Computer and video games (Russian market)

Nau Engine - Russian game engine

Main article: Nau Engine (game engine)

Computer clubs in Russia

Main article: Computer clubs in Russia

2024

Top 7 games created with the support of the Institute for Internet Development

The Institute for Internet Development in early December 2024 presented the top 10 most popular games created with its support, the total number of downloads and unique users of which exceeded 6.7 million. Read more here.

Internet Development Institute allocated ₽2 billion for the development of Russian video games

On November 29, 2024, it became known that the Institute for Internet Development (ANO "IRI") planned to allocate 2 billion rubles to support the development of Russian video games in 2025. This was announced by the Deputy General Director of the organization Andrei Voronkov. Read more here

How the state supports video game developers in Russia. List of measures

The Russian authorities are showing active interest in the video game industry, working out issues of regulation, support for exports to the BRICS countries and the development of educational programs. This is stated in a study by Strategy Partners and the Organization for the Development of the Video Game Industry (RVI), the results of which TAdviser got acquainted with at the end of November 2024. Several main measures to support video game developers in Russia stand out :

Investment in Industry Development

The report notes that the issuance of grants for the creation of new games is growing in Russia. This helps publishers get new quality products. In particular, such grants are provided by the ANO Institute for Internet Development (IRI).

How the state supports video game developers in Russia

Regulatory measures

The system for regulating the IT industry in Russia, which also includes gaming developers, involves a number of benefits for companies: zeroing income tax, zero VAT rate for software developers, reduced insurance premiums (7.6%), a moratorium on inspections. Employees of such companies have access to preferential mortgages and deferrals from the army.

Assistance from non-profit organizations

Such structures contribute to the development of the video game industry by supporting meaningful projects and initiatives, promoting and discussing them. They also contribute to the formation of a positive image of a gaming culture in society, coordination of interaction between investors, publishers and corporations.

The study also says that an important aspect of supporting video game developers in Russia is the development of specialized higher education. To do this, you need to determine the standards of the profession, as well as introduce certification at the level of the Ministry of Education. It is assumed that this measure will help to qualitatively increase the level of game development in the country.^[1]

Russian gamers in the third quarter spent 65 billion rubles on donations in video games

Russian gamers spent 65 billion on donations (donations) in video games rubles for the third quarter of 2024. This is stated in the study of online school analysts published on November 7, 2024. XYZ According to experts, the average amount spent by one player was about 3.4 thousand rubles. Researchers also identified the most popular donating games among Russian gamers - "World of Tanks," Mobile Legends and Genshin Impact.

Russian President Vladimir Putin instructed to allocate funds to support video game developers

The President Russia Vladimir Putin instructed the government to allocate funds to support domestic video game developers. The corresponding instruction was given following the results of the working trip of the head states Yakutia in June 2024. The order notes that by October 15, 2024, funds should be provided for in the federal budget, and their recipient will be an autonomous non-profit organization. "Development Institute Internet

According to TASS, during a visit to the creative cluster "Quarter of Labor" in Yakutsk, the President of the Russian Federation drew attention to the stand of video game developers. As part of the discussions, together with the Deputy Prime Minister of Yakutia Anatoly Semenov, it was proposed to provide support to Russian specialists in this area, especially in matters of distribution of games. Putin stressed the importance of developing the domestic gaming industry and drew attention to the need to support traditional values ​ ​ through content creation.

Russian President Vladimir Putin

The President noted that the Russian video game industry has high potential, since more than 60% of Russian citizens aged 16 and over are fond of computer games. According to him, Russia is one of the five countries in the world in terms of the number of players, and this indicates the importance of this area. At the same time, Putin expressed concern that in a number of foreign games, Russia and its citizens could be represented in a negative light, which, according to the president, causes serious damage to the country's image. He stressed that domestic developers should create content that will support national traditions and values.

The Russian video game market is estimated at about ₽177 billion, and this industry is becoming more profitable. According to Putin, the development of games aimed at strengthening respect for the history, traditions and culture of the country can become an important factor in supporting the stability of the state. The Russian leader paid special attention to the fact that video games can not only bring economic benefits, but also play an important role in the education of young generations.^[2]

An innovative cluster of video games and animation will open in Skolkovo

On July 31, 2024, the Creative Industries Agency presented a cluster of video games and animation, which will open in 2025 at Skolkovo. Its area will be about 40 thousand square meters. The creation of an industry cluster of video games and animation will strengthen Moscow's position as a representative of video game development.

The cluster will be located on five floors of the Stratos business center building on Nikola Tesla Street (building 1, building 1). The operator of the site is the Agency for Creative Industries (AKI).

The innovation cluster will become a point of attraction for industry representatives: leading industry companies will be able to create video games of any type and complexity. Aspiring development companies and animation studios will have access to high-tech professional equipment. More than 40 companies are already planning to join the cluster.

According to our forecasts, by 2030 the cluster will be able to accommodate about 2 thousand specialists, small, medium and large studios, as well as independent developers - special acceleration programs will be provided for them, - said the head of the Agency for Creative Industries Gulnara Agamova.

Thanks to this site, by 2030 the number of domestic video game and animation products will significantly increase, both on the Russian and international markets.

Restricting access to the main channels of international distribution and leaving the market of large specialized investors changed the picture of domestic game development, made us more flexible, gave impetus to strengthen targeted work with large foreign markets and attract non-core investors to the industry. I am sure that the cluster will become such a platform where the capital's developers can find investments, and investors - interesting projects in their portfolio, - said Vasily Ovchinnikov, General Director of the Video Game Industry Development Organization (RVI).

The cluster will serve as a "showcase" for the developments of the video game and animation sphere. Business meetings with foreign partners and thematic exhibitions will be held here, "added Gulnara Agamova.

The innovation cluster will include a motion capture studio that allows you to make the most realistic graphics, a recording studio for voicing heroes and recording background sounds, soundtracks and music, as well as a cinema, lecture hall, conference room, meeting rooms and exhibition area.

Russia plans to introduce labeling of video games

Several experiments on labeling video games will be carried out in the Russian Federation at once. In particular, the Organization for the Development of the Video Game Industry (RVI) is preparing to launch a project to label video games "Green Marking," the press service of the State Duma deputy RFAnton Nemkin said on May 30, 2024, citing Kommersant. The experiment will be voluntary and will start in early 2025. So far, only a few criteria for obtaining tags are provided - the game is made in the Russian Federation, contains training materials and is an e-sports discipline. In the future, the categories will be supplemented.

The marking will be assigned by experts after evaluating the video game, then the publisher will be able to use it. For content distribution platforms API , the Application Programming Interface database will be accessed, which allows you to bypass information the user interface from the site. Consent to take part in the experiment has already been given by a number of large platforms, organizations and associations.

The Ministry of Economy has been working on a system for marking computer games in Russia since 2023, an experiment as part of the development of a corresponding bill may start in the summer. The Ministry of Digital Development told Kommersant that they are developing an act on an experiment to regulate the video game industry, within which labeling issues will be raised.

As of May 2024, the potential of the domestic video game market is revealed only by no more than 5%, but its development is proceeding at a proactive pace, said Anton Nemkin.

Therefore, issues of its regulation need to be dealt with as quickly as possible - this will avoid difficulties in the future both for the state and business, and protect users who show great interest in games from threats. According to statistics, in May 2024, almost one in four plays games - this is a fairly large indicator on a national scale, "he said.

Marking computer games is needed, first of all, to protect users, especially children and adolescents, from destructive and prohibited content, the deputy is sure.

{{quote 'Different games can contain violent scenes, obscene language or adult themes, and labeling helps avoid a situation where children are exposed to unwanted content that can negatively affect their mental development and behavior. In addition, game labeling contributes to the formation of responsible media content consumption among adolescents and adults. By seeing clear indications of age limits and the nature of the content on the packaging or in the game description, users can better assess whether the game meets their personal preferences and moral beliefs. The third important aspect is the legal responsibility of game developers and distributors: labeling allows companies to avoid legal problems and fines, ensuring that games comply with regulatory requirements, the parliamentarian emphasized. }}

The company of ex-Minister of Communications Leonid Reiman is developing a Linux-based game console

On May 23, 2024, it became known that the STC IT ROSA company of the former Minister of Communications Leonid Reiman began developing a Russian game console. We are talking about a portable device running an operating system on the Linux kernel. Read more here.

