The application of the “Yarovaya law” to gamers revealed the problem of the Russian market

Russian gamers are in turmoil. Barely recovered from the sanctions, so “trouble came from where they did not expect.” Computer games in Russia can be recognized as information dissemination organizations, equating them to social networks. Game currencies, donations and “boxes” will be included in the regulatory framework. The content of the games will be checked for maliciousness and extremism with an assessment of the content of game messages by the investigating authorities.

The main supervisory authority in the country has never hidden the fact that he is interested in computer games. From different points of view – on the subject of “dopamine addiction” in children, for example. The paid component of the computer Mochilov-Rubilov or, conversely, strategies did not give the department a cut either. In particular, the donation game gift system, which has been metaphorically compared to “network laundromats”. And also game currencies or “chests” – loot boxes. From them, a gamer can extract anything, but, as a rule, for an additional fee. And all this: virtual (not to be confused with crypto-) currency, donations and boxes with surprises, they wanted to give a legal definition.

With the advent of sanctions, the intentions to somehow rein in the market of computer “games” moved into the “long loot box”. Russian fans of virtual battles, levels and civilizations have already lost a lot, they even released a special “Appeal from gamers from Russia” to game developers and publishers. Did not help. Roblox “died”, where mostly teenagers hung out, the Blizzard store left the Russian Federation. Gone are Microsof, Sony with their software products, including games, partially – Amazon, Sega and Nintendo. There are no novelties from them, releases are postponed indefinitely.

And with those who did not leave immediately, it is not easy to pay off due to restrictions on the operation of bank cards. Now shell banks and friendly China are involved in the purchase. This is not to mention the fact that “iron has taken off” (computers, game consoles, other equipment and components for them have risen at least twice in price – auth.).

And here is a new twist. Now, at the state level, it is not only about checking the money turnover of computer games or assessing the impact of “games” on a fragile psyche. And about how something would not come out of the mouth of a gamer at the moment when he fires at “tanks” in the game or defeats necromancers. That is, he communicates with his own kind. Network messages in the game can be anything: in text form, in the format of a voice message, images, etc. And everyone intends to check this. The plans of adherents of network information provide for the possibility of installing equipment for operational-search activities on gaming (and streaming) platforms. The messages themselves must be stored for at least 6 months – all according to the letter of the so-called “Yarovaya Law”. Previously applied to mobile operators, social networks and instant messengers.

It is impossible not to notice that if 374-FZ (the same “Yarovaya law” of 2016) is still applied to computer games, the inspectors will not get bored. Why don’t they send each other in the heat of battle. Phrases about “fill up the boss”, “soak fsekh” … Calls to tear off arms, legs and heads are the routine of a zombie apocalypse. Or various military operations, like the “Gulf War” … And what pictures and epithets they pour in the process, it’s impossible for the player to imagine at all … And a special gaming jargon? “Event” (premium game), slasher (combat with melee weapons) or, for example, “gg vp”. No, this is not the work of the cat’s paws on the keyboard, but a team congratulations on a good game (“Good game, well played”). I wonder how the oversight agency is going to analyze this turbulent flow and check for extremism?

– Messages for the exchange of information between players exist in all multiplayer games, – says programmer Ivan Berezin. – There is a common playing space, and the players are sitting where, in different countries of the world. For example, Roblox was such an absolutely cosmopolitan game.

– The money that the user pays for the game, donations, purchases, etc., to whom do they go?

– Go to manufacturers, publishers, chain stores. Many can no longer be paid directly and are no longer here. If the games are localized and they have a Russian operator, payment goes through. Now, due to sanctions, the path has lengthened, through intermediary banks. But I still wouldn’t say it’s a “dark zone”.

– How can I follow the messages of gamers in the game?

– It is hard to say. Each game is a huge data stream and a closed system at the same time. Technically closed. If you install some kind of tracking device or copy information from the chat of gamers, this will require the developers of a separate software product and multimillion-dollar costs. From the outside, this is very difficult to do. Servers, again, need more storage capacity. And the servers of these games are not here, not in Russia. From there, you will have to somehow request, but do they need it? Or all the problems with technical tricks and the cost of installing these “checking devices” will fall on our Russian operators who provide access to the games.

Economist Ilya Popov spoke about the consequences of such a “legalization” of games and verification of MK gamers.

– It is not difficult to predict that the “Yarovaya law” as applied to computer games will provoke the departure of the remaining giants from the Russian market and a jump in prices for the remaining ones. A forecast is already being made for a price increase of 15-20%, but it seems to me that these are too modest estimates. The market will just crash. Also, it is not clear the expediency of checking the correspondence between the players, if they are almost impossible to calculate. Mobile operators have a registered subscriber number; social networks also have strict bindings to the user’s identity. Gamers are initially anonymous, there is no mandatory identification in computer games.