Paris Games Week, France's largest video game convention, aims to attract a broader audience beyond gamers, embracing pop culture with manga, cosplay, and concerts. The event, running from Wednesday to Sunday, anticipates 200,000 visitors and showcases gaming innovations.
France's largest video game convention, Paris Games Week, which opened its doors Wednesday and runs until Sunday in the French capital, now aspires to become an ambassador of pop culture. It's also a way to distance itself from the difficulties the sector is facing.
Starting at 9:00 AM (7 AM GMT), the first visitors flocked to the publishers' stands in the three halls of the Parc des Expositions at Porte de Versailles in southwest Paris.
With spaces dedicated to manga, cosplay, e-sports, concerts, and conferences, this is "the most ambitious edition" since COVID, promises Nicolas Vignolles, General Delegate of the Syndicat des éditeurs de logiciels de loisirs (Sell), the event's organizer.
There will even be a stand dedicated to sports, featuring skateboarding and BMX demonstrations.
The stated goal: to become "the leading event for 18-35-year-olds" by 2030, attracting visitors beyond the gaming community. "We embrace this theme park-like atmosphere," says Vignolles, who hopes to welcome up to "200,000 people."
In 2023, the event boasted 187,000 visitors, compared to 317,000 during the last pre-pandemic edition in 2019.
Among the most anticipated new releases: Monster Hunter Wilds, the latest installment of the giant monster-hunting game, and "Call of Duty: Black Ops 6," the newest entry in the successful military saga.
However, after a particularly strong year in 2023, 2024 seems more like a "transition" year, notes Charlotte Massicault, Director of Multimedia Products at retailer Fnac-Darty.
Despite the arrival of blockbusters like Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, the second part of the remake of the famous 1990s role-playing game, and Star Wars Outlaws, it has been more unexpected hits that defined the year, starting with the Chinese game Black Myth: Wukong, which surpassed 20 million sales in just a month.
Helldivers 2 and Warhammer 40k: Space Marine 2, two action games set in science fiction universes, also sold millions of copies.
The three major console manufacturers (Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo) will be present, alongside major publishers like Ubisoft, Bandai Namco, and Capcom.
Sony is preparing to launch its PS5 Pro, a more powerful version of its current console, expected on November 7, although it's unclear if it will be showcased at the event.
Despite its high launch price (800 euros, or 250 euros more than the standard version), "pre-orders are excellent," says Charlotte Massicault, for a console primarily aimed at "older gamers with the means to invest more."
On the Xbox side, Microsoft is offering eight playable games, mostly from third-party publishers.
Nintendo is promising around 15 games to try, including Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom and Super Mario Party Jamboree. The Japanese giant is set to announce the successor to its 2017 Switch console by March.
The release of the highly anticipated GTA VI from Rockstar, expected in fall 2025, should also reinvigorate an industry that has been struggling for the past two years, marked by waves of layoffs and studio closures.
With AFP
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