Aurora OS was chosen for the Russian game console

On April 17, 2024, it became known that the Aurora operating system will be used as a software platform on the Russian game console, which is being developed on behalf of President Vladimir Putin. As of the specified date, several dozen games have been adapted for this OS. Read more here.

A Russian computer game based on the events of the Time of Troubles has been released. 1 billion rubles spent on it

On April 4, 2024, the official release of the computer game "Smoot," created based on the events of the "Time of Troubles," took place. It is available on the VK Play platform at a price of 2015 rubles. Read more here.

2023

10 largest game developers by revenue in Russia

Lesta Games Studio from St. Petersburg topped the rating of Russian computer game developers, earning ₽19,1 billion in 2023. The company's revenue rose 60% after its spin-off from Wargaming. This became known from the report of the research agency Smart Ranking, published in the summer of 2024.

Astrum Entertainment took second place with revenue of ₽10 billion, according to Smart Ranking, showing growth of 10%. The company acted as the publisher of the shooter Atomic Heart and launched the online game Xtract.

The third place went to Innova, which earned ₽2,8 billion from the distribution of games Lineage II, Blade & Soul and Ragnarok. Revenue growth was 47%.

Volgograd studio "Kefir," the creator of the games Last Day on Earth and Frostborn, showed the largest revenue growth - 127%, reaching ₽616,6 million.

Moscow mobile game developer Gear Games took fifth place, increasing revenue by 98% to ₽375,2 million. The main project of the company is the MMO strategy Art Of War 3: Global Conflict.

According to the agency, the GameXP playground ended the year with revenue of ₽145,6 million, providing an increase of 80%. The company has more than 50 games in its portfolio, including The Panic Room and Parkan: Iron Strategy.

Lesta Games is developing three key projects: "World of Tanks," "World of Ships" and Tanks Blitz in Russia and Belarus.

The development of the market is provided mainly due to built-in purchases, which form up to 95% of developers' income. Video ads in applications generate about 5% of revenue.

The rating takes into account the performance of private companies specializing in the development of games for various platforms, including personal computers, mobile devices and game consoles. The analysis was carried out on the basis of financial statements through the Kontur. Context system. ^[3]

Growth of the Russian video game market by 4.7% to 176 billion rubles

At the end of 2023, the volume of the Russian video game market reached 176 billion rubles. This is 4.7% more compared to 2022, when the result of about 168 billion rubles was recorded. This is stated in a study by LNG JSC and the Organization for the Development of the Video Game Industry (ANO RVI), the results of which were published in mid-September 2024.

It is noted that the recorded growth is due to the devaluation of the Russian ruble and an increase in prices for foreign video games due to more complex payment methods. In dollar terms, the Russian video game market decreased by 2.5% compared to 2022. The report says that the market has changed dramatically due to the emerging geopolitical situation and sanctions. All leading international companies have left Russia. Domestic developers who focused on global promotion either left, or opened subsidiaries in the Russian Federation or divided their business.

According to estimates, in 2023, the gaming PC segment accounted for 48% of total revenue, or 84.8 billion rubles: an increase of 4% compared to 2022. The mobile sector provided 43% - 76.3 billion rubles, and the increase in annual terms was recorded at around 6%. The console segment with a share of 8% - 14.8 billion rubles - grew by 6%. There has been an increase in cross-platform projects combining mobile devices and PCs.

In terms of revenue of companies legally located in Russia, the first place in the Top 5 is occupied by Lesta Games, which increased its income by 83.3% in 2023 - to 22 billion rubles. It is followed by Astrum Entertainment (10 billion rubles), SoftKlab (1C; 8 billion rubles, + 50.9%), Innova (3.5 billion rubles, + 84.2%), Buka Entertainment (1.5 billion rubles). In 2023, the monthly audience of computer clubs in Russia amounted to 2.8 million unique visitors, which is 12% more than the result for 2022^[4]

The Russian video game development market for the year grew by 18% to 45.4 billion rubles

The volume of the Russian video game development market in 2023 showed significant growth - by 18% - compared to 2022. This became known in July 2024. The total revenue of the 50 largest domestic development companies in 2023 reached 45.4 billion rubles, while in 2022 this figure was 38.55 billion rubles.

The largest growth in percentage terms was shown by the segment of games for consoles - 43.61%. However, in absolute terms, its volume remains insignificant - only 598 million rubles. The dominant position in the market is occupied by games for computers, which account for 77.6% of the total, or 35.2 billion rubles.

The Russian video game development market showed an increase of 18% over the past year

Smart Ranking experts attribute the market growth to several factors. First, it is a recovery from the 2022 downturn caused by the departure of many foreign companies. Secondly, there is a stable demand for gaming products. In addition, there is an increased interest in the industry from investment funds and the state.

Experts have recorded an outflow of game studios from the Russian market since 2022, which is why the personnel situation has deteriorated greatly both for young candidates and for experienced ones. Fewer and fewer graduates choose the start of their career in game design, the number of offers from an employer in the Russian Federation, according to the company, decreased by 45-50%, said CarX Technologies CEO Dmitry Fokin. He also added that in Russia the popularity of "clones" of famous foreign games - players are looking for a more original and high-quality product.

Despite the positive momentum, the industry still faces a number of challenges. Among them are the continuing sanctions pressure, payment restrictions and technological risks associated with the availability of equipment. In addition, there are difficulties with exporting games outside the CIS and a lack of private investment in the industry.^[5]

Russian gamers for the year downloaded pirated copies of games for 324 billion rubles

In 2023, Russian gamers downloaded pirated copies of games worth 324 billion rubles. Such data in the online game development school XYZ School led on February 1, 2024.

As they write Sheets"" with reference to the operating director of XYZ School Emma Yusova, 2023 year 73% gamers played at least one pirated copy on a computer, while in 2022 this share was lower (69%). 8% of gamers used more than 10 unlicensed games in 2023. And the most popular video games in the gray segment were Atomic Heart, Hogwarts Legacy and Baldur's Gate 3: over 84% of pirates downloaded at least one of them.

Russian gamers for 2023 downloaded pirated copies of games for 324 billion rubles

According to Yusova, many download the pirated version to evaluate the game before buying. If the product meets expectations, then its official copy is bought through intermediary services and through official stores, for example VK Play. In addition, the growth of piracy is caused by massive refusals of global platforms and developers from working with Russian gamers and business.

Not all experts agreed with the assessment of XYZ School regarding the volume of the pirated game market in the Russian Federation. Pirates do not keep statistics, and focusing on torrent tracker data is difficult, says independent game expert Alexander Kuzmenko.

The Russians spent 250-300 billion rubles on games annually even before the imposition of sanctions by payment systems, says Konstantin Sakhnov, co-founder of Vengeance Games studio. According to him, an additional 50-80 billion rubles fell on the gray segment, and in 2023 its volume can reach 250 billion rubles.

Vasily Ovchinnikov, head of the Organization for the Development of the Video Game Industry, believes that the scale of piracy may be greater, since the segment is difficult to reliably calculate. Russia is one of these three leaders in pirated content along with the United States and India. Largely thanks to piracy, many games have become popular among gamers, the expert said.^[6]

Gamers' expenses on computer games increased to 161 billion rubles

For 2023, Russian gamers spent 161 billion rubles on computer games and in-game goods. At the same time, about 106 billion rubles passed through official channels, and the remaining 55 billion rubles - through intermediary services selling activation keys from various games and in-game goods, for example, KupiKod. This conclusion was reached by analysts of the online school in the field of game design and computer graphics XYZ School, part of the educational company Ultimate Education (Ultimate Education). The data was released on January 19, 2024.

Most of the money in 2023 is spent on single-player games, according to XYZ School. Each player spent an average of 6,440 rubles in the previous year. The top most popular games among Russians include Atomic Heart, Hogwarts Legacy, Baldur's Gate 3.

XYZ School does not specify the volume of the Russian computer games market for 2022. Vedomosti, referring to the company's data, writes that in 2023, Russian gamers increased the cost of video games. For comparison, in 2021, My.Games analysts estimated the Russian video game market at 177.4 billion rubles, and PwC at 158.4 billion rubles.

The estimate of the Russian video game market at 161 billion rubles is close to the truth, says Konstantin Sakhnov, co-founder of Vengeance Games. This all mainly concerns free-to-play games with built-in in-game purchases, adds Watt Studio co-founder Yegor Tomsky. In 2021, the volume of the Russian market was estimated at about $2.8 billion, says Sakhnov.

