"The era of ‘just games’ is over — now they are alternative realities" — Ivan Chen
Games have existed for five thousand years, and they shape the way we think. This was shared by Ivan Chen, Director General of Anantarupa Studios, during the panel discussion "Stories in Film and Video Games", which was held on 7 February at the National Centre RUSSIA as part of the Open Lecture Hall "Inventing the Future: Plots and Stories". According to the expert, with the development of technology, games are turning into simulations of life.
"Games are becoming so immersive that they are turning into alternative realities. And we can no longer say, ‘Oh, it’s just a game, I’m playing it.’ Our role in society is essentially a kind of game as well. You play a certain role in society. And if we can understand how games function, then we can understand both the structure and the hidden mechanisms of society and learn something from it," Ivan Chen said.
The Open Lecture Hall "Inventing the Future: Plots and Stories" is an original project of the National Centre RUSSIA that emerged within the framework of the II International Symposium "Inventing the Future". Due to strong audience interest, the Open Lecture Hall was later developed into an independent format. The National Centre RUSSIA invites everyone to become co-authors of the future at the III International Symposium "Inventing the Future", which will take place in November 2026 and will focus on unity among peoples in science, culture and the arts.
Recordings of the Open Lecture Hall broadcasts are available on the website russia.ru in the "Livestreams and Videos" section.
