The authorities stimulate simulation – Newspaper Kommersant No. 48 (7493) of 03/22/2023

According to Kommersant, the government is considering the idea of ​​creating a fund to support developers of simulators to control “drones and similar equipment.” Game studios can release such products quickly, market participants believe, but it is realistic to find wide demand only within the framework of, for example, specialized e-sports. Experts believe that simulators can become part of training programs and operators of real drones.

According to a Kommersant source close to the Mintsifra, at the end of February, the ministry sent a report to Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko with proposals to support the development of Russian video game developers. Among them, says the interlocutor of Kommersant, for example, is the idea to stimulate the production of video game simulators in the Russian Federation. It is planned to allocate funds for them through a separate fund: “These can be projects to develop drone control simulators and similar equipment.”

Another source of Kommersant, who is familiar with the development of initiatives in the field of video game support, confirms that the issue of simulators was discussed, but the current status of the project is unknown to him. The interlocutor of Kommersant in one of the Russian-speaking game studios also knows about the interest of the authorities in the development of simulators: “I heard that last week several industry representatives were invited to meetings on this issue with one of the vice-premiers.” The ministry declined to comment, citing the confidentiality of the report. In Mr. Chernyshenko’s office, “Kommersant” did not answer.

The idea to create a fund to support Russian game developers is not new: in late 2021 – early 2022, the Ministry of Digital Development planned such a project as part of the second stimulus package for the IT industry to popularize Russian culture and history. But it never appeared in its stated form, individual games are funded through a system of grants from the Internet Development Institute.

Any “established game studio” will be able to develop a fairly detailed drone control simulator in a short time, says Vyacheslav Makarov, ex-Director of Wargaming product. “The fact is that the remote control of the same drone is essentially a simple game joystick.” An interlocutor of Kommersant in a large Russian-speaking game studio notes that the key issue is the input device: “Developing a simulator game for controlling a drone or UAV from a game joystick is easy and inexpensive. But to gain real management skills on it will not work. Another thing, emphasizes the source of “Kommersant”, if the simulator is adapted to a specific control panel of the device, but this is already “a long and expensive process.” “Yes, and such a product can no longer be called a game, this is software for a narrow circle of consumers,” adds the interlocutor of Kommersant.

The development of a simulation of one aircraft, whose control is close to reality, takes about three to five years, depending on the scale of the project, says Ekaterina Perederko, CEO of Eagle Dynamics Studio (co-developer of the Digital Combat Simulator game): “But I don’t think that simulators drone operators or UAVs will be popular with ordinary consumers – rather, it is software for training people in their respective specialties. Mr. Makarov agrees that the prospects for commercialization on the open market for such products are doubtful: “They have a very narrow audience. Projects will be commercially successful only if they develop an esports discipline, such as drone racing.”

Projects related to the development of aircraft control simulators, including drones and unmanned aerial vehicles, already exist both in the world and in Russia, says Fly Dron CEO Nikita Danilov: “If you take manned aircraft simulators, then this is a huge help in practical skills . Simulators should become a mandatory part of the training program and UAV operators.”

Nikita Korolev, Aigul Abdullina