"Rostelecom Games" does not consider VK Play a competitor — the market needs several platforms
In the summer, "Rostelecom" announced the launch of its own gaming service— "Rostelecom Games." Although it was anticipated that the new platform would compete with VK Play, the company itself does not see this as necessary.
Irina Lebedeva, Vice President for mass segment products at "Rostelecom," spoke about the absence of rivalry with VK Play in an interview with "Kommersant."
"The video game industry is rapidly evolving, and the needs of the audience can only be met by several players. [...] We anticipate that 'Rostelecom Games' will become a safe distribution channel for quality gaming products," explained Lebedeva, clarifying the company's stance.
Lebedeva also mentioned that creating "Rostelecom Games" took about a year. According to her, the platform's catalog currently features over 5,000 games, and it will expand in the future. It is worth noting that a significant portion of the products on the platform are access keys for Steam, not standalone editions of titles for "Rostelecom Games."
Interestingly, it was reported yesterday that the upcoming MMO shooter PIONER will be exclusive to "Rostelecom Games" in Russia and Belarus. Judging by the comments in the title's official community on VK, many gamers are very displeased with this decision. PIONER is scheduled to be released in early access on December 16.