"We take special pride in the experiment on voluntary game labeling," said Alexander Mikheev from APRIORI on the results of 2024
App2Top concludes its review of the year 2024 with gaming (or gaming sector-related) teams and experts. As a final note, we spoke with Alexander Mikheev for the second time in the context of the 2024 summary. He now answers questions as the CEO of APRIORI.
How did the year turn out for the organization? What have you achieved, and what would you like to highlight?
The year 2024 was eventful for APRIORI. We managed to solidify our position as one of the leading organizations uniting game developers and publishers in Russia.
We are particularly proud of the extensive work conducted in preparing, developing, and implementing the experiment for voluntary game labeling.
A permanent working group was established, comprising government bodies and representatives of the gaming industry, including major developers and associations like APRIORI, Lesta Games, Astrum Entertainment, 1C Games, and platforms VK Play and RuStore.
The experiment became the first step towards the self-regulation of the unified gaming industry, signaling that the market has matured and understands the need for transparent communication among all its participants.
The voluntary labeling started at the end of October, and although the experiment is not yet concluded, the results thus far are promising: 10% of developers on the VK Play platform have labeled over 600 games. While it's too early to draw final conclusions, the interim outcomes are encouraging. Additionally, members of the working group are always open for dialogue.
It's encouraging that the government is willing to listen to the gaming industry in the process of drafting legislation to regulate games, and I believe the voluntary labeling initiative played a significant role in this, as lawmakers recognize the industry's willingness to engage in dialogue. APRIORI will strive to make regulatory mechanisms as comfortable as possible.
The number of partners and association members has increased, and several major conferences have been held with our active support—including panels at CIPR, RIF, the Russian Creative Week, "Cloud City," "Finnopolis," various BRICS summits, and "RED EXPO."
How did the Russian gaming market change over this year?
There is a growing interest in projects with Russian roots, and state support (such as grants from the Institute for Internet Development) is now an established reality. More domestic studios are emerging, ready to experiment with genres and mechanics. Their professionalism is growing, and it shows. Given the number of successful releases in 2024, there is a strong positive sense of industry development. While it's premature to speak of a renaissance, there are signs that the industry is returning to the 2021 market volume indicators.
What trends do you expect to emerge in the Russian gaming industry next year?
To avoid repetition, we observe another important trend—the involvement of new specialists from related industries like cinema and animation. This could enrich projects in terms of visual and narrative quality, and gaming mechanics will increasingly penetrate non-gaming areas. Even now, gamification is being used in banking apps and interactions between residents and urban infrastructure, and this segment will undoubtedly continue to grow.
What are the organization's plans for the next year?
We will continue developing infrastructure and support for domestic game development. Plans include new educational initiatives and further work on shaping the gaming industry's landscape. We will also maintain dialogue with the government, as it has become an integral participant in the industry of game development and operation.