According to experts interviewed by the publication, problems with payments do not affect the number of gamers - their number, on the contrary, is constantly increasing. However, in parallel with this, the share of the gray segment continues to grow. For example, key repurchases on Steam are common and piracy is developed.^[7]

A roadmap for the development of video games has appeared in Russia

A roadmap for the development of video games has appeared in Russia.

Organization for the Development of the Video Game Industry (RVI) developed a five-year plan for the support and development of Russian game development. The economic goal industries GDP Russia of the implementation of the roadmap is to achieve the growth of video games up to 0.4% -0.5% by 2029. This was announced by the Organization for the Development of the Video Game Industry on December 26, 2023.

The map was drawn up in accordance with the December order of the President to develop measures to support the domestic video game industry. The development strategy is divided into 4 blocks: "System support elements," "Export," "Education" and "Technologies."

The block of support elements is the most extensive: it concerns measures that will help developers build a dialogue with the state, as well as support for small indie studios. The export block insists: Russian game dev cannot develop in isolation, only demand in world markets can give the industry enough foreign exchange earnings. Finally, the units for education and support elements talk about the necessary changes in the system of training specialists and import substitution.

We invite the professional public to clarify, supplement and emphasize the developed Roadmap: we will periodically add and improve it in accordance with the ongoing changes in the industry and the assessments of experts, - said the head of the RVI Vasily Ovchinnikov.

The roadmap was the result of almost two years of work, which began in the spring of 2022. The developers of the plan propose to focus on the experience of South Korea, Japan and Canada, where the video game industry has become one of the largest technological sectors of the economy.

Work on the roadmap is open to the public, with the RVI urging any industry participants willing to help with work on a plan, activities or concrete support steps to join the development.

The Association of Operating and Game Development Professionals has prepared a plan for the development of the Video Game Industry direction

Association of Operating and Game Development Professionals (A PRIORI) prepared an action plan for the development of the high-tech direction "Video Game Industry," which has already been sent for approval in. Ministry of Digital Development of Russia This was announced on December 27, 2023 by the press service of the deputy. State Dumas RUSSIAN FEDERATION Anton Nemkin

We have developed a draft version of the "roadmap," for December 2023 it is under discussion with major players in the Russian market. The document was also sent to the Ministry of Ministry of Digital Development for discussion with the experts of the ministry, - said the head of APRIORI Alexander Mikheev.

One of the directions of the document concerns the staffing of the industry. Thus, PRIORI makes a proposal to form a rating of existing educational programs in the field of game development and create curricula in the areas of "game design," "game graphics," "game development."

The Video Game Industry Development Organization (RVI) has developed its own proposals aimed at developing the industry. It is proposed to introduce concessional lending to companies, as well as measures to promote domestic content.

The video game segment is no exception here. In Russia, an increased demand for video games has been recorded for several years, therefore, the market for potential consumers has already been formed. Let me remind you that, according to VTsIOM, every fourth Russian plays video games - this is a high value, - the expert noted.

The fact that associations in their proposals for the development of the industry touch on the issue of training is an important aspect. Indeed, so far we do not have uniform requirements for the training of video game developers. At the same time, despite the existing demand from young people, there are still not so many training programs in the field of game development. To form an effective foundation for the development of the industry, it is necessary to start with education, the deputy believes.

This means that the industry is interested in development and ready for cooperation, - he concluded.

Putin instructed to transfer servers and offices of Internet gaming companies to Russia

The President Russia Vladimir Putin , during a meeting of the Council for the Development of Physical Education and Sports on October 19, 2022, said that online games played in Russia should be in the domain, and .ru they servers should be in the country.

We love both Canada and the United States, but making money on us, especially in such a negative way for us: why do we allow it?, the Russian leader said.

According to him, "it is necessary not to work out, but to take" concrete steps to resolve this issue.

The idea was expressed by the president of the International Boxing Association Umar Kremlev. He proposed extending the powers of a single gambling regulator to online gaming. According to the Kremlin, by October 2023, the online games market is not regulated, there are four American companies and one Canadian, there are no Russian ones.

About $5 billion is approximately the turnover that is withdrawn through the.com zone abroad. It is proposed to include Internet games in a single regulator. So that we can block those games that can enter the territory of Russia, so that everything is in the.ru zone, all software and servers must be on the territory of the Russian Federation, - said the Kremlin, adding that some Internet games promote "very anti-state values."

It is necessary not to work out, but to do it, - said Vladimir Putin.

At a meeting of the Council on Physical Culture and Sports, the problem of Internet games was also raised, including the so-called shooters, which "promote anti-state values." As an example, such cases were cited when "all Russian" in some games is presented in a negative way, if you "kill the Russian" character of the game, game points are awarded. In this regard, it was proposed to change the legislation in such a way that the single regulator could "completely block the com zone."^[8]

Sales of legal video games on discs continue to decline in Russia

In Russia, the decline in sales of legal video games on discs continues. This was announced in mid-October 2023 by the Russian Association of Video Game Distributors and Importers (a combination of suppliers and sellers, which account for about 60% of the market).

As RBC writes with reference to the materials of the association, in January-June 2023, 133.9 thousand games on physical media were sold in the Russian Federation against 547.1 thousand units a year earlier. In monetary terms, sales also fell noticeably, by 57% - from 2 billion rubles to 861 million rubles. Experts noted a sharp increase in the average cost of one game on the disc - by 75%, to 6.4 thousand rubles apiece.

According to analysts surveyed by the publication, the reduction in sales of legal products is directly related to the rise in price. Users are not ready to overpay when prices on the "gray" market are much lower. In turn, the head of the industry association, Yasha Haddazhi, pointed to a sharp increase in "black" sellers on marketplaces trading at more affordable prices. Experts are united in the opinion that the situation was also affected by fluctuations in the exchange rate, since most games are imported from the United States and Europe.

Analysts at Chek Index say that at the beginning of 2023, interest in games on physical media supported, among other things, the period of gifts within the framework of gender holidays. As a result, in the first seven months of 2023, the number of purchases of video games on physical media increased by 17% compared to the same period in 2022 (the company does not disclose absolute figures). The average check amounted to 3.4 thousand rubles, which is 10% higher than a year earlier.

But the market is saturated. In the second quarter of 2023, the number of purchases was 60-65% lower than in the first, - state the specialists of the "Index Check."[9]

Representatives of the Russian gaming industry united in an industry association

The Russian Association of Distributors and Importers of Video Games (R.A.D.I. Video Games) began its work in Russia, the goals of which are to support the legal import and sale of video games, organize correct communication on them, inform consumers about the content of physical publications of video games, as well as recommendations on age restrictions. The president of the organization is Yasha Khaddazhi, general director of the importing company Achivka and ex-head of Nintendo's representative office in Russia, and among the participants are representatives of the Russian gaming industry. This became known on September 13, 2023. Read more here.

Putin instructed to ensure the promotion of Russian video games to the BRICS markets

In mid-August 2023, President RFVladimir Putin instructed to ensure the promotion of Russian video games to foreign markets, including BRICS (Russia, Brazil, India, China, South Africa). The corresponding order, which must be completed before September 30, 2023, was given following a visit to the exhibition "Development of the creative economy in Russia."

The Government of the Russian Federation to prepare together with the joint-stock company "Russian Export Center," the autonomous non-profit organization "Agency for Strategic Initiatives to Promote New Projects" and submit proposals for promotion to foreign markets, including to the BRICS countries, domestic video games and the Russian software used in them [Software], - said in the list of instructions published on the Kremlin website.

The government with ASI should also take measures to include Russian computer games created using Russian software in the unified register of Russian programs for electronic computers and databases.

On July 19, 2023, during a meeting of the supervisory board of the Russia - Country of Opportunities organization, Vladimir Putin said that, in his opinion, computer games should help a person develop and find himself. He also called the video game industry a huge multi-billion dollar business and called for it to be taken seriously.

