VIDO announces the start of public voting on expanding the Hall of Fame of the legendary people and games of the Russian video game industry

Public online voting on who joins the Hall of Fame opens on 6 October 2023 and runs for a month. Since the Hall opened the organisers have been collecting suggestions for further candidates, and members of VIDO drew up a shortlist of 36 people and 37 games — it is for the public to pick the best among them.

“We want this project to be more than a walk of fame for the industry legends and cult games that have already made their name. We want it to inspire every Russian developer just setting out, who needs their creative potential supported, — says Vasily Ovchinnikov, head of VIDO. — I am certain that new stars of Russian game development are waiting to be discovered.”

Voting takes place in a VKontakte mini app at https://vk.com/app51742934. Results will be announced on 10 November.

“Today’s public initiative lets us thank, if only in a formal way, everyone who created and grew our industry — to say thank you to the legendary people, the professionals, the teams. The Hall of Fame already has laureates and contenders who deserve their place, and I believe new names and new games will join this pantheon,” said Gadzhi Makhtiev, founder of Kanobu.

From now on, voting for new members will be held every year. A nomination for next year can already be submitted at https://legends.forgamedev.ru/ if a person or a game did not make this shortlist.

“The Hall of Fame holds the people who built this industry in our country with their own hands, who laid its foundations, and those who brought it to a wide audience, commented Pavel Gusev, managing partner at Metacorp. — They raised a whole generation of gamers: many discovered this world thanks to them. For game development in Russia to grow, that fire has to be lit again. And those who kept it burning for us deserve to be named. Perhaps the Hall of Fame will move someone to become the one who lights that fire for the next generation.”

For now the Hall of Fame exists online only, but there are plans to expand it before long into art objects and monuments in cities across Russia.

Press contact: Elena Tsoy kuksilover@forgamedev.ru, +7 (968) 504-24-27

About the organisation:

VIDO brings together industry professionals — developers, designers, producers, company heads, owners, investors and others — around mutual support, protection and growth of Russian game development and of the video game industry as a whole.

Its aim is to develop the video game industry by backing significant projects and worthwhile initiatives, promoting them and opening them to discussion. VIDO works to build a positive image of game development and game culture in society, and to coordinate the work of investors, publishers, academic communities and corporations.