The Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation has endorsed the project for the voluntary labeling of games in the country, developed by the Organization for the Development of the Video Game Industry (RVI). This information was reported by the newspaper "Izvestia," citing the ministry.
As a reminder, RVI presented a project called "Green Labeling of Video Games" in the spring of 2024. The organization stated that the aim of its initiative is "to eliminate the negative context of video games for the general public, and help focus on the positive influence of video games on individuals and society."
The RVI labeling has three designations:
- game made in Russia;
- game contains educational materials;
- game is an esports discipline.
"The experiment on labeling video games is a joint decision made following the conclusion of a working group on the regulation of the video game industry. It will allow for a balanced approach to regulating the industry using legal mechanisms and labeling technology. […] This is an interesting experience, as positive labeling will also simplify the choice for the end consumer. It will be easier for parents to select an appropriate game for their child based on their interests, and for educational institutions to incorporate into their learning programs a game that meets certain criteria," reported the Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation in a comment to "Izvestia."
Participation in the RVI project is voluntary. It is known that among the first to adopt the "green label" on their games will be the creators of CarX Street, CarX Drift Racing Online, "Caliber," "Immortal Symphony," and "Magic World."
The labeling initiative is set to launch at the beginning of 2025.
Earlier, the Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation and the Association of Professionals in the Video Game Operation and Development Industry (APRIORI) announced another experiment for voluntary game labeling. Unlike the RVI project, it is more akin to PEGI and warns users about potentially inappropriate content in games—such as scenes of violence, the presence of foul language, and the use of in-game purchase mechanics, among others.