President toys

After the Russian President was preoccupied with the problem of domestic computer games, saying that they were “ are of great educational importance, and we can’t only rely on foreign developments all the time ”, giving an example the well-known domestic IL-2 Airmovik air system, his statement caused a noticeable gastronomic interest among interested parties.

Already on April 29, at a meeting of the Government of the Russian Federation, a project was considered at all seriously on the creation of a series of six acamulant games. 1C publishing house asked the state to develop these simulators 500 million rubles, promising to add another 200 million of its funds. It is planned that the fruit of private-state cooperation will be sold by a circulation of 10 million copies, increase the share of Russian games in the domestic market by 10%, will help to educate patriotism among the younger generation, and will also be used as a simulator for pilots of real aircraft.

The prospects, in short, are the most remarkable. Only one unpleasant detail overshadows them - and, as usual, this is a real state of things. We will analyze on the items why 1C is more like a grandiose scam than a sincere care for the education of the younger generation .

Aircraft systems - an elite game genre, speaking in movie therapists - this is an arthouse. These are complex, requiring the mass of time to master the game, which are mostly fond of bald men over thirty with a passionate interest in military history. Air systems also require a normal game for a normal game, the presence of a separately purchased joystick-and more or less decent of them cost under $ 200 per piece. Is the novice Russian patriot to spend 6,000 rubles on equipment for the game, and then learn only to take off and sit down for the first month? (on the second - the basics of air battle) more precisely, even so - are 10,000,000 young Russians ready for such entertainment? Obviously no. The target audience of “education of patriotism” will begin to play such a project only if for an unfulfilled mission he will receive a father’s belt in his ass . The real fans of the Aviasims - harsh men in vests with many pockets - in whom patriotism and knowledge of history can be brought up.

From here comes the second point - the market capacity for projects of this kind. 1C claims that over the entire existence of the series (since 2001, 10 more name was released) 2 million 330 thousand copies of the game were sold. This is all over the world (including Australia, New Zealand and the Republic of Somalia), over 9 years, with the explicit export of most projects (like a addition to the Pacific War - “Love, Comrades Children, American Aircraft Navy!”). How, having released 6 items of the harsh Russian-patriotic simulator, it can be prolonged to the rest of the world (the Russian market will be able to absorb 100-200 thousand copies of the game), only the 1C director is known . Not to mention the fact that one of the tasks of the project is “Combating the falsification of history” and the promotion of Russian historical and political doctrines. From what the hell are Americans, Europeans and Japanese will buy a Russian ideological product, it is not clear. Unless 1C modifies the export version of the game, rewriting all the texts and repainting all the pictures in the liberal-west spirit. But this will already be completely wild Pharisee, and at the public expense.

Lack of control control

Nival founder Sergei Orlovsky at the same meeting said that only $ 5-10 million will need to develop the nucleus of the game. It is not very clear what the Dear Mr. Orlovsky-Oleg Meddox (creator IL-2) has been engaged in the production of simulators under the “nucleus development”. The engine (apparently the very core), technology, the team - everything is collected, harmonious and works great, and for miserable interest from these hypothetical millions of dollars. Why suddenly it was necessary to abandon successful domestic development, starting all from scratch and for fantastic amounts (this is the AAA+ project budget developed in the West, where programmers and artists receive completely different salaries), the author of these lines is incomprehensible. Probably, Mr. Orlovsky was inspired by our Olympic construction - with the most expensive railway in the world. "To the most expensive railway road - the most expensive aircraft system!" - In this slogan there is some pleasant symmetry.

Another funny moment is the absence of a computer development mechanism in Russia . For sufficient modest money and deadlines, you can redo textures and models, “stick” new missions, add music more funny and call the tinted recyclable thereby by the same 10 million megaproject. The inability of officials to evaluate the quality of virtual reality created for the state order (there is at least one person in the government apparatus who distinguishes the 2001 game schedule from the 2010 game graphics?), Organically supplemented by the complete helplessness of the Russian game press. The chief editors of Russian gaming magazines are almost completely in collusion with the advertising departments of large gaming publishers (we advertise you in the magazine - you are praise for our games). With any quality, the state gaming project will receive an enthusiastic profile press (in the non -core, there is no necessary critical apparatus). This stream of delight will be presented at the next meeting of the government as an irrefutable evidence of the quality of the work done.

The stability of the genre to propaganda

The game of the air system, if you simplify, boils down to the scheme "Tired - got to the target - bombed - returned to the base." When and where in such layouts to educate patriotism and interfere with falsify history, it is unclear . An honest layout according to the state of fronts and crews in IL-2 is also given-the genre obliges the genre, it is quite difficult to drink love for the homeland and a refutation of the slanderous fabrications of enemies. The action from the first or third person, the role -playing game, even the strategy - there is a scope, there are “slots” for the right or incorrect ideological filling. Put the player in the skin of a Soviet soldier, let him play the role of a scout in Berlin on June 21, 1941, let him plan ten Stalinist blows-yes, this can change his worldview, attitude to the country and history. Simulators are engaged in the simulation of the work of technology, in the measured movement of the piston of the internal combustion engine. There is no place for the polemic about the role of landing in Normandy, and the one who tries to add the armor-piercing exposures of the Suvorov-Rezun to the roar of propeller and chatter, will look like a uniform cretin, which, moreover, will break the mechanics of the game.

And the last question-“What is wrong with IL-2”? This is a well -established, exclusively domestic project, with worthy sales and commendable historical accuracy. Why the hell is a ten millionth monster instead of him with pre -unrealistic sales plans and promises to “ glorify Russian weapons from Winnipeg to Mombasy ”? There is no sense in this if you do it with your own money. And there is a great sense if you are developing a project of the century with state money.

Summarizing, I would like to say that I completely and fully support the idea of ​​state attention to the Russian gaming industry. Moreover, foreign experience (primarily “America's Army”, created by order of the US Army and gaining immense popularity among players of all ages and nationalities) shows that such attention is necessary. Americans, Europeans, Japanese are full of bestseller, promoting their worldview and worldview in the international market. We do not have such projects. But to nominate as the main national game “IL-2 for 10 million” is the same as presenting an BTR-80 with slightly smoothed contours and an BTR-120 sticker as the main Russian car car. Wild and stupid.

Large -scale state subsidies can and should be poured into games, but only after the audit system and an independent critical apparatus are created (this is quite simple - it is enough to send prosecutors to a couple of gaming publications). After the leadership positions in players will be occupied by hired foreign managers and producers who are responsible for the career for nonsense about “10,000,000 copies”. After the publishers stop deceiving and mocking the players (primarily the release of projects on the TRASH'N'Cash system), having gained confidence. Now it is a few premature to allocate state reasons for the construction of a tunnel from Bombay to London - instead of modernization, the next crucification will be released, with deception and refusal .