Gaming applications by VGTRK media holding are breaking records in sales and downloads not only in Russia but also abroad. Residents of India and China have become big fans of computer adventures such as Be-be-bears, Paper Tales, as well as others. App publisher Interactive Moolt prepared a new gift for them, the first ever game in the genre of virtual reality. It is based on the story of the animated series The Magic Lantern. My colleague Ekaterina Kadushkina has learnt how it looks, works, and, most importantly, whether it is useful for children and parents. I understand that in order to dive into virtual reality, we, probably, need to buy or use some kind of special equipment. Have you already tried it? Hello! Yes, of course, I have tried it. As for the equipment, you will only need a helmet and special controllers, for each hand. They look similar to remotes. But the main idea behind virtual reality is that to play, one only needs to act as in one does in normal life. For example, take a step forward and bend over to pick up an item. You put on the virtual reality helmet and look around.

There is blue wallpaper and our heroine, Kate, sitting on the green carpet, her green-eyed cat Anton is near her. Here, everything is like in the cartoon. Pictures on the walls, toys, easel. You can take a pen and draw something. Immersion into virtual reality has much in common with the real world. For example, in the game, one can take the laser pointer and play with the cat. You can also take toys and throw them at the window. When people first use virtual reality, they do not know what to do, they are lost, because they are used to playing games, where a keyboard and a mouse are used.

There are filmstrips, just like in the animated series. But the characters Katya and Mitya do not decide what to watch, you choose it. You can take the film you want to watch out of the box. You can reach the item by taking a few steps in the right direction. You can also press a button and teleport. There is even a levitation button. When you press the button, all items begin to levitate, it is a very cool effect, as you can feel like an astronaut. And all this happens in the main characters' room. How did they come up with so many different activities in a seemingly small space? "We behaved like children. We got down on our knees, crawled, looked under tables, under chairs, looking for something more interesting to be integrated into our game. We took balls in our hands, threw them at the window and watched. Wow, the curtains are swaying. That's great. Then, we put everything we saw into the game, just the way it happened".

Family games in virtual reality are a rarity. This has rarely ever happened before in Russia or the world. The Magic Lantern is already available for download. Mobile games by VGTRK's Interactive Moolt are being played around the world. Some statistics: the applications have been downloaded nearly 10 million times.

The screen of the tablet of Xi Wei from Beijing shows the moose Aristotle, the main character of the cartoon and the game Paper Tales. This animal is, of course, unknown in China. "It looks like a cow, right? It sleeps here, eats different food, fishes, and gathers flowers. His life looks real, I really like it". 4-year-old Feng Limei plays Be-be-bears, a game based on the cartoon about a white bear cub Bucky and a brown bear cub Bjorn. "Look, the bear’s head is shaking so funny! He struck the gong!" Feng Limei’s mom doesn’t oppose. She said that such applications do not teach bad thing, but rather help to relax. "I allow my son to play, especially, such calm and educational games. Children now get very tired, as the workload in kindergarten and school is huge".

And every year, more and more adults encourage their children's interest in gadgets. 72% of parents, according to the Institute of Modern Media, think that games are useful. But it is important to make sure that the child does not get addicted in a couple of hours. And one needs to choose an app according to age. A lot of work is being done to ensure that games remain safe for children. In Interactive Moolt's applications there is no violence, just good humor. And it is important for the creators to make games educational. "The more applications we release, the more we understand what is good and bad for a child. We are constantly trying to learn, we are constantly trying to work with psychologists, with education institutions and methodologists, and take only those ideas that can be incorporated into the gameplay that help children develop and grow".

New applications are also of great interest. Schoolgirls Valery, Helena, and Snowy, from Fantasy Patrol, are discussed in social networks. There are groups dedicated to the game. New Be-Be-bears is in the list of the best apps in App Store and Google Play. Kirill Tanaev: "Almost every child older than 10, living in the largest cities of Russia, has either a smartphone, or tablet, or they periodically use a device, which belongs to their mom or dad. This is an absolutely mass phenomenon, which involves almost everyone".

In the UK, every fifth child has a tablet. In China, South Korea, and India, school textbooks are being replaced with tablets. And, of course, children around the world watch cartoons more often to find out new things, to learn from the characters, and then play with them in the game made for phone or tablet. And for the past 6 years, the number of children watching TV has increased by 15%, according to the Institute of Modern Media. Russian cartoons by VGTRK's Digital Television are well known abroad. Our cartoon heroes speak Hindi, Chinese, and English.

Superhero Rolando Lokomotov, the woodpecker Knock-Knock and the moose Aristotle, as well as Be-be-bears Bjorn and Bucky have already visited children from different countries. As soon as the app appears in Google Play or App Store, one click, and in a few minutes, children in Moscow, New Delhi, Beijing, London or Tel Aviv have it. Now the audience can go themselves to the heroes’ home.