Gamer Becomes Mayor of French Town

Gamer Becomes Mayor of French Town

March 13, 2008
GamePolitics readers may recall our coverage of David Hecq, the gamer and game shop owner who was running for mayor in the French town of Anzin Saint-Aubin.

Well, he won!

Longtime GP reader Soldat Louis, who often provides us with game-related news from Europe, has posted a message in the GP/ECA Forums about Hecq's victory:
Last sunday march 9th, there were municipal elections in France. And Hecq's team "Pour Anzin-Saint-Aubin : une nouvelle équipe pour de nouvelles ambitions" (litterally, "For Anzin-Saint-Aubin : a new team for new ambitions") received 57.18% of votes, against 42.82% for the former mayor's team. Details are shown on Hecq's campaign blog (in French)

...David Hecq is also credited for the creation of games retail store Objectif Games, which became Ultima Games, a chain of stores located in many French towns.
Posted in

Comments

Submitted by Unrated - March 13, 2008 at 7:39 am -0500
In the big picture, everything matters, thats why its so BIG.
Submitted by KayleL - March 13, 2008 at 10:13 am -0500
congrats David Hecq. Good luck.
Submitted by JB - March 13, 2008 at 5:58 am -0500
Congrats!
Submitted by Vany - March 13, 2008 at 6:19 am -0500
Ah, if only Troy had a gaming mayor...
Submitted by Bob - March 13, 2008 at 6:23 am -0500
Its beginning. Out go the old generation who condemn games as kids stuff, and in come the new Generation 30/40yo gamers taking position. Soon we shall rule the world *insert evil laugh*
Submitted by JC - March 13, 2008 at 6:29 am -0500
Feliticiations! I forget my French....

Hopefully this guy doesn't let the power go to his head and do what a mayor is suppose to do.
Submitted by GregoriusH - March 13, 2008 at 6:31 am -0500
@JC

Creation of an 'Pwning Noobs' class at the local youth centers?
Submitted by JC - March 13, 2008 at 6:35 am -0500
@GregoriusH

I personally hope not. Or something silly like spending tax funds to make his own gaming rig...

Could be worse though. I say its better to look at this as a hope of a new start to phase out gamer ridicule. It's best that he focuses on the issues facing the city and manage the budget well. Basics first, then improve.
Submitted by DeusPayne - March 13, 2008 at 7:12 am -0500
If only france mattered in the big picture. :p
Submitted by Vany - March 13, 2008 at 7:20 am -0500
Well in the big picture, nothing really matters at all...
Submitted by LoopyChew - March 13, 2008 at 7:24 am -0500
Félicitations! Hop Hecq!
Submitted by Soldatlouis - March 13, 2008 at 9:05 am -0500
Thanks for the credit :)

To be fair, it's a very small town : 2500 inhabitants only. And as I've previously said, he is also a former municipal employee, involved in local politics, and in touch with internet and blogging, (contrary to his rival). So it helped a litte bit.

This being said, although he's fan on violent games such as "Silent Hill" and "Resident Evil" series, he has unorthodox opinions about game ratings and accessibility of violent games to kids (I mean, "unorthodox" to gamers and game industry).
Submitted by Ian Cooper - March 13, 2008 at 9:20 am -0500
If it wasn't for France, the US would probably still be a colony of the British Empire, so you Yanks shouldn't be too hard on the French. Oh, and don't be too hard on the British either - if it wasn't for their intervention in the French and Indian War, people in the US would be speaking French today. So those who like an independent and English speaking America should remember which countries stepped in to help.
Submitted by Bob - March 13, 2008 at 9:34 am -0500
And america gave us Halle Berry, so we're all about even.

Ramen to that !
As a brit though its a fist shaking, cursing moment that the first story I read about a gamer politician is bloomin French. Sigh.
Submitted by Kris O. - March 13, 2008 at 9:37 am -0500
I'm excrutiatingly pleased to see a modern-day adult in a public office. I'll be keeping my eye on him, to see how this position plays out. I'm hoping for the best, of course, but reality isn't so warm and fluffy.
Submitted by Ebonheart - March 13, 2008 at 10:22 am -0500
A congradulations is in order. And good luck in the term, would like to see him win another mayoral election once his terms up.
Submitted by Shih Tzu - March 13, 2008 at 11:31 am -0500
Cool!
Submitted by Saladin - March 13, 2008 at 11:42 am -0500
Congrats brutha!
Submitted by King of Fiji - March 13, 2008 at 11:42 am -0500
Huray now lets get a African American female gamer into the white house!
Submitted by Guiguibob80 - March 13, 2008 at 1:34 pm -0500
In the big picture, everything matters in average as much as anything else... that's called symetry...
Submitted by Nic Schweitzer - March 13, 2008 at 9:39 pm -0500
All that matters is that we know through games what to avoid in life, & so by learning what is good & what it Spitzer one can make a great run in office. Good luck, don't pull a Spitzer... please? The industry has enough crap as it is!
Submitted by Andy_UK - March 14, 2008 at 3:39 am -0500
Well done Sir!
Submitted by Altair - March 15, 2008 at 11:14 pm -0500
W00T! Oh yeah, and as a PSA, lets not use this article as an excuse to slam other countries! I can understand being dissapointed as the first gamer mayor not being English *looks at Bob*, because were just as dissapointed that he wasnt American. This is a huge victory for the gaming industry WORLD WIDE! Our voice is finally being heard more clearly! Allow me to be cheezy and say

GAMERS OF THE WORLD UNITE! =3

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