceremony was held as the sector has just experienced a prosperous 2020, during which it greatly benefited from the periods of confinement which forced the population to stay at home.
In France, its turnover reached 5.3 billion euros last year, an increase of 11.3% compared to 2019.