Russian President Vladimir Putin has reportedly instructed his government to begin exploring the creation of a Russian games console in an apparent attempt to reboot the Russian gaming industry.
That's according to the Russian-controlled state media apparatus RT (thanks, VGC), which details a meeting from last week in which the authoritarian leader instructed the government to "weigh requirements for organizing the production of both stationary and portable game consoles in Russia”. The deadline for executing the order is 15th June 2024.
A Kremlin spokesperson explained that the creation of the Russian games console was aimed at developing the nation's native games industry. Most major gaming companies operating in Russia, including Sony, Microsoft, Nintendo, EA, and Activision, fled following the country's invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Russian newspaper Kommersant reports that Putin is likely to entrust the development of the machine to tech company VK, which could take up to ten years to create.
What do you think of Putin's apparent ambitions to become a major player in the console space? Let us know in the comments section below.
[source rt.com, via videogameschronicle.com]
Comments 71
I'd actually like to see a Russian console, maybe not as a government initiative but wouldn't mind seeing where it went.
PlayStroika: the only console you'll ever be allowed to be Putin your discs in
@Czar_Khastik Jokes like that lead to windows comrade! But well done!
Well I wouldn't say no! If it was up to me I would have every country develop their own console and games, we would have game variety up the a** so bring it! 💪
@Czar_Khastik and the game they give away with the console will be the russian version of Hitman in which, among others, you can throw people out of the window.
Sounds the sort of gig that has Phil Harrison's name all over it 😃
First of April was yesterday...
Will the console play you?
I feel bad they ain't getting games anymore. But can they still get PCs and games on there?
If they make their own console and release worldwide, would be nice to see what they can do or how they can compete with other consoles. Unless they stick with Russia only.
They have enough people to make it viable, plus China might be more willing to open to them.
Bundled with a copy of Atomic Hearts, a nice extra present for the families of fallen soldiers.
They already have one, it's called pc. Valve never left Russia even when you can't put money on your account directly there are easy ways to do it.
Now for less serious topics I'm from Mexico so we won't get their nukes but we could get their console lol.
Russian PC Players: "Oh no, anyway"
It’s only a game (console). Why do you have to be mad?
Well cant really blame Russia. Every other controlled dictator country has there own console which can be monitor and controlled 100%, has 1.
So only fitting.
10 years though is a long time and who knows where tech will be in that time, its probably a non starter.
"become a major player in the console space"
Wait a second. Today is April 2nd.
Can't say I dig you Putin an article with political connotations on this site, but when in Moscow... I wonder if they'll also include an always online camera with the console, and as a marketing slogan: "Relax, we're watching over you!"
Russian isolationism, again and again
Ah could we be going back to the good old days with zero saves and just 3 continues. The console that runs on vodka coolant and that doesn't break but breaks the player instead.
The pack in game will be a drone flying sim called maternity ward blitz.
Ok... duly filed under "old megalomaniac acting out his delusional self"
No doubt he's has been over doing Red Alerts 2 and 3 along with the theme tunes blasting away around his office
In Russia video game console plays you!
A bit overkill to have a console for a single game - Tetris 😂
"'I'd like to present to you our new CEO and gaming President, Jim Ryan!"
Green - Xbox
Blue - PlayStation
Red - Russia
New Russian console - all the power and style of a Lada Riva.
I was looking at a couple of articles about their old arcade games and Repka Silomer' (The Turnip Strength Tester) looks about as stereotypical as it could ever have been from the 80's...
Looking forward to Lada Racing 2025 and the "No American" mission on their COD clone. plus culling oil company execs in Hitman: Windows Edition.
The racism and russophobia in this comment section is telling. Poor of all of you to go the expected route.
@IndoorEnthusiast do you always get your news from WhatsApp?
Evil empire console.word up son
@PerpetualBoredom nope, real news organization.
Bearing in mind the state of Russian cars compared with western counterparts, a state developed games machine would be a huge joke and I want to see it just to laugh.
