Multiple initiatives for the marking of video games are currently being prepared in Russia, according to the publication “Kommersant”. The respective projects are being spearheaded by the Organization for the Development of the Video Game Industry (RDVI) and the Ministry of Economy of the Russian Federation in collaboration with “Lesta Games” and VK Play.
RDVI’s Green Marking Initiative
The RDVI’s initiative, named “Green Marking,” is voluntary, with the experiment set to launch at the beginning of 2025. Products will receive markings if they meet three criteria – the project must be developed in Russia, contain educational materials and qualify as an e-sports discipline. Vasiliy Ovchinnikov, head of the organization, emphasized that the list of criteria will be expanded in the future.
Ovchinnikov also pointed out a key advantage of passing the “Green Mark” – assistance with advertising promotion across different channels. Games tagged “Made in Russia” will start being marketed by development institutes that promote domestic products.
Association “R.A.D.I. Video Games” (DNS, diHouse, Buka, EMSI, Achivka, etc.), members of the Association for Development of E-sports Infrastructure (ARKI; includes Colizeum network, True Gamers, CyberX), AppBazar app store and other organizations have confirmed their participation in the RDVI experiment.
The Ministry of Economics Initiative
Another video game marking initiative, initiated by the Ministry of Economics in cooperation with “Lesta Games” and VK Play is set to launch this summer. A representative of the Ministry stressed in a comment to “Kommersant” that the proposed approach allows for testing basic legal mechanisms and definitions, including the technology itself, and eventually form a general regulation.
Representatives from VK Play, Astrum Entertainment, and United Games (all three are members of APRIORI association) consider the RDVI initiative redundant, as it does “not reflect the content of gaming products, and the proposed criteria brings no benefit to either developers or players.”
