Chinese state media has fully supported 'Black Myth: Wukong,' China's most successful single-player video game thus far, stating that its adaptation of the Ming dynasty epic 'Journey to the West' will compel Western gamers to delve deeper into Chinese culture.
'Black Myth: Wukong,' which is based on the mythological monkey king from a Chinese literary classic known for his ability to transform into various forms, reached 2.2 million concurrent players on Steam, a prominent online gaming platform, the day following its release.
China Central Television highlighted in a blog post that Chinese players have previously experienced cross-cultural understanding, and now it's the turn for international players to learn and appreciate Chinese traditional culture.
The game, which heavily relies on the story of the magical monkey Sun Wukong who gains supernatural abilities through Taoist practices, requires players to be acquainted with the 16th-century classic's plot, according to the national broadcaster.
Released by Game Science, a startup backed by Tencent, the game garnered significant attention on Chinese social media, with hashtags related to the video game accumulating 1.7 billion views on Weibo.
State news agency Xinhua noted in an editorial that this release represents a daring entry by Chinese game developers into a market traditionally dominated by Western high-budget titles. It also pointed out that the default language for a high-budget game is now Chinese.
Analysts at Shanghai-based Topsperity Securities believe that 'Black Myth: Wukong' will draw more global players to focus on domestic games, suggesting that various sectors could benefit from intellectual property tie-ins. Companies like Didi, Lenovo Group, and Luckin Coffee are already integrating elements inspired by the game into their promotional campaigns.
Despite the game's acclaim as China's first AAA game, characterized by high development costs, lengthy production cycles, and substantial investment, gaming stocks remained stable. Unlike other Chinese mobile games that rely on continuous micro-payments, 'Black Myth: Wukong' is a one-time purchase priced at 268 yuan for the standard version and 328 yuan for the premium.
Pre-sales, which started in June, had amassed 400 million yuan by the game's launch, according to Citi. The Global Times quoted an industry insider as saying that while it's uncertain whether the game's business model will yield greater profits, the significant achievement is that China now has its own AAA game capable of exciting the global audience. The Global Times concluded that global players will gain a deeper insight into traditional Chinese culture while enjoying the game.
