The Russian government plans to create its own video game market, although Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo have abandoned the matter for several months now. This is not an April Fool.
The war in Ukraine and Russia’s conflicting relations with other countries have direct consequences on access to certain cultural products. This is the case with video games. It’s been months since the Xbox, PlayStation and other Nintendo consoles officially disappeared from the shelves (unless through importers). Publishers, such as Epic Games, Ubisoft and Electronic Arts, have followed suit, and this is undoubtedly what is leading the Russian government to consider developing its own market.
As indicated on the Kremlin website, cited by PC Mag on March 29, Vladimir Putin ordered the study of a project aimed at marketing video game consoles, as well as a complete ecosystem and infrastructure for cloud gaming . The idea is simple: provide a way for Russians to play video games without depending on major Western players who have turned their backs on the country. To achieve its goals, Russia will be able to rely on its illustrious past and its old glory: Tetris.
The Kremlin wants its own video game console
The Kremlin’s idea, which clearly aims to mitigate, for the population, the effects of trade and economic sanctions put in place by Western countries, nonetheless remains difficult to achieve. The Kommersant media outlet interviewed several companies and came to the following conclusion: “ There is no skill to produce its own Xbox or PlayStation console, and creating such a product from scratch could take up to 10 years. »
In addition to the lack of know-how, there is the problem of supplying certain electronic components and the budget that this would require (more than 100 million dollars for a product that would be largely outdated on a technical level). Even if Russia managed to develop a console, even the most advanced possible, it would then need the support of a host of studios to offer it a sufficiently elaborate and varied catalog of games. In short, the Kremlin is still far from the mark. He also gave until June 15 to study the feasibility of this ambitious proposal. We hope that the design will be more beautiful than that of the first 100% electric Russian car.
The Russian government is forced to consider this avenue, while Russian gamers are turning to piracy to feed their passion. In an article published in July 2023, Ars Technica mentioned a study which highlights the growth of piracy within a country which was already fond of it before the consequences of the war in Ukraine. 69% of Russians surveyed played at least one pirated game in 2022, while 51% of them admitted to having pirated much more than in 2021. The development of a local market could reduce this phenomenon, in addition to giving from work to the studios.
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