The heads of the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Internet Development Institute intend to steal several billion budget rubles.
Russia may create a computer game dedicated to the use of drones in the war against Ukraine. This proposal was made by the head of the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation Anton Alikhanov and instructed to work out the idea until April 15 with specialized ministries and key market players, informed sources told “Vedomosti”. According to one of the sources, the project should help develop the export potential of Russian drones. There are no other details on the initiative yet, said a representative of the Ministry of Industry and Trade.
The cost of the game will depend on the genre and scale of development – an average project (AA-level) will cost 1 billion rubles, and a large one (AAA-level) – 2-5 billion rubles, said Vasily Ovchinnikov, general director of the Video Game Industry Development Organization. According to him, the game can be developed on the basis of an existing engine, for example, the one used in “World of Tanks” or “IL-2 Assault Rifle”. At the same time, the authorities can finance the project through government grants from the Internet Development Institute, the Russian Foundation for Information Technology Development, and investments from the Ministry of Digital Development, Ovchinnikov said.
In terms of cost, the project will surpass the infamous “Smuta,” on which 500 million rubles were spent and then asked for another 100 million rubles for improvements. According to the Russian tradition, such projects that use state money end up turning into “laundering” and “sawing” projects.
To create a future game are going to use an existing game engine (for example, Core Engine and Havok from World of Tanks). Recall that earlier Vladimir Kirienko’s VK tried to take a few billion out of the treasury for its new engine, but the topic stalled. Funding for the “drone game” may be done through Alexei Goreslavsky’s IRI or the Russian Information Technology Development Fund.
The game will most likely be sold to government agencies – schools, institutes and various patriotic centers.
Such a game could be needed by the authorities to train gamers in drone tactics, popularize the achievements of Russia’s military industry and attract interest in the defense industry, says Anton Averyanova, general director of the ST IT group of companies. The game format can enhance the patriotic education of young people in an attractive form, adds Timofei Voronin, deputy director of the NTI Competence Center for Big Data Storage and Analysis Technologies at Moscow State University.
At the same time, the domestic market already has similar products that have their own audience, Ovchinnikov points out. First of all, they are the simulator for UAV pilots “Quadrosim”, the educational platform for drone control training “Aerosim”, the multifunctional VR-trainer “Nebo-22”, the online platform for training specialists of unmanned aviation UAVProf and the action game “FPV drone kamikaze”. The latter sold about 300 thousand copies, says Egor Sechinsky, the leader of Ninsar.Games. According to the Gamalytic resource, Russia accounted for 30% of sales, the U.S. – 12%, and China – 10%. The income from this game amounted to $500 thousand, but with deduction of Steam portal commission – $250 thousand.
A new game about drones in the war in Ukraine should be competitive on the market – it should have high-quality graphics, modern game engine and good optimization, says Voronin. An advertising campaign to attract the audience’s attention to the game’s release is also important, the expert added.