The Ministry of Digital Development of Russia sent a report to the government with proposals to create a fund to support Russian developers of patriotic video games. This was told to Izvestia in the press service of the department on Wednesday, February 16.
“In accordance with paragraph 56 of the“ second package ”of measures to support the IT industry, a report with proposals for creating a fund has been sent to the government,” the press service said.
Earlier in the day, the media, citing sources and the Ministry of Digital Development, reported that the Russian government plans to impose a tax on Steam, PlayStation Store, Epic Games Store and other platforms to support patriotic video games.
Government sources said that the Ministry of Digital Development proposed the creation of a fund to support patriotic games. It is assumed that it will be replenished at the expense of an additional tax on overseas distribution sites. The interlocutors of the publication said that gaming platforms may be required to transfer 5% of the turnover in Russia to the budget, which will provide the fund with 10 billion rubles a year.
The office of the relevant Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko reported that the proposals are undergoing interdepartmental coordination and elaboration.
It is noted that, according to MY.Games, the volume of the Russian video game market (taking into account purchases of games on physical and digital media, in-game purchases and subscriptions) by the end of 2021 should be 1% compared to 2020, or 165.5 billion rubles . Of these, 78.1 billion rubles fall on PC games, 73.8 billion rubles on mobile games, and 13.6 billion rubles on console games. According to analysts, 47.2% of Russians prefer computer games, 44.6% – mobile and 8.2% – console.
On the preparation of a new package of proposals to support the IT industry, Izvestia was informed on April 2 at the Ministry of Economic Development. It includes more than 60 initiatives that are designed to level the playing field for international competition and provide support for Russian developers.
Source: IZ
Jane Stock is a technology author, who has written for 24 Hours World. She writes about the latest in technology news and trends, and is always on the lookout for new and innovative ways to improve his audience’s experience.
