The Soviet Gaming industry
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JohnJacques
Banned
http://www.wired.com/gaming/hardware/news/2007/06/soviet_games
http://www.wired.com/gaming/hardware/multimedia/2007/06/gallery_soviet_games
Nothing really very different from them. The free play instead of high scores is telling, but doesn't translate over to any home systems that develop.
About all I could predict is maybe a bit more dark humor- Soviet humor was known for that, and it might fly past censors once better video games are made.
http://www.wired.com/gaming/hardware/multimedia/2007/06/gallery_soviet_games
Nothing really very different from them. The free play instead of high scores is telling, but doesn't translate over to any home systems that develop.
About all I could predict is maybe a bit more dark humor- Soviet humor was known for that, and it might fly past censors once better video games are made.
JohnJacques
Banned
Ni Pukha, Ni Pera (No Fluff, No Feathers) was their Duck Hunt rip-off and apparently, its a phrase meaning "tough luck".
One other thing- probably a lot more education games.
One other thing- probably a lot more education games.
Raid Over Moscow was a C64 game released during the Cold War and provoked debate in the Finnish Parliament over its appropriateness.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raid_Over_Moscow
It's quite conceivable that with a greater access to the home computer market, there could have been a Raid Over Washington DC. However, I would think it more likely that there would have been more "Great Patriotic War" simulation games. Sim-5 Year Plan or Sim Kolkhoz anyone?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raid_Over_Moscow
It's quite conceivable that with a greater access to the home computer market, there could have been a Raid Over Washington DC. However, I would think it more likely that there would have been more "Great Patriotic War" simulation games. Sim-5 Year Plan or Sim Kolkhoz anyone?
It isn't really. When you wish a hunter (or anyone preparing for difficult task) "Ni Pukha...", he answers "K chjortu!" (To hell with you!) and that is supposed to bring good luck to the hunter... Wishing good luck directly was supposed to mean the opposite too, not now of course. Just one of those little superstitions people have everywhere.
Actually, now when I think of it... Nintendo would rule Soviet market, either directly or as a source of "inspiration", like with Game&Watch http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Game_&_Watch#Soviet_wide-screen_clones (Yes, I still have one of those somewhere... Was absolute gold back then, both as entertainment and source of popularity among other kids. It was also decent alarm clock I used well into 90's)
Similarily rebranded Soviet NES clone with slightly different cartridge and limited selection of games won't be that unimaginable.
Similarily rebranded Soviet NES clone with slightly different cartridge and limited selection of games won't be that unimaginable.
JohnJacques
Banned
I don't think thats it. Not everything in the Soviet Union was propagandized.
Now, early on in video game history, the educational potential of games was greatly exaggerated. Educational video games in the US are, however, a small fraction of the total market.
I think with the rigid Soviet educational system, games could be integrated into the system- and we could see an education centered game market.
CanadianGoose
Banned
More adequate translation is "break the leg".
Yes, it is likely. In fact, Soviet IT did produce a fair number of educational applications, some of them featuring quite advanced graphic (utilizing engines developed for military simulators).
Some of them, but it would not be a majority. A lot of stuff would likely be based on history and folklore (Russian folklore boasts an amazing number of stories about noble warriors protecting their kin from evil invaders).
Nope. Soviets were always quite careful about fanning Cold War hysteria. There was just ONE movie made in USSR depicting fight between Soviets and Americans (comparing with dozens of Red Downs and Rambos). It had been made long AFTER Rambo (and rumoured to be direct answer to this propaganda) and depicted Soviet marines fighting against rogue American madman, not US army.
Yes, this is very likely.
Possibly.
It almost happened IOTL. By 1991 a lot (I dunno stat, but at least third) of high schools in big cities had computer classes with set of games or educational apps pretty much covering all high school course.
I don't think so. Self-sacrifice was always viewed as tool of last resort, not as part of "Busido" of some sort.
Tetris was (is?) very Russian thingy. Brilliant idea, implemented with absolute disregard to UI (I'm talking about original TETRIS by Gerasimov).
