From East to West: 'Black Myth: Wukong's' Journey in Transcending Cultural Barriers

南方财经全媒体记者 见习记者梁旭琦 广州报道

Bathed in the glow of his radiant armor and gripping a staff that dances with mystical flames, Wukong sets forth on an epic odyssey in "Black Myth: Wukong". As he confronts towering deities and uncovers age-old secrets, each step forward challenges his fortitude, plunging him into a labyrinth of celestial conspiracies and monumental conflicts.

On August 20th, the highly anticipated AAA title "Black Myth: Wukong" officially launched, instantly capturing the internet's spotlight. Drawing from the rich tapestry of Chinese mythology, this game seamlessly integrates the cultural narrative of "Journey to the West" with state-of-the-art gaming technology, incorporating elements of intangible cultural heritage such as Shaanbei narrative singing. It also features advanced digital mapping of historic sites like the Jade Emperor Temple in Shanxi and the Dazu Rock Carvings in Chongqing.

With profound Chinese cultural nuances, "Black Myth: Wukong" swiftly garnered attention from international markets and gamers, achieving an impressive Steam approval rating of over 95%.

A Milestone for Chinese Gaming Innovation

On its release night, the game reached a peak of 2.22 million concurrent players on Steam, overtaking the previous year's hit "Phantom Beast Paru" to become the second-highest concurrently played game in Steam's history. Domestic sales data as of August 20th shows over 3 million copies sold on Steam alone, with total sales surpassing 4.5 million copies and revenue exceeding 1.5 billion across multiple platforms.

Goldman Sachs emphasized that this landmark success represents a seminal moment for Chinese game developers. As the largest gaming market globally, China's gaming revenue exceeded 300 billion yuan in 2023, primarily from mobile games. Yet, the AAA gaming sector has been dominated by companies from Japan, the U.S., and France until now.

This launch marks the first time a Chinese developer has entered the global market with a AAA title, highlighting the advanced production capabilities of Chinese developers beyond mobile gaming. Goldman Sachs hailed this as a major turning point for the Chinese console gaming industry, predicting that "Black Myth: Wukong" could sell over 12 million copies on Steam, potentially generating revenues exceeding 3 billion yuan. In the most optimistic scenario, sales could reach 20 million copies, equating to revenues of over 5 billion yuan. This success is poised to attract further investment into China's growing AAA gaming sector.

Yang Aili, Chief Analyst of Media and Internet at CITIC Securities, noted that while a typical AAA game production generally requires about 300 people, Game Science, the company behind "Black Myth: Wukong", achieved this with just 150. This defies traditional perceptions that significant resource, capital, and manpower investments are necessary for success in the gaming industry. Yang highlighted this achievement as demonstrative of the gaming industry's transformative potential, driven by the creativity and innovation of its producers and designers. This serves as a potent reminder that even startups, without the scale of major gaming companies, can deliver high-quality, recognized games through exceptional creativity and effective execution.

Merges Traditional Culture with Modern Gaming

"Black Myth: Wukong" is lauded not only for its exceptional game design but also for its meticulous recreation of traditional Chinese architecture, positioning it as a vibrant channel for promoting Chinese culture. Across various social media platforms, numerous users share their personal experiences and photographs from these historic sites. Music enthusiasts perform the game's theme song, while literary fans engage in deep analyses of classic characters and tales from "Journey to the West", sparking a significant increase in interest in traditional Chinese culture.

According to the "2024 China Game Industry Report" for the first half of the year, domestically developed games have reached overseas revenues of $8.554 billion, marking a year-on-year growth of 4.24%. As these games expand internationally, classic IPs such as "Three Kingdoms" and "Journey to the West" have ignited fresh enthusiasm worldwide.

As traditional cultural IPs venture into international markets, they must both preserve their core cultural essence and innovate beyond conventional stereotypes. "Black Myth: Wukong" exemplifies this strategy by seamlessly blending traditional Chinese cultural elements with contemporary gaming technology within a cohesive gaming framework. Yang asserts that Game Science has set a commendable standard for the industry.

"Traditional Chinese culture provides a treasure trove of content that resonates effortlessly with Chinese players," Yang notes. "However, the critical challenge is making these culturally rich IPs accessible and appealing to a global audience. To some extent, Game Science has embraced a universal visual and technical language that promotes global resonance with their game."

Yang maintains that for Chinese content companies aiming to go global, it is crucial to highlight distinctly Chinese cultural elements. Additionally, when considering the global distribution and potential international impact of their products, they should adopt a narrative style and language that universally resonates.

Liu Xuefei, Deputy Director of the Research Institute for Hong Kong, Macao, and Regional Development at the China Development Institute, emphasizes that the triumph of "Black Myth: Wukong" stems from its innovative integration of traditional Chinese culture with modern gaming technology. This approach has successfully transcended traditional methods of cultural dissemination, presenting technology and culture in a format that is relatable and accessible to a global audience.

Furthermore, Liu points out that "Black Myth: Wukong" revitalizes traditional culture with its outstanding graphics, intricate narrative design, and immersive interactive experiences, thereby enhancing its allure in international markets. "By reimagining classic tales and characters from 'Journey to the West,' the game breathes new life into ancient stories, giving players an active role in cultural engagement," Liu explains. "This dynamic interaction fosters a deeper identification with and appreciation for Chinese culture among players."

Kong Rong, Co-Director of the Tianfeng Global Forward-Looking Industry Research Institute, described "Black Myth: Wukong" as an exhilarating cultural phenomenon that has significantly influenced the A-share market and demonstrated notable international clout. This game has generated a "breakthrough" effect, introducing new opportunities across the entire media sector and boosting investor expectations for the future of the content industry. The impact of this game is not limited to Chinese gaming products but extends to the global promotion of various Chinese cultural products, signifying a significant advancement in the quality and standards of Chinese content.