Gaming Lobby for gaming and esports fans opens at the National Centre RUSSIA during the "Inventing the Future" Symposium
For the first time in the history of the "Inventing the Future" Symposium, a special project has been launched — the Gaming Lobby "Gaming Session of the Future". Throughout 13 November, games industry experts, game developers and fans of gaming and esports will take part in a full programme on the development of Russia's computer games industry at the National Centre RUSSIA. The programme is moderated by Vladimir Markoni, an entertainer, television presenter, comedian and actor.
The public talk "Esports and Cybersecurity" was held immediately after the Gaming Lobby's opening ceremony and explored how gaming can help people develop skills. Speakers discussed how esports sharpen resilience to stress, team communication, quick decision-making and strategic thinking. These skills underpin modern education, and games provide a place to practise them.
"Esports develop a wide range of skills, including quick reactions and the ability to make decisions fast. Managing your emotions is the hardest skill to master consistently. Gaming is where you get the best practice at keeping your emotions in check. Even so, however many tournaments you play in, you'll still get nervous, simply because you're human," noted Roman DemaKput, an esports player, analyst, commentator and "World of Tanks" streamer.
Alexei Gusev, Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) and Senior Adviser to the Chairman of the Management Board of CentroCredit Bank, cited medical studies showing that shooter games can help people of all ages, from children to pensioners, develop and maintain their cognitive abilities and memory. He also stressed that anyone taking up gaming should familiarise themselves with cybersecurity rules and learn basic cyber hygiene.
"It's important to understand that all our personal data is already online. The only question is who can use it and when. You need to learn how to minimise the risk once your personal information gets out," he explained.
Alexei HardPlay, a streamer and video blogger, stressed that whatever skills gaming helps develop, it is important to keep games and real life separate. "If you're thinking of going somewhere potentially dangerous, don't rely on your gaming skills alone. Either stay away or do everything you can to keep yourself safe without counting on those skills. There's no 'save' button in real life."
Yaroslav Meshalkin, founder of the Centre for Gaming and Esports Communications and a member of the New Media Workshop's Expert Club, discussed making deliberate choices about which games to play and how much time to spend on them. This is especially relevant now that gamification is widespread and many people find themselves drawn into games without meaning to play."
"Marketing techniques that get us to spell out a word or solve a simple puzzle on an online marketplace for a reward rely entirely on our love of games and our greed. The only way to resist getting drawn into something that eats up so much of our time on practically pointless tasks is to learn to resist the urge to play. That's the only answer," explained Yaroslav Meshalkin.
The Gaming Lobby's discussion programme will continue. Throughout the day, participants will explore video games as an important cultural phenomenon and a way of passing on traditional values. The public talk "Psychology in the Gaming Environment. Why Do People Play?" will examine two roles of video games — how they help people build resilience to stress and give them a chance to unwind. At the public talk and presentation "Inspired by Traditions. New Releases in the Gaming World", Russian developers will show how they draw on Slavic mythology, classic literature and the distinctive aesthetics of Russia's regions. A live recording of the podcast "Our Game. Russian Industry and Its Global Standing", featuring Alexander Mikheyev, Head of VK Play, will give audiences an insight into how the Russian games industry is developing. The presentation of the story-driven role-playing game DISTORTION will show how developers draw inspiration from the future.
Alongside the discussions, playtesting of new Russian games is already under way in the open gaming area, which is equipped with 26 high-performance PCs. Anyone can try the latest releases.
A team tournament in "World of Tanks" will bring the gaming programme to a lively close. Players will compete for victory and cash prizes. The fast-paced esports match will be shown on a big screen so spectators can follow the action. The winners will receive their awards at the Gaming Lobby's closing ceremony.
Throughout the day, participants can relax and recharge in the lounge, where a retro arcade area features Soviet arcade machines and modern replicas.
The special project's partners are the Russian gaming ecosystem VK Play, Lesta Games, the CyberHouse project, the international esports club network COLIZEUM, the REAKTOR game developer community and the Faculty of Game Industry and Esports at Synergy University.
School pupils, university students and young professionals learnt what knowledge and personal qualities help people cope with rapid change and received practical advice.
The event, part of the III International Symposium "Inventing the Future", brought together Russian and international creators.
Discussions, quizzes, public talks and other events will be held on 13 November at the National Centre RUSSIA.
