Navigating the Black Delusion: Wukong’s Impact on China’s Developer Landscape
Black Myth: Wukong, created by the China-based studio Game Science, achieved extraordinary record-breaking performance upon its launch in August, reaching an impressive peak of 2.4 million simultaneous players and becoming the highest-grossing game across various markets for that month.
Drawing inspiration from the well-known Chinese tale Journey to the West, Black Myth: Wukong stands out as a unique offering, being a single-player game available exclusively on PC and PlayStation 5, in contrast to the majority of games produced in China that typically follow the free-to-play model, including those featuring gacha systems. Nevertheless, as noted by industry research firm Niko Partners, the gaming sector in China continues to expand; it was reported that the country had 715.9 million gamers in 2023, with projections suggesting this figure will rise to 722.5 million in 2024 and reach 747.9 million by 2028. It’s also noteworthy that the Chinese gaming market is anticipated to generate an annual revenue of $49.8 billion this year, where mobile games contribute 68.7%, followed by 28.4% for PC and 2.9% for consoles.
In light of Black Myth: Wukong’s success, we engaged with several industry experts and developers from China to gain their perspectives on this trend and to explore whether it could catalyze a change in strategic approaches for studios and publishers, particularly concerning the debate between free-to-play and premium/paid games.
Our interviewees include Steven Wu, former leader of Tencent’s NEXT Studio Shenzhen and Tencent Games global publishing. Steven now leads Emina Studio, which is currently developing ACE Strategy, a mecha-themed trading card game.
We also spoke with Simon Zhu, the founder of the China Indie Game Alliance (CIGA), the largest organization for indie games in China. CIGA hosts several annual gaming events, including the WePlay Expo, CIGA developer conference, indiePlay Awards, and Game Jams.
Finally, we discussed with Jingwei ‘Biaoge’ Fang from Spark Nexa, along with members of the marketing team. Fang is the producer of Shenzhou Saga: Three Kingdoms, an upcoming role-playing game (RPG) inspired by Luo Guanzhong’s Romance of the Three Kingdoms, which, similar to Journey to the West, is a cornerstone of Chinese and East Asian literary tradition.
With the triumph of Black Myth: Wukong, a game that highlights Chinese culture and traditions, how vital is it for studios to present Chinese culture to a global audience?
Steven Wu: As a studio, we are thrilled to see Black Myth: Wukong performing so well globally. For ACE Strategy, our game reflects our interpretation of sci-fi, mecha, and space exploration themes from around the world. Personally, I was inspired by The Wandering Earth, based on a short story by Chinese author Cixin Liu.
Simon Zhu: I believe the common perspective among Chinese developers is to weave cultural elements they are familiar with in a manner that feels organic. This allows players to appreciate the developers’ representation and expression of our culture, which may even ignite their own interest in it.
Black Myth: Wukong serves as a fantastic example of how a skillfully crafted game can blend cultural content in a way that resonates worldwide. I think it has to do with the fact that some cultural elements have already developed a familiar audience, such as Wuxia (martial arts) and Xianxia (immortality cultivation).
Jingwei ‘Biaoge’ Fang: I was introduced to video games 30 years ago, and my appreciation for games from various genres and cultures around the globe motivated me to pursue a career in the industry. Similarly, the narrative of Romance of the Three Kingdoms has fascinated me and my team since childhood. We believe that showcasing Chinese cultural heritage is essential in our game, and we aim to continue promoting our rich culture and stories.
Do you think that the success of a single-player game like Black Myth: Wukong signifies a transformation in the Chinese gaming industry where more studios might focus on single-player or premium games instead of free-to-play options?
Steven Wu: I think larger companies are already inspired by the success of Black Myth: Wukong and may soon begin to support more premium projects. Perhaps not a complete “shift,” but a focus on high-budget titles. Medium-to-large developers have already been concentrating on cross-platform titles that reach AAA quality, although many remain free-to-play due to the high development costs.
