From gamasutra.com:

Canadian province Quebec has made it illegal to sell only English language versions of new video games, if a French version of the same title is also available somewhere else in the world.

As reported by newspaper The Toronto Star and French-language site Jouez.com, the new law came into force on April 1st and has caused worries on the part of retailers that it could lead to delays in the release of new games.

If a French version of a game is available — for example, in France or other French-speaking countries — then Quebec retailers must soon carry a French or bilingual version of the title to continue being able to sell the game.

The deal was signed by l’Office quebecois de la langue francaise and the Entertainment Software Association of Canada in September 2007. At the time, publishers and retailers were given over 18 months of time to prepare for the changeover, which occurred April 1, 2009.

Related posts:

1. About Games Montreal
2. ‘Montreal hasn’t drained industry talent’ – Invest Quebec boss
3. Kovasys warns of IT labour shortages in Quebec
4. Develop does a feature on Canada, Quebec and Ubisoft Montreal
5. Quebec sees English-speaking growth, Ottawa ignoring bilingual policy

Tags: english, french, quebec