According to a Russian business daily report read by RiaNovosti, the Russian Communications ministry is working with software and game developer/publisher 1C Company to produce "computer games aimed at boosting patriotism among young people and promoting Moscow's vision of the 'historic truth.'"
The report, if accurate, isn't a complete surprise. The King's Bounty developer's connections to the Russian government are close enough to land the annual 1C U.S. showcase at the Russian Consulate in San Francisco. 1C's influence in Russia is akin to Microsoft's in the U.S.
The initial story appeared in the Vedomosti daily and seems to rely heavily on a statement from the Communications ministry. The report said 1C presented a project that calls for six flight simulator games that improve Russia's international image as a tech-savvy nation "and increase patriotism among teenagers." The project cost is estimated at approximately 720 million rubles ($24 million).
The Ministry has asked the government to allocate 500 million rubles. 1C is ready to spend 200 million rubles, and another 20 million rubles will come from the government of Russia's Khanty-Mansiysk region.
It sounds like at least one of the games was demoed to Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, but the project hasn't won backing from the government yet.
Representatives for 1C Company based in the U.S. did not respond to an email requesting comment on this report. The company's 2010 U.S. showcase event is set for June 3, with 10 new games on the agenda.
UPDATE: The reps got back to us to say they're forwarding our request to 1C in Russia -- the response will take at least a day to come back.
Source:
Russia to encourage patriotism through computer games - paper [RiaNovosti via GamePolitics]
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