As far as I'm concerned I hope they get nothing, and even that's more than they deserve.
PS, clearly an April fools, just being brought to Push late.
The only caveat is every half hour you play you have to view a state-sponsored propaganda ad. 😬
Will use only wired controllers. Will not have controller ports.
@PerpetualBoredom I don't see anyone being "racist" I don't think you really understand what that means. But I do see people not pretending there's isn't a totalitarian dictator murdering innocent people, meanwhile supporting the Muslim concentration camps in China. But yeah, people in the comments sections are "racist"
I believe it will be another ten years of corruption and stealing money allocated for such developments. Then it ends up with a crappy product nobody would use even for free. That’s how things work in Putin’s Russia.
Yeah, they could develop their own console. Can’t imagine it being very good.
I think a better idea would be for Putin to end the war in Ukraine, step down as a leader, let the Russian people actually democratically vote for their own president, and go to jail for war crimes. Then Russians will be able to buy the same consoles everyone else has!
Just a thought! 🤔
Probably will use it as a spying/propaganda machine
Ouya 2 coming right up!
Wow, we survived the console wars, but we were not prepared for the console cold wars.
Maybe they should do an educational game about good safety practices around windows.
Heard it is a bit of an issue for them over there.
Looks like Xbox will finally have to compete for the last place then.
Not sure what for. Just stick to PC and instead give grants to studios to make games.
China will give the Russians all the hardware they need to play games regardless.
I’ll be “rushin’” to get one Day 1
The situation with Putin and Russia is way too delicate and political for a site like this.
In undemocratic Russia, console plays you. 🧐
Hell yeah hopefully it will use the hammer & sickle as it's logo
From the Dendy or other bootlegs to PCs and well Tetris.
Whenever official consoles were offered in the country I don't know.
Still if open source like the Ouya as the console/dev kit which players overlook because they don't care. Or the GP32 then yeah could be interesting but players are too focused on other things so like it matters.
PC/mobile is still probably a better bet but an in-between like a console makes sense. If it can do well that is.
I'm interested to see what happens. Not surprised how much people go off jokes/stereotypes in the comments. I'm seriously interested where this goes.
But them making their own console huh. Could be some fair results maybe depending on what they go for. They know the results of the market so they could do well depending on the themes/gameplay though in their titles for their country if we even hear about them who knows what will come of it. Or like with China find a way to make it possible to get games/consoles into the country. But different circumstances.
I mean the GP32 in Korea was cool (not just because of emulation.
I mean to me the PSP/DS while good the Tapwave Zodiac and Gizmondo yes yes the games who cares about those right now but the hardware, the GPS, the camera, the media playback all built in. They weren't the best but not needing addons like PSP or Gameboy camera to me is impressive but like anyone cares because oh the games weren't good, oh the marketing, oh the situations with the companies. They aren't perfect but still good devices. It was a cool handheld period I think.
Samsung with their Comboy and others too in Korea.
During the no Japanese imports period for Korea. China and PCs/mobile but no consoles to the letting that happen but you only see certain games get past because of course Tecent and it's understandable. But they used to have to work around it like the Nintendo's iQue N64, DS and more. Or the Shield Wii/GameCube games.
@Titntin Korea funded the GP32 (handheld around the PSP/DS period) if I remember correctly then well years later the Japan products law was removed, it's not like it's nothing new.
It had games but I mean most knew of it's lack of encryption so it's a good emulation device from 2009 the GP2X for example.
I recommend the Modern Vintage Gamer video on the GP2X. Or anything your an find on the GP32. Like Top Hat Gaming Man or others.
I won't deny it's not ideal but I'm interested to hear what goes on even if may not be a great time/may flop compared to PCs/mobile unless it has a good enough amount of appeal of educational, suitable games or companies find a way to make games for the console (not like that hasn't been done before games or consoles into Korea/China years ago) then Russian only developers.
