Opinion | Why China’s video gaming industry needs more titles like Black Myth: Wukong

China has long had an uneasy relationship with video games.

But that tension magically dissolved with the arrival of Black Myth: Wukong, probably the most successful computer game ever made in China. The so-called AAA title, which took “a lot of time, a lot of money and a lot of resources” to make, has not only been a huge success commercially, but also politically.

The government has many reasons to endorse Wukong. The game is, first of all, totally Chinese. Its plot is adapted from Journey to the West, one of the four greatest works of Chinese classic literature. Its central protagonist, the Monkey King, is a household name in the country. The game contains images of real Chinese temples and relics, and plays Chinese folk music in the background.

For many players, the game is an unprecedented digital masterpiece that is steeped in Chinese culture. Its popularity among overseas players has fanned hopes that the game could become a powerful tool for boosting China’s soft power on the global stage.

Wukong has broken long-standing norms in the domestic game industry.

Chinese social media is abound with video clips showing fathers getting help from their teenage children to defeat the game’s bosses, even though these appear to be contradictory to mainland regulations limiting children under 18 to playing video games for three hours a week from Friday to Sunday.

The significance of Wukong’s success is that it has elevated video gaming to the status it deserves. It has greatly boosted the morale of China’s gaming industry, as Wukong has shown them the possibility that creativity can be rewarded, both financially and politically. This is a luxury that was once out of reach for most of the country’s video gaming industry talent. For many years, China’s game developers and entrepreneurs were regarded as morally questionable.

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Who is the Monkey King ‘Wukong’ in China’s hit AAA video game?

Who is the Monkey King ‘Wukong’ in China’s hit AAA video game?

Wukong received its licence in February this year. Who knows what would have happened if it did not get the approval in time?

For the Chinese video gaming industry, Wukong is a belated beacon of hope. The market is reaching, if not already reached, its peak due to the shrinking youth population and weak consumer spending. Big titles like Wukong, which usually require many dedicated hours to play, are going out of fashion, with gamers choosing to spend more time and money on smartphone titles.

For all these reasons, the success of Wukong is worth celebrating. But let’s not forget, China’s gaming industry still needs more titles like Wukong to flourish.