Quebec Passes Language-Related Game Law
Though culturally Canada and the United States are similar in many ways, the province of Quebec is very different, to the point where there is a near-continuous discussion of the province seceding from the country. Much of this has to do with the language. While it’s rare nowadays to find someone in the province who doesn’t speak English, French is still the official language.
Recently the province passed a law that seems aimed at keeping French in use. The law bans the sale of any English-only video game if a French version is available. Those in the industry don’t seem happy about this law, citing the fact that very few gamers are adverse to playing games in English as well as the loss of sales due to delays in getting international versions of the titles since translations require time and more bug checking.
Ultimately this will likely only hurt the economy of Quebec since circumventing this law would be quite simple. Driving over the border to another province or purchasing an English version on eBay are simple means of avoiding this regulation.