Dendy, Dendy pro, Dendy 360, portable Dendy. I don't think they are capable of a revolutionary console/service
There would be no controllers! The console (aka government) will control you !!!
@PerpetualBoredom go check the meaning of the word racist. Being against something evil is not racism. I'm originally from Iran, a country that was always being threatened or manipulated by Russia, like many other nations in the region, for more than a century. God knows what they wants from other countries while being unable to support their own people welfare
@SuntannedDuck2
Thanks for the memories, the GP32 was indeed an interesting machine for poking about with and running home brew.
In all its time it had under 30 commercial games released, so as a traditional games machine it was indeed a huge failure, irrespective of its interesting configuration and potential for homebrew.
It is indeed a perfect representation of what I would expect should a Russian state developed games machine actually happen.
I do of course have a GP32 emulator, together with all the commercial games and 100's of pieces of the best of the rest, but I'll concede I'm first and foremost a games player, and as a GAMES machine it was failure, and it's been some time since I looked at it.
Thanks for pointing out this history though, I didnt draw the parallel when I read this piece and its clearly a good example.
@BugCatcherGarl True, but I have a lot less to
worry about when I use it here
Guess all the Russian cosplayers finally got his attention lol.
@Sequel there are 10 places in the world you shouldn't ask to see things from. The top 4 are Russia, China, north Korea, nd Iran.
Russia is in a state of Flux, with a man using tactics no to different from biden right now to stay in power. I think the only difference is biden hasn't thrown anyone under a prison to die that is a political opponent. If an Ex-KGB agent wants a game console, the reason is nefarious if ps, Nintendo, or pc isn't good enough for him. In fact one would have to ask why the man himself doesn't have a 4090 to play metro on.
@NotSoCryptic Not to get overly political on a gaming site, but why China out of interest? It's a fantastic country with leadership far more wise and people centric than anywhere in the West. I'm hopeful they will be the model for the world.
@Sequel China as much as you may like it, is still an enemy of the west. This hasn't changed in the last 100 years. As far as their leadership goes, bunk on that. In all of my visits I've seen nothing to support your position. I can only assume you are Chinese. Probably explains why you'd be interested in a Russian console.
Atomic Heart got funding from the Russian Gas company (Gaspo?) and the plot basically paints the USSR as the villains who want to take over the world.
I knew it, Vlady is a gamer. He often has that look of counting down the time to when he can get back to his latest favorite video game.
Powered by nuclear energy, this will be the most powerful console in the universe.
@Sequel Chinese government was literally ordering military to weld doors and lock people into their apartments during lockdowns. Very people centric....
Yeah you know I hear they started producing the ROG ally in 2014 pft, I don’t it will take them 10 years to make a console. why report such nonsense.
@Sequel let’s just ignore that pandemic paranoia the Chinese government demonstrated. Along with the subsequent human rights disgrace that followed.
@NotSoCryptic erm you do realise it would create a huge economy in Russia if it was successful.
Considering the void after all major gaming entities left Russia following the Ukraine war, this seems like a profitable move.
@Pete_Stooge and also far too propagandised. poor kids on here.
@IndoorEnthusiast CNN? Der Spiegel? BBC?
@Mince erm you do realize that russia's economy is of little importance to me beyond how it relates to the war in Ukraine. Need money to wage war.
Nothing would make me happier than a non-putin run russia having its own game console. In the current hands, this is just an assimilation and indoctrination device that will ultimately end up fueling Ukraine v Russia.
So I'm not really sure what your point is here, unless you have something against Ukraine.
@NotSoCryptic yeah I would assume the Russian economy is of little importance to the majority of the world’s population. I hardly think about the polish economy for instance.
That said we’re talking fact and world news. Not your little gaming delusion so yeah don’t really see what your point is other than what disliking war? Suprise most of us dislike it, doesn’t change fact though does it.
@Mince Ok now you're just waisting my time and feigning ignorance.
Enjoy the rest of your day.
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