Kribrum and GRFC analyzed the risks and opportunities of the video game industry in the Russian Federation
[ad_1]
The Kribrum company and the GRFC prepared an analytical note on the risks and opportunities of the industry in the Russian Federation for the meeting of representatives of Roskomnadzor with developers of computer and video games. Among the first are cyberbullying, LGBT propaganda and the creation of a negative image of the country, among the second – the possibility of using gamer communities as an “information impact tool”, especially among the “youth environment”. Companies interviewed by Kommersant, which are trying to import and localize games to Russia, say that the growing interest of the authorities in the industry complicates negotiations with potential partners abroad.
“Kommersant” got acquainted with the analytical report “Gaming Industry of Russia”, prepared by the GRCHTS (subordinated to Roskomnadzor) and the Kribrum company (developing solutions for searching and analyzing destructive content on the Internet). The document was discussed at a meeting of representatives of the gaming industry with officials as part of the round table “Computer games as a factor in national defense and security” as part of the “Army” forum on August 19. The event was attended by representatives of the Ministry of Defense, Roskomnadzor, the Video Game Industry Development Organization (RVI), as well as a number of studios.
The authors provide data on the current state of the industry and note the risks it carries. In particular, we are talking about cyberbullying and popularization of non-traditional values (the authors warn of an increase in the number of LGBT characters) and the formation of a negative image of Russia. The vast majority of computer games, the authors of the report say, were created “in countries that are part of the Western, Euro-Atlantic cultural space, and the images of Russians in such games are often mythologized and emphatically negative.”
Kribrum and the GRFC, however, also see the potential benefits of games: online gaming communities (formed around online games and eSports disciplines) act as a channel of communication with the youth environment and can serve as a “tool for the information impact of the state on society”. Such communities, the authors of the report believe, should be considered as “a channel for promoting political ideas, brands and attitudes among the youth”, which may require the development of technological tools for working with such communities. Kribrum confirmed that they had prepared a report, but did not discuss the details. The GRChTs and Roskomnadzor said that they “did not have additional information.”
The interest of the authorities in regulating both the content in video games and the communities around them is growing. In July, a closed meeting with studios was held at the Ministry of Economy, where they discussed the prospects for introducing an age marking system for games, as well as blocking the distribution of products containing prohibited content (see Kommersant of July 27).
Kommersant’s sources in the game development and distribution market say that the growing interest of the authorities in the industry creates problems for companies that are trying to negotiate with foreign studios to launch games in Russia. “They perceive such an informational background as risks,” says a top manager of a company that is negotiating with Korean studios. Foreign partners “express concern”, confirms the interlocutor of “Kommersant” in one of the Russian publishers. “Even if their products don’t have questionable content, they wouldn’t want to face excessive regulation and censorship,” he says. VK Play and Astrum (“Battle Teams 2”, “ArcheAge”, “Lost Ark”) declined to comment officially.
Alexander Mikheev, head of the Association of Professionals in the Industry of Operations and Game Development, believes that the industry does not currently need additional control measures, “automatic or manual”, “regulators and market participants are successfully coping with their tasks.”
“The already small Russian market against the background of the global market, in which foreign studios have begun to restore cautious interest, is being tightly regulated, while the economic feasibility of such an approach is not voiced by the initiators,” emphasizes RVI CEO Vasily Ovchinnikov. “The actions of regulators and statements about the prospects for the use of games and gaming communities are concerned about the state by foreign studios, whose representatives are closely following the news and assessing the risks of entering the market.”
[ad_2]
Source link