The phenomenon of Black Myth: Wukong might pave the way for more games that prominently feature Chinese culture and traditions, but more importantly, it could enhance the confidence of Chinese creators to express their unique viewpoints across various artistic mediums.
“Black Myth: Wukong is a prime example of how a well-crafted game can integrate cultural content in a way that resonates globally.”
Simon Zhu, CIGA
Simon Zhu: The success of Black Myth: Wukong has significant implications for enhancing and positively reshaping societal perceptions of video games in China, but replicating this model or trend is challenging.
Prominent gaming companies have initiatives that could resemble AA or AAA titles, like NetEase’s Naraka: Bladepoint and the forthcoming Ballad of Antara from Infold Games, yet these [and numerous others] remain free-to-play due to exorbitant development expenses. Additionally, attracting attention in the PC and console markets is not as straightforward as in mobile platforms, compounded by pricing concerns for single-player and console games, particularly as Chinese consumers are notably price-sensitive.
Personally, I strongly feel that we need more games that can perform well in both Chinese and international markets within an affordable price range, along with advancements in game quality to improve the status of games being developed in our country.
What significant challenges do Chinese studios and developers encounter when entering Western markets?
Steven Wu: Entering any new market presents hurdles such as platform regulations, establishing media relationships, enhancing localization efforts, and developing pricing strategies. Given that ACE Technique is a science fiction mecha game, we faced uncertainty regarding the level of quality deemed “satisfactory” for Western players accustomed to AAA games and blockbuster films. Our team consists of merely 20 individuals, limiting our reach and making it difficult to determine where the quality benchmark should be set.
Fortunately, our concerns eased somewhat when we showcased ACE Technique at Gamescom 2024 in Cologne, Germany. The overall response was positive, and we received excellent feedback from mecha and trading card game enthusiasts.
Simon Zhu: Unlike some countries and regions with a well-established gaming industry and content creation, China is still at a point where entering the global market incurs significant costs. Moreover, China’s development of PC and console games has yet to accumulate the extensive experience found in other markets. There’s also a knowledge gap regarding Western users’ behaviors and preferences – how they interact with media, social platforms, influencers, and communities remains largely insufficiently understood.
This is why many of the Chinese games that gain attention in the West originate from large companies or are initiatives scaled to considerable levels. The Chinese titles that have made a name for themselves in the PC or console market are typically those backed by substantial financial support, allowing them to promote their games through high-profile events like The Game Awards or other major gaming conventions.
Do you think there exists a certain stigma associated with Asian cultures regarding their appeal to Western gamers, such as the tendency for Asian games to adopt European tropes or characters to achieve a more ‘Western’ feel?
Steven Wu: In my view, the strength of Asian culture lies in its open-mindedness. Both gamers and developers are eager to enjoy and be inspired by remarkable games from other regions. Some Chinese games might also incorporate more Western elements, not solely to attract Western audiences, but because the developers themselves wish to express their admiration for those ideas.
Simon Zhu: Broadly speaking, cultural elements in games aren’t confined to regions or stereotypes. With increasing global trade and cultural blending, we are witnessing far more adaptable representations of these elements in games, regardless of which studios created them. Examples include Ghost of Tsushima (from Sucker Punch Productions, a US studio) and Sifu (developed by Sloclap, a French studio).
“Black Myth: Wukong could pave the way for more games that significantly showcase Chinese culture and traditions, bolstering the confidence of Chinese creators in sharing their unique perspectives across various forms of art.”
Steven Wu, Emina Studio
Jingwei ‘Biaoge’ Fang: I wholeheartedly agree with this notion. It’s noteworthy that many Japanese fantasy RPGs are based on Western mythological worldviews. This might stem from the success of several Western fantasy projects, which have already proven the genre’s popularity. ‘Western’-style games can sufficiently be categorized into many smaller niches, while many ‘Japanese’ narratives remain unexplored.
I believe that more Western gamers will increasingly appreciate Japanese stories, and vice versa. It’s akin to recognizing how our cultures and histories are intertwined in games that are created internationally. For instance, Tot