What was that? I just can't remember such a movie. (The closest thing I do is "Pirates of the 20th ceentury" where pirate captain was, presumably American although his crew mostly wasn't... No Marines though. )
Stalker
Banned
Literary translation will not do here and what you are suggesting is, probably, the best option. Or simply "good luck", or "keep you fingres crossed".
Aha, it was called "Одиночное плаванье" ("Solo Cruise"). I may aso remember another movie "Случай в кварате 36-80" (Accident in the square 36-80") but there was no direct confrontation... Yep, the Soviets really avoided themes of military confrontation with the West. Still, it didn't prevent them from making a series of brilliant spy-moviets (Soviet "razvedchiks" vs. "vile" Western spies)
They didn't restrain themselves in anti-NATO propaganda in documentaries either.
Still, hardware they used was ...er... backward if compared to what they had in the West. First "Iskra"s and "Poisk"s, AFAIR, both used analogues of 086 processor and monochrome screens and by no means could compete even with XTs 286 that were common in the West by the end of 80s. But what concerns Russian mathematicians, programmers and their software products - that was quite a different kettle of fish.
Stalker
Banned
I watched it. Nice propagandist movie telling the story from the other side of the cold war fence, with Russians being good guys (the marines) and rogue Americans spec-ops being bad guys. Add to this, an American civilian who had suffered from his rogue compatriots and now is eager to hunt "those bastards" down, shoulder to shoulder, with the Russian marines.
fixed that horrid error about early PC clones RAM...
What was installed in most were DVKs and BKs (pretty weird offshots of PDP-11, IIRC, but for all their weirdnes, reasonably fast ( faster than PC/XT, and about equal to AT/286, although it had much less RAM, IIRC) ) and Corvettes (CP/M based, roughly analogous to Commodore in terms of computing power) All had floppies only, and most of the time only on the teacher's station, everyone else had to use network to access them. (at least you needn't to use tape decks, as with retail version of BK.)
As for home computers, most common probably were ones based on articles in "Radio" magazine (Micro-80, Radio-86, Mikrosha (Mass-manufactured ver of one of those two), Orion (actually, a nice one, closest Western analogue would be ZX Spectrum 128, although Orion had better graphic capabilities, but no dedicated sound chip. )
Well, those are the good ones, (compared to what was mostly installed in schools), those at least had real HDDs and 640 KB RAM.
What was installed in most were DVKs and BKs (pretty weird offshots of PDP-11, IIRC, but for all their weirdnes, reasonably fast ( faster than PC/XT, and about equal to AT/286, although it had much less RAM, IIRC) ) and Corvettes (CP/M based, roughly analogous to Commodore in terms of computing power) All had floppies only, and most of the time only on the teacher's station, everyone else had to use network to access them. (at least you needn't to use tape decks, as with retail version of BK.)
As for home computers, most common probably were ones based on articles in "Radio" magazine (Micro-80, Radio-86, Mikrosha (Mass-manufactured ver of one of those two), Orion (actually, a nice one, closest Western analogue would be ZX Spectrum 128, although Orion had better graphic capabilities, but no dedicated sound chip. )
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Could Red Orchestra have been made in the Soviet Union? An Unreal clone (ITTL without paying for the Unreal engine), centred on Russian heroism, with an unusual interface and feel, much darker than most war games. Perhaps also more use as a training aid- I've read one review that says that "most WW2 games feel like being in a war movie, RO feels like being in a war."
Multi-player games would be tricky- I'm assuming that the Soviet Union has some level of Internet access, like OTL China rather than North Korea. You still need someone to play the villains, though- perhaps do it like America's Army, where both sides see themselves as Americans (or Russians) and the enemy as terrorists (or Nazis).
Soviet MMORPGs? Possibly after economic reforms, like in China.
This seems a good as place as any to put this in:
http://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/307402
Although Princess Pech's role might have to be changed somewhat...
http://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/307402
Although Princess Pech's role might have to be changed somewhat...