Russia may launch several experiments simultaneously on game labeling, writes "Kommersant." The Organization for the Development of the Video Game Industry (ODVI) and the Ministry of Economic Development of Russia are preparing their own projects.
ODVI has already presented its project. It is called "Green Labeling of Video Games" and is expected to fully launch at the beginning of 2025. According to ODVI, games that meet three criteria will be labeled: they are developed in Russia, contain educational materials, and are considered esports disciplines. Participation in the experiment is voluntary. To join, companies need to submit their games for review by ODVI experts.
The ODVI idea is supported by the associations "R.A.D.I. Video Games" and "ARKI," as well as AppBazar, Langame, HobbyGames, and Kanobu. At the same time, the APRIORI association considers this project redundant.
As for the Ministry of Economic Development of Russia, it, along with other ministries, began working on a game labeling bill back in 2022. According to "Kommersant," the Ministry of Economic Development of Russia plans to launch its initiative this summer. There are no project details yet, but previously the media reported that games might be labeled by age categories. The ministry stated that it supports experiments on voluntary labeling.
Update: the news originally stated that another game labeling project was undertaken by Lesta Games. This is not true. Lesta Games is one of several gaming companies working with the Ministry of Economic Development of Russia on the ministry's labeling initiative.
In a comment to "Kommersant," the head of the Moscow division of the studio, Gauhar Aldiyarova, said that all Lesta Games titles would be labeled in the coming months. She expressed hope that other companies will join the Ministry of Economic Development of Russia's initiative and help develop effective criteria for evaluating video games.