“The Cœur de Ville en Lumières downtown light show is all about creativity, originality, and the talent of artists, both famous and unknown—everything we look for in the video games we produce.” These were the words of Francis Ingrand, CEO and founder of Plug In Digital, a partner of the event in 2024, as he welcomed 16 students from Montpellier to his video game publishing and distribution company on March 18. The students had participated in the inter-school Game Zone at the 9th edition of Cœur de Ville en Lumières event.
Francis Ingrand, welcomed 16 students from Montpellier to his video game publishing and distribution company. The students from e-artsup, Objectif 3D, the Brassart school, Ynov Campus, ArtFX, and ESMA had participated in the inter-school Game Zone at the 9th edition of Cœur de Ville en Lumières.
It was a nice way to celebrate the creativity these young people showed throughout the contest.
Francis Ingrand spoke live on the big screen from San Francisco, where he was attending Game Developers Conference 2025, a key event in the video game industry showcasing the latest innovations and trends from around the world.
And for good reason! Plug In Digital, which has at least 6,000 games in its catalog, including around 50 published directly under the Dear Villagers label, has become a key player in the industry. The global benchmark for video games, Metacritic ranks Plug In Digital in 14th place in its 15th and most recent annual ranking, behind Sega, Sony, and Microsoft, and ahead of Ubisoft.
The students, for whom the visit to Plug In Digital's Montpellier facilities was one of the rewards for their participation in the Game Zone, had the opportunity to meet the company's teams. They presented their professions and the challenges they face, as well as the reasons why they chose Montpellier.
Francis Ingrand reiterated this point in his welcome speech delivered on the big screen. “The Montpellier Métropole area has high-level schools and trains people who will become our employees or partners as a development studio."
“It is very important for us to understand their expectations, what they like, and to help them better understand our business,” he explained, adding: “The Cultural and Creative Industries are a source of excellence in the Occitanie region in general and in the Montpellier Métropole area in particular.”
He is therefore determined to contribute to Montpellier's image, as are all his teams. “Montpellier is an important hub for the cultural and creative industries, particularly video games,” confirmed Mahdi Attemane, the company's press agent, during the visit.
Plug In Digital's contribution to this is considerable. On March 6, during the latest Pégases awards ceremony, France's event for video game actors and actresses, the Montpellier-based company and studio Plane Toast received two awards, with Caravan SandWitch winning the Pégase for Best First Video Game and Best Independent Video Game. The CCI sector in Montpellier is rich in incredible talent, providing countless examples for students to follow.
Photo ©3M
Photos ©Jeremy Aliot
Photo ©Jeremy Aliot