In May 2023, at an exhibition at the Zotov constructivism center, the head of the video game industry development organization Vasily Ovchinnikov asked the President of the Russian Federation if he plays video games on weekends. To which Vladimir Putin joked: "I play on weekdays." Press Secretary of the Russian President Dmitry Peskov later said that he did not know anything about whether the head of state plays video games.^[10]

Demand for computer game developers in Russia decreased by 40%

By the end of June 2023, there were about 4,300 vacancies for game developers in the Russian Federation (this is 38% less than a year earlier), of which 3,100 ads were published by Russian companies and 1,200 by foreign ones. Such data in July 2023 led analysts. HeadHunter More. here

Russian gamers began to play less on consoles and more on mobile devices

Russians began to play more on mobile devices, while the volume of console gaming decreased. This is stated in the VK Play study, which was published at the end of March 2023.

As Kommersant writes with reference to this report, 85% of respondents play on mobile devices - this is 4 percentage points more than in 2022. Especially among mobile gamers, the share of women has increased - from 42% in 2021 to 45% in 2022. The most favorite genres among all age groups are puzzles (79%). They are most chosen by women. Virtual board games (70%), racing (53%) and shooters (51%) are also popular. Simulators (47%), action games (47%) and strategies (44%) are of less interest.

The share of players who prefer a desktop computer also in 2022 decreased by 3 pp compared to 2021, to 63%, the study adds. At the same time, the share of girl gamers preferring to play at a personal computer has grown - from 34% in 2021 to 40% in 2022.

The share of Russians playing consoles in 2022 decreased from 27% in 2021 to 17%, the reason was the difficulties in buying the latest generation consoles.

Among console players, 65% of men and 35% are women, the largest age group is from 25 to 34 years old (39%). The share of PC players remained about the same - 63%, but the number of women increased from 34% to 40%. Shooters, races and action games are popular among computer players. Horror and survival games are also losing interest in computer audiences.

The survey was conducted by online interviews using the Internet panels of respondents, the duration of the interview is 35 minutes. The survey involved men and women from 15 to 54 years old who played mobile, desktop or console games at least once in the last month.^[11]

The Ministry of Digital Development will help Russian developers release games in China

The Ministry of Digital Development, Communications and Mass Media of the Russian Federation will help Russian developers release games in China. The head of the department Maksut Shadayev said this on February 15, 2023.

We are preparing a whole program on how to stimulate and support the export of Russian games to China. We understand that this can somehow compensate for the withdrawal from those markets where we have difficulties, "he said (quoted by Kommersant).

Shadayev noted that industry companies can develop only in conditions of access to foreign markets.

It is clear that this is especially relevant for games. There are difficulties with payments, Ministry of Digital Development together with industry leaders are preparing a large bill that will allow mobile platforms to provide pre-installation, including games not from Eppstors, and will provide the possibility of payments not from the payment systems of our international bigtechs, he said.

According to the minister, it is difficult for game manufacturers by February 2023, because they were forced to re-associate part of their divisions.

But at the same time, in general, we believe that the industry has potential and, of course, at this moment the state should substitute its shoulder, give specialized support measures for a particular industry, "he stressed.[12]

2022

The share of pirated games in Russia reached 69%

In 2022, two-thirds (69%) of Russian users played at least one pirated copy, and 51% of players began to pirate more often than they did in 2021. Such data are given in a study by the online game development school XYZ School (part of the educational company Ultimate Education (Ultimate Education)). The report was released in July 2023.

As Vedomosti writes with reference to this study, about 1,500 gamers throughout Russia took part in it. The study took into account all unlicensed game formats, but most of them are games downloaded from torrent trackers, explained Emma Yusova, operating director of XYZ School.

Only 7% of Russians surveyed have never purchased games illegally. XYZ School experts fear that the market situation could roll back 20 years, when the level of piracy reached 95 percent.

Most gamers prefer a combined approach, buying their favorite new items in various ways, but refusing to pay for passing or bagged games, - said Emma Yusova.

According to experts, one of the key factors influencing the growth of piracy turned out to be sanctions that were imposed against some companies and technologies used in the gaming industry. These sanctions led to restrictions and instability in the market, as a result of which a number of game developers and publishers faced difficulties accessing licensed technologies and software.

Co-founder of Watt Studio Yegor Tomsky noted that gamers are "used to buying games on Steam in one click": now, to buy a game, you need to take as many actions as when downloading a pirated version, "so everyone chooses to save." Kuzmenko added that people began to save on entertainment, including video games, due to the difficult economic situation - this also affects the growth of pirates^[13] in the^[14]

Internet Development Institute invested 960 million rubles in game developers over the year

The Institute for Internet Development (IRI) in 2022 invested 960 million rubles in Russian game developers. The general director of ANOALEX Goreslavsky told about this in mid-June 2023. Read more here.

Reduction of the Russian online games market by 80%

The Russian online gaming market in 2022 decreased by 80% compared to 2021. This is evidenced by the data of the Russian Association of Electronic Communications (RAEC), which were published on March 21, 2023.

The organization did not name the absolute indicator for 2022. At the same time, it was previously reported that the cost of Internet games in the Russian Federation in 2021 was measured at 99.2 billion rubles, an increase of 10% compared to 2020. Thus, in 2022, the volume of the market under consideration could be just under 20 billion rubles.

The main reasons for the decline are:

• withdrawal from the Russian market of large gaming companies;
• relocation of Russian studios;
• inability to carry out financial transactions.

In addition, the "barriers" to the development of the industry affected: among them - the lack of systemic funding, "unclear social status of gaming," low motivation of studio employees and "untenable dialogue" between the state and developers.

According to RAEK analyst Maria Saykina, certain features of the Russian gaming market also affected the fall in indicators. In particular, up to 90% of game content suppliers until March 2022 were foreign companies, and Russian developers depended on foreign specialized software and foreign gaming platforms.

Saikina also drew attention to the fact that the fall in the market of 80% concerns precisely the "white" payments. After the largest Western companies left Russia (for example, players cannot buy games through Russian accounts on Steam and on PlayStation), most payments from Russian users ended up in the gray zone: "Players continue to spend money on their usual resources, but they do it by-passes, unofficially."

By March 2023, it is expected that the Russian online gaming market will begin to recover within two to three years thanks to the development of specialized education programs in game design and e-sports, Russian streamer platforms and government investments.^[15]

The Ministry of Digital Development refused to "Rostec" in financing the project of the Russian engine for games worth 6 billion rubles

The Ministry of Digital Development refused Rostec to finance the project of the Russian engine for games. The state corporation estimates the cost of creating technology at 5-6 billion rubles.

The fact that Ministry of Digital Development did not allocate money from the Rosinfokominvest fund "," in whose accounts by August 2022 there are about 1.3 billion rubles, for a means of developing video games, said Kommersant"" with reference to a source close To the Government of the Russian Federation to it. The agency offered Rostec to use the current grant support mechanisms - for example, through. Russian Information Technology Development Fund (RFRIT)

We were invited to work with RFRIT in terms of allocating a grant for the creation of the engine, which is exactly what we wrote about in our appeal, offering RFRIT as the main partner in the project. Therefore, we will work with the fund, in parallel looking for potential commercial investors, - said Rostec.

The Ministry of Digital Development told the publication that Rostec's appeal was not accompanied by either a justification of costs, or information about the amount of co-financing attracted from extrabudgetary sources, or a financial model of the project.

The interlocutor of Kommersant in the game development market notes that Ministry of Digital Development have been discuss initiatives related to supporting the gaming industry since the end of 2021, but their development has not advanced beyond conversations.

These initiatives are stalled, perhaps because the minister does not perceive gaming development as part of the IT industry, the source said.

A participant in the IT market in a conversation with the newspaper estimated as an adequate amount of investments in 5-6 billion rubles, which Rostec is laying for the project. According to him, the question is not so much in the development as in the constant support of the engine and the training of future specialists who have to work with it. According to the interlocutor, the project can be paid off under the model, when initial access to the engine will be free, and advanced functions and access to the database of game creation models - paid.^[16]

The first in Russia accused of selling cheats for computer games pleaded guilty

At the end of June 2022, it became known that the first person in Russia accused of selling cheats for computer games pleaded guilty. We are talking about Andrei Kirsanov, against whom a criminal case was initiated on the creation and distribution of malware (part 2 of article 273 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation; up to 5 years in prison) for World of Tanks and World of Warships. The damage to the game developer - Wargaming - from the actions of the accused is estimated at 670 million rubles. Read more here.

Russian game developers asked the presidential administration to help with entering the Chinese market

On May 18, 2022, the presidential administration held a closed meeting with video game developers to discuss market support. During the conversation, the developers asked for assistance in entering the Chinese market.

