The Russian government has planned to prepare a project for the allocation of grants and subsidies from the budget for Russian video game developers by February 10, 2023. newspaper reports “Kommersant”.
It was noted that the Ministry of Digital Development is responsible for the implementation of the project and that the Ministry of Education and Science will take part in the specialist personnel training programs. Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko instructed the Ministry of Digital Development to create proposals for the creation of a separate federal project.
However, the final decision on the allocation of appropriations from the budget has not been taken yet. Two Kommersant sources at Russian game studios said a meeting on supporting game developers will be held on December 14 at the Ministry of Digital Development.
The developers Kommersant interviewed are themselves wary of the idea. Vasily Ovchinnikov, head of the Video Game Industry Development Organization, thought the studios needed other support measures. As an example, he cited the VAT exemption and the abolition of foreign exchange controls within the country.
The top manager of one of the Russian game studios told Kommersant that the distribution of grants should be made by an authorized council of market participants, not by officials who “never played games themselves.”
Maksut Shadayev, former head of the Ministry of Digital Development declaration About the need to create a domestic game engine so that Russian game developers do not depend on foreigners.