Report: 1C Looks To Russian Government To Fund Patriotic Games

Russia's Communications Ministry and Moscow-based developer 1C Company has asked the Kremlin to fund a series of PC games aiming to "improve Russia's international hi-tech image and increase patriotism among teenagers." This project, which will developed by 1C (best known for its World War II-based IL-2 Sturmovik series and other combat flight/submarine simulators) consists of six flight sims that are designed to serve as low-cost educational and professional simulators for pilots while also promoting Russian information tech abroad, increasing Russia high-tech exports, and increasing patriotism. The Ministry and 1C asked the Kremlin to allocate 500 million rubles ($16.7 million) for the project, which should cover the bulk of its expected cost of 720 million rubles ($24 million). The developer intends to spend 200 million rubles ($6.7 million) out of its own pocket, and receive another 20 million rubles ($667,300) from the government of Russia's Khanty-Mansiysk region. 1C and the Communications Ministry expect to make their money back from the six games within four years and sell a total of 10 million copies worldwide. The Moscow studio also predicts that sales will help grow Russia's share in the computer games market to 10 percent. Boris Nuraliev, CEO of 1C, says he's already demonstrated a flight sim game to Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, according to an article from Russian business newspaper Vedomosti translated by news agency RIA Novosti. Russian presidential aide Arkady Dvorkovich, however, says that while the project is interesting, he's not sure whether it needed government support.