{{quote 'There is money there and it can compensate for the Western. But the Chinese market is extremely regulated, and it will not be possible to enter there without administrative assistance from the state, "one of the participants in the event told Kommersant. }}

According to another interlocutor, who was also at the meeting, the idea of ​ ​ creating one or more video game publishers in Russia through which Russian developers could enter the Chinese market was discussed.

The founder of the rawg.io portal, Haji Makhtiev, believes that the entry of Russian game developers into the Chinese market is almost impossible. Firstly, it is several times more than domestic, and secondly, the level of quality of products there is much higher, Chinese developers have experience in creating high-quality games, Russian ones have not yet. To be in this market, you need to at least have commensurate competencies and skills, one administrative support will not be enough here, he concluded.

In addition, the meeting discussed the topic of "perception of game developers by the Russian public," including due to criticism from the head of the Safe Internet League Ekaterina Mizulina. One of the speakers stressed that "due to the position of a number of public figures, the industry has developed an extremely negative image," which must be corrected.

The publication says that the meeting was attended by the deputy head of the presidential administration for the development of information and communication technologies and communications infrastructure Alexei Voloskovich and 23 industry participants, including representatives of Sberbank and VK.^[17]

2021

Market growth by 9%, to 177.4 billion rubles

The volume of the Russian video game market at the end of 2021 reached 177.4 billion, rubles an increase of 9% compared to 2020. Such My.Games VK data were released by analysts of the game marketplace (part of the holding) at the end of March 2022.

According to the study, the fastest growing segment of the market for the period is mobile games. In 2021, it accounted for 43.1% of the total, while in 2020 mobile games accounted for 41.1%. The most profitable platform remains PC (48.1%), followed by mobile games (43.1%) and consoles (8.7%).

Sales of mobile games in Russia in 2021 amounted to 76.5 billion rubles, which is 14% more than a year ago. In terms of downloads, hypercasual games and sandboxes became the most popular genres, and in terms of revenue - RPGs and strategies.

The volume of the PC games market showed an increase of 4.2% to 85.4 billion rubles. The free-to-play segment among PC games grew by 7% to 68.9 billion rubles. At the same time, the premium segment decreased by 6% due to the small number of major releases postponed due to the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic.

The console games market grew by 8% to 15.5 billion rubles. The main driver of growth is last year's projects and new generations of consoles, which are gradually penetrating the market.

Analysts did not include the secondary market, the market for PC codes and in-game items on third-party sites, and revenue from sales of gaming hardware, consoles and accessories.

As noted in the report, in the first half of 2021 there was a slight growth in the Russian video game market, which is due to the high base set by the lockdown period of 2020. While year-on-year growth was much brighter in the second half of 2021. The free-to-play segment remains dominant in Russia (84.7%): this is slightly different from the indicators of previous years - 83.3% in 2020 and 83.1% in 2019.^[18]

The video game market grew by 7.7%, to 158 billion rubles

The volume of the Russian video game market in 2021 reached 158 billion rubles, an increase of 7.7% compared to 2020. Such data was released by PwC analysts in mid-January 2022.

The growth of the Russian gaming market accelerated slightly compared to 2020, when positive dynamics were measured at 7.5%. The main drivers of the market are mobile casual and social games, and not for computers and game consoles. In 2020, casual and social games accounted for 67% of user payments. Data for this segment for 2021 were not disclosed.

Casual games in the genre of "three in a row" (puzzles with balls and the like), "farms" and others are still one of the leaders, Natalya Tchaikovskaya, president of the E Terra Media group, told Kommersant. According to her, the growth of the segment is facilitated by the cheapness of devices and the development of mobile Internet.

The fastest growing segment remains the mobile games market, said Vasily Maguryan, CEO of My.Games (part of VK). He added that the console market will grow the slowest due to high game prices and problems with the supply of new consoles due to a shortage of chips.

According to Kirill Tikhonov, an expert at the PwC media practice in Russia, the growth of the video game market limits the low solvency of the population, which cannot afford expensive consoles.

Advertising sales in games in Russia at the end of 2021 amounted to 3.8 billion rubles, which corresponds to 2.45% in the gaming market. According to the director of digital communications of PHD Ekaterina Shirshova, in order to increase the confidence of advertisers, publishers should pay more attention to ensuring the transparency of placements and adapt formats on platforms to those familiar to advertisers. She also noted that brands in Russia are experimenting with integrations, sponsorship or branding of game elements.^[19]

Video game market volume will grow to 165.6 billion rubles

The international gaming brand My.Games, part of VK, on November 11, 2021 shared the results of the forecast according to the assessment of the Russian gaming market for 2021. The volume of the Russian video game market in 2021 may grow by 1% year-on-year and amount to 165.6 billion rubles against the growth of the market in 2020 by 35% (163.4 billion rubles).

According to our forecasts, the Russian gaming market in 2021 will grow by 1% against growth by 14% and 35% in 2019 and 2020, respectively. Approximately the same dynamics can be traced in the global market, where the volume of the industry, according to NewZoo, will decrease by 1.1% in 2021. Such indicators are primarily associated with the high base effect caused by strict shutdowns of 2020, when people spent more time playing games at home. Despite the slowdown in growth, over the past four years, the gaming industry has grown 1.6 times (from 106.5 billion rubles). In 2022, we expect the situation to stabilize and the growth rate of the Russian video game market to return to double-digit indicators, - commented Vasily Maguryan, CEO MY.GAMES.

According to the forecast, the PC games market will still remain the largest segment in the country. Despite the fact that it will decrease by 4.6% over the year, its volume in 2021 may amount to 78.1 billion rubles (in 2020 it grew by 34% and amounted to 81.9 billion rubles).

In second place will be the segment of mobile games. In 2021, it may grow by 10% and amount to 73.8 billion rubles (in 2020 it grew by 39% and amounted to 67.1 billion rubles), still remaining the main growth driver for the entire video game market in Russia.

In last place is the console games segment, the volume of which in 2021 may decrease by 5% and amount to 13.64 billion rubles (in 2020, the growth amounted to 20% to 14.4 billion rubles).

The free-to-play segment of games will still remain the largest in Russia, accounting for 85% (144.4 billion rubles) of the entire market, which is slightly different from the indicators of the previous two years - 83.3% and 83.1% in 2019.

Introduction of courses on e-sports and game development in Russian universities

In July 2021, the government commission on digital development, headed by Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko, approved the roadmap "New Communication Internet Technologies," one of the points of which is devoted to the introduction of educational programs in the field of e-sports in universities.

As Kommersant writes with reference to this document, by December 2022, a number of universities should have classes on e-sports, courses on data analysis, video game development and the use of technology in creating films and other content. The amount of financing of the program until 2024 will amount to 17.6 billion rubles, of which 8.6 billion rubles will be allocated from the federal budget.

The general director of ANO "Dialog" (participated in the development of the roadmap) Alexei Goreslavsky calls the introduction of e-sports disciplines in the educational system " a response to the request of society." State support, he said, will allow not only to provide personnel to the IT industry, but also to increase its competitiveness, including in the eyes of investors.

You can look at the example of South Korea, where e-sports originated and with the support of the state grew into a multi-billion dollar industry, even entered the Olympic Committee of the republic, - said Alexey Goreslavsky.

The Federation of Computer Sports (CSF) of Russia by mid-2021 is already cooperating with the Higher School of Economics and the Financial University under the government, the organization told Kommersant. She also plans negotiations with other universities, for example, with NSU of Physical Culture, Sports and Health named after P.F. Lesgaft and Tambov State University.

According to Yaroslav Meshalkin, a representative of the esports holding ESforce in Russia, every fifth university in the world has programs related to esports. He believes that the launch of the direction will require "literally several tens of thousands of dollars a year."^[20]

"Sber" entered the market of computer games

On April 28, 2021, it became known that Sberbank was entering the computer games market. The corresponding direction - "Sberbank of the Game" - will be developed by the company "Sberbank." Read more here.

2020

Russian video game market valued at $2.17 billion

The volume of the Russian market for computer and video games (including PC games, console, casual games, e-sports and advertising) in 2020 reached $2.17 billion, PwC analysts said without specifying the dynamics compared to 2019.

