Innopolis University, as part of the recently concluded DID x AI IN 2024 forum, announced the opening of a Game Development Center that will help with funding for budding creators in the industry.
Image source: Innopolis
The first three projects for support were selected by experts – blogger Vasily Skobelev, producer Sergei Gimelreich and founder of the Heart Core studio Kirill Zolovkin – as part of the Game Day session at DID x AI IN 2024.
Having assessed the quality of gameplay, novelty, feasibility and scalability, experts selected three startups, the creators of which will receive a total of one million rubles:
- Musical rhythm game Close to Light – its developers received funding in the amount of 250 thousand rubles;
- «Gamification of walks” with QR-Grams puzzle mechanics – also 250 thousand rubles;
- Action about the meme hero The Most Gigachad Survivors trying to understand the world – 500 thousand rubles.
Image source: Innopolis
Projects will be funded in stages with the goal of bringing them to finished demos and a minimum viable product (MVP) with sufficient functionality to satisfy early customers.
In addition to monetary support, the Game Development Center will also help studios enter accessible international markets (including the BRICS countries and China) and localize projects for them.
The Most Gigachad Survivors (image source: Anlaut)
According to the head of the Game Development Center, Timur Fazullin, his establishment was a response to the interest and activity of the gamer community around Innopolis University.
Innopolis University already has a full-time online master’s program in “Computer Game Development Management,” within which students are taught key theoretical and practical skills for game development.