In Russia, import substitution is also coming in video games. Will have their own «FIFA» and «NHL»

CrimeaPRESS reports:

According to the publication «Kommersant», the structures of Boris Rotenberg, following the development of a racing simulator for eSports, intend to release football and hockey simulators, replacing the popular foreign video games NHL and FIFA. Experts believe that the project will be in demand among the organizers of major eSports tournaments in Russia, but not among ordinary users.

SMP ESports (SMP Digital Sport LLC), owned by Boris Rotenberg, intends to “start developing” football and hockey simulators within three years, Georgy Gnutov, CEO of the company, told Kommersant about this.

Our main goal is to create a development team that will not be limited to specific sports, but will be able to create any games based on a domestic engine— said the source of the publication.

A Kommersant source familiar with the situation says that the investments of SMP ESports into development at the first stage may amount to about 300 million rubles. In the long term, the SMP ESports «intends to replace foreign sports simulators.» The most popular of these are FIFA and NHL developed by EA Sports.

According to SPARK-Interfax, SMP Digital Sport LLC was established on July 14 with an authorized capital of 10 thousand rubles, 100% of the company belongs to Boris Rotenberg. Its other structure, ANO SMP Racing, is developing a racing simulator. At the end of May, at an exhibition in the Zotov center, the company already presented the simulator to Vladimir Putin.

In the spring, SMP Racing showed interest in participating in the organization of the Games of the Future (a Russian e-sports tournament that will be held in Kazan for the first time in February 2024, the project is supervised by the Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Dmitry Chernyshenko) and even then, as it turned out, there were other plans disciplines.

Our experience allows us to adapt existing knowledge and infrastructure for organizing and holding online championships in a number of disciplines: e-football, e-basketball, virtual hockey— Boris Rotenberg wrote in an address to Dmitry Chernyshenko dated March 29 (Kommersant has a copy).

The businessman suggested to the Deputy Prime Minister «to consider the possibility of appointing SMP Racing as a key partner in the phygital disciplines within the Games of the Future.»

The office of Dmitry Chernyshenko said that they «ardently support» the initiatives of Russian developers to develop their own games and simulators:

This is a long process, but we hope that domestic developments will soon enter the market, and they will be appreciated by Russian and foreign gamers.

Vasily Ovchinnikov, CEO of the Organization for the Development of the Video Game Industry, says that if the simulators are really developed, they have the prospect of becoming sports equipment for the Games of the Future, with the organizers of which the developer will be able to conclude a licensing contract for the use of the product.

But in the future, the success of the project will be tied to this tournament: the Games of the Future will take off — there will be an audience, and if not, then the simulators may not find usersthe expert noted.

The development of sports simulators, where teams and players are represented, involves the conclusion of licensing agreements with sports clubs. Abroad, Russian structures will clearly not be able to do this now, therefore, most likely, only domestic teams will be represented in the games, a Kommersant source in a large game distributor emphasizes, allowing agreements with structures from “friendly countries”. The cost of development is 300 million rubles. he calls it insufficient, noting that in the world «budgets for such projects start at 5 million dollars.»

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