The study focuses on the cloud gaming segment, in which all computing power is taken over by remote equipment. The expenses of Russians for such services in 2020 amounted to $4.6 million, and in subsequent years they will increase by 94% per year, while the entire game market of the Russian Federation - only by 5.6%.

Their cloud gaming divisions have opened Mail.ru (service), My.Games (MTS in partnership with) Gfn.ru and "" (Sber the service Sberplay is available on the "smart" console). At Sberbox the same time, by May 2021, large international players, such as and, are not represented on the Russian market. Google Amazon Russian players also do not have access to cloud gaming from console manufacturers. Russian cloud gaming services are expanding offers for their audience, including special offers from large game publishers - bundling.

Cloud gaming is an interesting area in the long term, says Konstantin Sakhnov, co-owner of JustForward publishing house, contacted by Kommersant. In his opinion, technological restrictions, such as the quality of the Internet connection, and the lack of exclusive content impede development here.

Among other trends in the Russian gaming market, researchers note the pronounced presence of the mobile segment of video games, whose share occupies more than half of the entire market, and the higher popularity of PC games, especially free-to-play (f2p) games with a competitive bias, compared to console games. These characteristics are associated with the historical development of the Russian market, indicate in PwC.^[21]

My.Games: The volume of the Russian video game market grew by 35% to 163.4 billion rubles

The international gaming brand My.Games (part of VK (formerly Mail.ru Group)) on March 29, 2021 shared its assessment of the Russian gaming market for 2020. According to the data obtained, the volume of the Russian video game market in 2020 grew by 35% year-on-year and amounted to 163.4 billion rubles, which is 2.5 times higher than the market growth in 2019 (14% to 121.3 billion rubles).

The mobile segment of the Russian market is growing faster than the rest - in 2020 it already accounts for 41.1% of the total, while in 2019 mobile games accounted for only 30.4%.

According to My.Games, the most popular platform in Russia remains PC (50.1%), followed by mobile games (41.1%) and consoles (8.8%).

The free-to-play segment is still the most dominant in Russia, accounting for 83.3% of the entire market, which is slightly different from the indicators of the previous two years 83.1% in 2019 and 78.7% in 2018.

Mobile games grew in 2020 by 39% to 67.1 billion rubles. Of the genres, users preferred action games, shooters, puzzles, role-playing games and simulators (including farm games) more often than others. The only genre in which revenue decreased compared to the previous year was strategies.

Computer games grew by 34%, reaching 81.9 billion rubles (against 1% growth in 2019 to 61.3 billion rubles). At the same time, the volume of the market for shareware projects increased by 31%. Shareware games remain the leader in revenue: in 2020, this figure amounted to 66.4 billion rubles, while paid games earned several times less - only 17.5 billion rubles.

The console games market grew by 20% to 14.4 billion rubles (in 2019 it decreased by 12% to 11.9 billion rubles). Premium games for consoles grew by 18% year-on-year to 9.7 billion rubles, shareware - by 27% YoY to 4.65 billion rubles.

Constanta: operators' revenue from gaming in Russia by 2023 may reach 40 billion rubles.

On October 6, 2020, Constanta (Constanta) presented the results of a study of the Russian gaming market conducted jointly with Huawei. The main trends in the gaming market in Russia correspond to world and domestic telecom operators will have to compete for their part of their income or remain a "pipe" for game services. This was announced on October 8, 2020 by the Russian representative office of Huawei.

The total revenue of operators from gaming in Russia by 2023 may amount to 40 billion rubles, and the main growth drivers will be game tariffs, options for improving the quality of communication services cloudy , games, streaming and, eSports the sale of game terminals, payments and cashbacks, as well as game/and AR-VR OTT products.

The president of Huawei's carrier business in Eurasia, Mr. Zhao Lei, noted the potential and importance of the games market for the telecommunications industry.

{{quote 'Russia is traditionally a huge gaming market with a large number of gamers and large revenues. Their demands change rapidly as mobile games evolve. The demand for cloud and AR/VR gaming is also growing rapidly. In China and South Korea, gaming has become one of the most successful industries from the pandemic. In China, the daily DAU of King of Glory games grew by 50% year-on-year, and the revenue of the mobile games market increased by 46% in the first quarter of 2020. In South Croea, game downloads and spending on them increased significantly. In the first quarter of 2020, Lineage 2M rose from 37th to 6th place in the overall list of mobile bestsellers. Korean operator LG U + has launched 5G cloud gaming, and in addition to live, 5G VR gaming, Zhao Lei shared. }}

The results of the study confirm our hypothesis that gaming is one of the most promising areas for increasing operators' revenue. For gaming products, the quality of service plays a key role, so the control and management of user experience is becoming more and more important.

Huawei experts Pavel Sirotinkin and Nazar Golovkov shared examples of gaming monetization by world telecom operators and talked about the criticality of network quality control and management for game services. Gaming is becoming a revenue growth driver for operators, and the growing demands of gaming applications must be taken into account in technical policy and in planning network development. By 2023, the standard for games can be a 1 Gbps connection speed and a delay of no more than 25 ms, which will require the implementation of the Giga FMC concept: LTE + or 5G for the mobile segment and PON/ FN5G 10G for fixed broadband access.

2019

The Russian gaming market grew by 15%, to $2 billion (129.5 billion rubles)

On July 27, 2020, the HSE presented an overview of the Russian computer games market for 2019. According to Newzoo, at the end of 2019, the Russian gaming market grew by 15%, to $2 billion (129.5 billion rubles). Demand for computer games has remained strong for the past five years. But at the same time, competition is intensifying in the industry. New products manufactured by both Russian and foreign developers are constantly entering the market. As for 2020, an increase was expected here, according to various estimates, by 6-10%. But the global COVID-19 epidemic has made its own adjustments. As in the world market, mass self-isolation has become a kind of growth driver. It is still difficult to assess how the pandemic will affect the computer game market, if only after this year. The market dynamics may be negatively affected by a reduction in real incomes of Russians, as well as a reduction in advertising budgets by companies purchasing traffic.

The most profitable segment of the domestic market in 2019, according to analysts, was games for. PERSONAL COMPUTER At the same time, 47% of the total gaming market, or 59.5 billion rubles. (+ 4% compared to 2018), occupy desktop games with a shareware model. monetizations According to experts, among F2P PC games, World of Tanks Cyprus(/),Belarus Fortnite (), USA Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 (USA), League of Legends (USA), Dota 2 (USA) were in the lead in terms of revenue. The preferences of Russian gamers were greatly influenced by the cafe, which Internet became popular in the early 2000s due to low penetration Internet in the country. The share of the segment in 2019 console games amounted to 12%, or 15.5 billion rubles. (+ 19% compared to 2018). Compared to developed markets, a small share in the total gaming market for this segment is explained by the fact that the console was a kind of luxury purchased in addition to PCs. to the TV

The driver of the entire gaming industry, as well as around the world, are mobile games, which grow by an average of 25-30% annually. In 2019, according to analysts, the share of mobile games in the total volume of the gaming market was already 34%, or 44 billion rubles. (+ 29% compared to 2018). According to Unified Data AI (formerly App Annie), Game of Sultans (China), Empires & Puzzles (USA), Gardenscapes-New Acres (Russia) became box office games. Growth is facilitated, first of all, by the fairly high availability of mobile devices on which you can run the game, as well as an expanding audience of different ages. As of July 2020, about 90 million smartphones are on hand in the Russian Federation, and this number will only grow even despite the crisis phenomena.

As of July 2020, several large Russian and foreign players operate on the Russian gaming market, as well as many small participants (more than 150 companies, according to analysts). Large participants are trying to get the maximum number of promising projects. At the same time, there was a trend towards consolidation. Another alarming trend is the orientation of Russian developers to foreign markets - from the development of games for an English-speaking audience to the transfer of the entire business to another country. The main reasons for this situation are mature corporate law, low taxes and a more solvent audience. However, for large foreign players, as a rule, the domestic market continues to be promising.

At the end of 2019, according to Newzoo estimates, the leaders in revenue were Valve (USA), (Wargaming Cyprus/Belarus), (VK (formerly Mail.ru Group) Russia), (Sony Interactive Entertainment USA) and Riot Games (USA). Chinese is gradually gaining ground. These companies Tencent outperformed competitors in terms of revenue, volume remittances and number of buyers. According to App Annie, the most earning mobile publishers in 2019 were (Russia), (USA) Playrix Zynga and Aristocrat (USA). Quantitative data in open-label studies are not disclosed.

