Russia has set its sights on creating an alternative to the mighty Xbox and PlayStation consoles, and it's chosen a rather unexpected path to shake things up!
Yeah, you read that right—a Russian gaming console is reportedly in the works, and it's got Putin's stamp of approval!
According to the Russian newspaper Kommersant, the Kremlin has issued a bold order to tech companies: "Consider the issue of organizing the production of stationary and portable game consoles."
Who's Leading the Charge?
Leading this ambitious project is the tech group VK, the masterminds behind Russia's popular social media platform of the same name. But they're not doing it alone; the production side of things will be handled by the GS Group, currently Russia's top dog in the TV set-top box game.
And here's the kicker: They've got a deadline of June 15, 2024, to draw up plans for both handheld and home consoles.
But wait, there's more! The orders also mention developers working on creating an operating system and a cloud system for delivering games and programs to users. It sounds a lot like Steam, doesn't it?
Analysts, however, are a tad skeptical. They say that "there is no competence to produce their own PlayStation and Xbox consoles, and creating such a system from scratch will take up to ten years." Yikes, that's a long wait for some Russian gaming action!
The Backstory: Russia's Gaming Industry Faces Challenges
This move comes after a wave of game developers and studios decided to bid farewell to Russia following its invasion of Ukraine.
Now, while the Russian video gaming industry might not be a global powerhouse, the country does boast the largest player base in Europe. Not too shabby, eh?
In 2022, the Russian government discussed measures to support their homegrown video game industry, even considering establishing a state-controlled developer and publisher.
The proposed project needed a whopping £39.5 billion in investment. Whew, that's a lot of rubles!
There was also talk of Russia creating its own gaming engine, similar to Unity or Unreal Engine, following what was dubbed the "tech exodus." However, two years down the line, we're still waiting for an official announcement.
The Gaming World Reacts: Roblox Studio Boss Weighs In
In other gaming news, Roblox studio boss Stefano Corazza has hit back at claims that the gaming platform "exploits" young developers. It looks like the gaming industry is full of drama.
Russia's ambitious plan to create its own gaming console. Will it be a game-changer or an epic fail? Only time will tell, but one thing's for sure: the gaming world just got a whole lot more interesting!