Are video games ‘essential culture’? French lockdown stirs debate

A man inside a video game store in Paris on March 22, 2021. Video games, not cited as an essential cultural asset by the government like books or records, finally joined the list of authorised businesses in areas affected by the re-containment, one of the unions in the sector announced. — AFP

PARIS: Confusion over France’s new partial lockdown has accidentally reignited an old debate: are video games works of art or just another computer product?

France, proud of its long history as a bastion of culture, added book and record stores to its list of essential services allowed to stay open when the lockdown came into force in 16 different regions including Paris on Saturday.