Section 3: Pre-production aid

Selective financial support is available for the preparatory work involved in creating video games, including the development of prototypes.

Aid for the pre-production of video games is awarded to video game creation companies acting as delegated production companies. Aid may be awarded to several companies acting jointly as part of a co-production.

To be eligible for aid for the pre-production of video games, video game creation companies must meet the following conditions:1° Be incorporated as a commercial company;2° Be established in France;3° Have chairmen, directors or managers, as well as the majority of their directors, who are French nationals or equivalent;4° Not be controlled by one or more natural or legal persons who are nationals of States other than European States.

Support for the pre-production of video games is awarded on the basis of the following criteria:1° The artistic quality of the project: the originality of the concept and its contribution to the diversity of creation, the coherence of the game mechanics, the quality of the graphic and sound universe, the quality of the scriptwriting approach;2° The technical mastery of the project: coherence of the technological choices, mastery of the tools…

Support for the pre-production of video games is granted to help cover the following expenses:1° Remuneration paid to authors participating in the pre-production of the video game, pursuant to a contract for the transfer of exploitation rights, as well as the related social security charges;2° Staff costs relating to the company’s employees assigned directly to the pre-production of the video game and the salary costs of the technical and administrative…

The amount of aid for the pre-production of video games may not exceed 50% of the expenditure mentioned in article 323-16 or, in the case of international co-production, French participation.