One of the significant domestic participants remains the Internet corporation Mail.Ru, for which the gaming direction is one of the key. All gaming products are merged under the MY.GAMES brand, which includes more than 150 PC and mobile games as of July 2020, according to official data. In addition to the development of internal studios and developers, Mail.Ru strengthens its position by acquiring new assets. For example, in 2016, the Mail.ru Group acquired the Russian mobile game developer Pixonic, the British company Slightly Mad Studios and the donation collection service for streamers DonationAlerts. In addition, in 2017, Mail.ru Group founded the venture capital фондMail.ru Games Ventures (MRGV) with a capital of $100 million to search for promising projects. It is worth noting here that in general, existing Russian venture capital funds are not yet particularly interested in supporting game projects, with rare exceptions. Mail.ru Group also launched a global platform that will allow developers and publishers around the world to publish their games on it - both shareware and distributed according to a premium model.

There are many companies in the Russian Federation that are engaged in the development of mobile games. At the same time, the products of companies are becoming popular and in demand in developed highly competitive markets. Among the most significant mobile developers are Playrix, PlayKot, Herocraft, ZeptoLab, etc. Among the developers of games for PC and consoles can be noted Gaijin Entertainment, Nival, Nekki, etc.

As for e-sports, over the past five years he has managed to reach a completely different level thanks, among other things, to his recognition as a separate sports discipline in the Russian Federation in 2016 and a full-fledged type of income for professionals. In addition to forming a regulatory framework and attracting sponsors, such a step contributed to the fact that esports events became larger. The growth rate of the e-sports market in the Russian Federation, as noted in PwC, is one of the highest in the world - 20% per year compared to the global 18%. At the same time, according to various estimates, the volume of the Russian e-sports market in 2019 amounted to 2.6-3.9 billion rubles. ($40-60 million).

In the world, according to Nielsen, representatives of various industries regularly invest in e-sports - manufacturers of gaming equipment, the banking sector, insurance, car manufacturers, catering, etc. In the Russian Federation, the situation is different: financial support in most cases is episodic. Nevertheless, banks, telecommunications companies, and Internet corporations are beginning to be interested in this area.

Another direction is streaming. It has long ceased to be entertainment for gamers and has become another format for distributing game content and a way to earn money. The volume of the Russian gaming streaming market in 2019, according to various estimates, amounted to from 15 to 20 billion rubles. According to experts, the market has a high growth potential - up to 20% per year. Crisis phenomena can act as an additional incentive. In addition, streaming culture is gradually emerging. As a result, the content becomes better, the audience also becomes of high quality. All this allows streamers to attract advertisers.

As of July 2020, there are over 65 million players in the Russian Federation. According to Yandex estimates, the average age of Russian players is 36 years, which refutes the myth that computer games are played mainly by teenagers and young people. According to experts, 25% of players are office workers, one in six are a worker or schoolboy, and one in ten are a manager or leader.

Russian players from traditional industries with large subscriber bases (telecommunications companies, banks, electronic payment systems, etc.) have already drawn attention to this sector and the capabilities of its audience, and are integrating there in order to build large digital ecosystems. In addition, the full-fledged commercial introduction of various technologies can become an additional impetus for the market. In particular, we are talking about 5G networks, virtual reality, cloud technologies, artificial intelligence and big data analysis. At the same time, gaming technologies penetrate other industries, changing them qualitatively. This applies to education, the banking sector, medicine, the armed forces, etc. According to industry experts, the boundaries of game mechanics and traditional processes will gradually be erased.

Growth in the volume of the Russian video game market by 14%

MY.GAMES conducted a study "Portrait of a Russian gamer 2019" among players who are fond of mobile, desktop or console games and gave an assessment of the Russian gaming market for 2019. The survey made it possible to draw up a portrait of the gaming audience of Russia as a whole and for each market segment separately. This was announced on June 18, 2020 by VK (formerly Mail.ru Group).

According to MY.GAMES estimates, the volume of the Russian video game market in 2019 grew by 14% YoY and amounted to 120.4 billion rubles. The main growth driver in 2019 is mobile games (+ 49% to 48.1 billion rubles), which almost caught up with free PC games amid a slowdown in the growth of the latter (+ 5% to 49.1 billion rubles). In 2019, the share of free games on all platforms increased by 21% and reached 99.9 billion rubles, which is 82% of the market. The console market decreased by 13% to 11 billion rubles, which is due to a smaller number of AAA releases on the PS4/Xbox and a decrease in the revenue of Battle Royale games. Paid games showed negative dynamics (-10% to 20.5 billion rubles): the absence of large projects comparable in scale to the hits of 2018 led to a drop in both consoles (-7% to 8.3 billion rubles) and PCs (-11% to 12.2 billion rubles).

The study involved more than 1.5 thousand people aged 15 to 44 years. Among them, at least once a month, 85% played mobile games, 82% played games on a personal computer and 19% played console projects. According to the study, the motivation of the audience has changed compared to 2017: the top 5 motivators included a desire to improve gaming skills and the ability to select the characteristics and appearance of a virtual character. Also, compared to 2017, more gamers began to watch game broadcasts, and the number of users paying streamers doubled.

Among all Russian players, 85% played mobile games once a month. The audience of mobile games is equally distributed between men and women. Compared to 2017, players in 2019 of both sexes are significantly more likely to enter entertainment applications on smartphones and tablets: more than half of respondents noted that they play every day. At the same time, the male part of the audience prefers games of competitive and tactical genres (military simulators, shooters, Battle Royale, action games, strategies), and the female part prefers casual (music, time management, life simulators).

Among players who prefer desktop projects, men prevail: their share is 58%. Compared to 2017, gamers of both sexes are more likely to enter computer games: almost 40% of respondents noted that they play every day. Players from large cities with a population of over 100 thousand people also noted that they prefer F2P projects: the share of fans of games with a shareware monetization system reached 91% of the number of respondents.

Among the most popular genres on PC are shooters, racing, military equipment simulators, strategies and action. Men more often choose games of various genres, while women prefer mainly simulators of life and construction. The key motivators of Russian players are immersion in the game world and the achievement of skill and strength in it.

The most popular console among respondents was the Sony PlayStation 4 (Pro/Slim), while the devices of the previous generation are not much inferior to modern ones. Three-quarters of respondents playing console games are men. 24% of the console audience plays every day, 38% - 2-3 times a week. The top genres include dynamic games - fighting games, racing, action/adventure and shooters. At the same time, the cost of buying games and in-game content from console fans is significantly higher than on other platforms.

Spending and income of gamers - research Yandex.Money

On September 26, 2019, Yandex.Money reported the results of a study according to which half of gamers are not spent on games, the other half spend from 1000 to 5000 rubles a month. Among those who buy games and transfer donations to streamers, there are fewer unemployed and more people with upper-middle income. Analysts came to such conclusions by interviewing 500 gamers and streamers.

24% of users who pay for games and transfer donations to streamers earn up to 30,000 rubles a month - this is less than the average salary in the country. 5% of players do not work at all. Most of them have a permanent income. About 70% receive more than 30,000 rubles, and the core of the gaming audience - people with income from 30,000 to 50,000 rubles, their most - 37%. 18% of respondents earn from 50,000 to 80,000 rubles, 11% - from 80,000 to 120,000 rubles. Only 5% of users receive from 120,000 rubles. Among those who are not spent on games and do not send donations, the share of unemployed is higher - 10%, and the share of people with income from 50,000 rubles is lower: 25%.

Half of those surveyed pay for games and send donations to other gamers. About 30% of users spend up to 1000 rubles per month on games, 20% - from 1000 to 5000 rubles, 3% - more than 5000 rubles. Through Ya. Trimer, people send an average of 420 rubles. For 8% of gamers surveyed, games and donations are the largest expense item.

Most actively, people pay for games and send donations with electronic money, since in this case there is no need to enter a data bank card. In first place in popularity is the Yandex.Money wallet, of which 44% of users pay. The top three most popular services also include QIWI - 37% and PayPal - 32%. At the same time, in ordinary life, gamers also use bank cards: 81% of respondents have a Sberbank card, 17% have VTB, the third line was divided by Tinkoff Bank and Alfa-Bank (16% each). Those who send donations to other players are most likely to do so while streaming on Twitch and YouTube.

The study helped to identify the trend: about half of gamers pay for game content and transfer donations, including through J. Srimer. Streamers themselves usually do not spend money on games or send transfers to other players, but they buy components for their computers - for example, processors, motherboards, video cards to create high-quality content for viewers. says Daria Zaytseva, project manager Y. Trimer and directions for the development of a new business Yandex.Money

2018: Growth in sales of games on physical media to 2.2 million copies by 4.5 billion rubles

"Group" -, "a M.VideoDorado the Russian retail company for to trade electronics and, household appliances on April 8, 2019, shared with TAdviser the results of the development of the retail market for console computer and games for 2018. In total, Russians purchased about 2.2 million copies on physical media in the amount of about 4.5 billion, rubles which is 5% higher in pieces and 13% in money, respectively, than a year earlier.

According to analysts, the driver was games for PS4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch consoles, the share of which reached 80% in pieces and 90% in money. The demand for console games increased by 13% in unit terms and 16% in monetary terms to 2.1 million units and 4.4 billion rubles. With the growing console market, the share of PC games has dropped to 5%. The total share of M.Video and Eldorado in retail sales of video games exceeded 50% in both monetary and piece terms.

About 70% of the console games market in pieces and 75% in money is occupied by PlayStation 4 games, the demand for which increased by 30%. The average cost of games for PS4 decreased by 9% to 2,910 rubles compared to 2017. At the same time, sales for PlayStation 3 software decreased by 40%.

The PS4 platform continues to strengthen its position, which is associated not only with the release of a number of high-profile exclusives, games with support for VR and 4K, but also with the presence of a large number of available accessories that take the gameplay to the next level. For example, the growth of VR points for PS year-on-year was 65%, Dualshock gamepads - 45%. Of the other market drivers, it is important to note the significant growth of the Nintendo Switch, in addition to a number of unique games, users are attracted to the universal form factor of the console. Digital codes and online services are increasingly playing a role, showing an increase of 40% in units and 37% in money, "said Oleg Reznikov, head of the Entertainment and Photo/Video Department of the M.Video-Eldorado Group.

The popularity of the latest generation platform from Sony is due to the large number of high-quality titles and the release of such exclusives as God of War, Detroit: Becoming a Man, Spider-Man and others, the company explained. At the end of the year, three releases at once were among the five best-selling. The leader was FIFA 18 from Electronic Arts, and the fifth line was taken by the latest version of the same football simulator - FIFA 19, ahead of the other most anticipated release of Red Dead Redemption 2.

Sales of games for the Nintendo Switch console showed growth rates above the market and increased 2.5 times in pieces and 2.2 times in money. A little more than a year after entering the Russian market, the share of games for the console reached 7% in monetary terms. Features of the Nintendo Switch include a series of in-house games, exclusive Nintendo Labo extras, and interactive figures and amiibo maps. Russians purchased more than 40% of copies of games for Switch from M.Video or Eldorado.

Games for the Xbox One family continue to show positive two-digit dynamics. According to M.Video-Eldorado, over the year, Russians purchased more than 16% in pieces and 23% in the money of games for the console from Microsoft of the latest generation of games. At the same time, the demand for software for Xbox 360 decreased by 45%.

With the growing popularity of multiplayer online PC games and the distribution of electronic content distribution services in Russia, sales of boxed PC games continue to fall. At the end of 2018, demand fell in pieces by half and more than 2.5 times in money. The average cost of games on physical media was 30% lower, reaching 670 rubles. Despite the drop in sales of the games themselves, the demand for digital content for PCs has grown 2.3 times, noted in M.Video-Eldorado.

2012

The gaming industry has overtaken film distribution in terms of market volume

According to the study "Runet Economics 2012-2013," conducted by RAEK and the Higher School of Economics the gaming market, including digital delivery of gaming applications via the Internet, games on social networks and mobile platforms, as well as the sale of virtual goods and services within gaming applications, amounted to 28.58 billion rubles in 2012.

According to the gaming division of VK (formerly Mail.ru Group) (April 2013), the gaming industry has overtaken film distribution in the CIS countries in terms of development speed and market volume.

The Russian-speaking audience of the CIS countries is increasingly interested in computer games: by the end of 2012, the volume of this market reached a record high of 40,843 million rubles (the volume of the gaming industry excluding VAT in Russia and the CIS countries without Ukraine). Thus, the gaming industry overtook film distribution in the CIS countries, in which box office receipts in 2012 amounted to 39,353 million rubles (the volume of film distribution in Russia and the CIS countries without Ukraine, according to Movie Research).

For the correctness of the comparison, VAT was not taken into account when assessing the volume of the gaming industry market, since Russian film distribution is not subject to such a tax. In prices for the end consumer, the turnover of the gaming industry in the CIS countries in 2012 amounted to 48,194 million rubles, which is 22% more than the turnover of the film industry.

Over the past three years, the popularity of computer games among Russian-speaking users has been growing at a faster pace. The leader in growth dynamics over two years is mobile games, which is explained by the active development of this segment. The most significant share in the gaming industry is in online multiplayer games (30%) and social games (26%); the share of mobile games is about 7% of the total volume of the gaming industry.

"In 2012, box office growth in percentage terms showed the lowest level since the beginning of the two thousandth - only 10.1%. For comparison, in 2011 this figure was 13%, while even during the crisis its level did not fall below 22%. It is worth noting that the growth in film distribution turnover in Russia and the CIS countries in absolute terms is not due to the expansion of the audience, but mainly to the increase in ticket prices, "said Alexander Luzhin, executive director of Movie Research

. "Games

have long been one of the most sought-after types of entertainment. In the United States and a number of European countries, the gaming industry surpassed film distribution in annual turnover several years ago. Games are becoming more popular than cinema, this is a global trend. It is worth noting that the gaming industry in Russia and the CIS is in the stage of active development and has great potential, but already now the turnover of the gaming industry exceeds the box office box office of film distribution, "comments Vladimir Nikolsky, vice president of gaming at VK (formerly Mail.ru Group).

The growth of the share of online games

A study by VK (formerly Mail.ru Group) (June 2013) showed that 87% of Russia's Internet audience plays games more than once a month. The average age of a gamer was 33 years, mainly specialists with higher education and students (44% of all players). According to the data received, 54% of the players are women. However, socio-demographic portraits of players show that they choose different games based on gender: for example, women are more likely to play browser games, while men prefer client games.

The turnover of the Russian gaming market in 2012 continued to grow and reached $1.3 billion. USA The gaming market occupies an increasingly strong place among other entertainment markets in Russia: in two years it has grown by almost 1.5 times and still has great development potential.

The main growth of the gaming market is still provided by the online segment ($0.9 billion UNITED STATES). Its absolute volume has grown 2.4 times in two years, while the volume of the offline games market has decreased by about 12%. As a result of such changes, the structure of the gaming market also began to look different: the share of the online segment increased from 54% in 2011. up to 64% in 2012 (for comparison: in 2010, the share of online games in the total market turnover was about 40%). The offline gaming segment showed a drop in 2012 and amounted to $485 million. UNITED STATES.

Interestingly, the structure of the online segment has changed a lot: if in 2010 the main share was accounted for by MMO games (64%), then in 2012 the share of social games increased significantly - almost threefold - which amounted to 41%. At the same time, MMO is still the largest segment - its volume is $402 million. UNITED STATES. This segment is distinguished by the loyalty of the audience, which is ready to spend about 1100 rubles on in-game payments. per month.

Mobile games also show stable growth and good dynamics - in 2012, the market volume amounted to $99 million. UNITED STATES. The growth of the smartphone market and their penetration contributed to the development. In addition, social games and MMO projects are actively coming to the mobile segment. If we talk about the most popular platforms for mobile games, then, according to a sample study by Mail.Ru Group, Android belongs to the leadership, both on smartphones and tablets (67% and 56% of players, respectively). The second most popular platform is iOS: it is preferred by 23% of players on smartphones and 36% on tablets.

As part of the study, experts also assessed and debunked the most popular myths about players, in particular the common belief that "computer games' eat'live communication." The study shows that for most players, games are a means of communication: 45% of players enjoy communicating with other players, 35% like to play in the company of friends.

You can read more about the study here.

See also

• Computer and Video Games (Global Market)
• The video game industry in Spain
• Mobile games (Russian market)
• Mobile Games (Global Market)

Notes