Published : 29/08/2024
As China's first AAA game masterpiece, the newly released video game "Black Myth: Wukong" (黑神話：悟空) gets highly popular and has achieved stunning sales numbers.
"Black Myth: Wukong" is developed by the team from "Game Science" (遊戲科學), and according to its CEO, Feng Ji (馮驥), the huge success has given the team sufficient confidence to continue to delve into traditional cultural themes and keep this trend "hot".
Black Myth: Wukong｜Feng Ji: Willing to burn ourselves, but not like moths to a flame
In 2014, Feng Ji, along with several former colleagues, left Tencent and subsequently co-founded "Game Science".
From "100 Heros" (百將行) to "Red Tide" (紅潮), Game Science has already produced two mobile games before the launch of "Black Myth: Wukong", earning their "first barrel of gold".
However, Feng Ji believes that the company would eventually make a single-player game, but the timing was not right and funds were not yet ready, and thus they were waiting.
"We are willing to burn ourselves, but we are not a group of moths flying towards the fire," said Feng.
After experiencing success, Feng Ji laid down five core principles for the production of Game Science's products, including to develop an "immersive growth-driven gameplay" and insist on "high-quality graphics".
Black Myth: Wukong｜Chinese market maturing with players craving quality new games
By 2016, Feng Ji felt that the time had finally come, as market research found that nearly one-third of active users on Steam, the world's largest game distribution platform, were from China.
In other words, just the huge number of Chinese players alone were growing weary of mobile games and online games of varying quality, and were actively seeking high-quality new games.
Feng Ji stated that at the time when foreign standalone games started, domestic purchasing power and technological level were limited. When the internet era arrived, online games quickly became mainstream, and standalone games were seen as niche with few teams willing to develop them.
However, in the past 10 years, the purchasing power and individualised consumption demand of the Chinese people have been continuously improving, requiring higher levels from game products.
On the technical level, the development tools available on the market have matured enough to support a Chinese product that matches international top-class standards.
To the outside world, developing a domestically produced AAA game from scratch seems like a bold experiment by a group of idealists.
However, Feng Ji believed that the team did not get to where they are today solely on the passion for ideals. Rather, they are a pragmatic team seeking sustainable development in business.
"To realise the passion of idealism requires the effort of realism. Just like journeying to the west for scriptures, the most important thing is to take the first step."
Black Myth: Wukong｜Telling Chinese stories using the excellent cultural core of "Journey to the West"
Regarding the decision to use material from "Journey to the West" (西遊記), Feng Ji explained in an interview that before the decision, he did not consider whether "Journey to the West" was a popular or outdated theme, but rather, whether he would feel excited thinking about "Journey to the West".
Feng is also clear that Chinese players are very "discerning" and cannot be expected to blindly support something just because labels such as "traditional culture" or "national product" are attached.
Feng Ji believes that when telling good Chinese stories to Chinese players and even to foreign audiences, it should be like giving a gift - something forced may not be liked, but if decorated and packaged with stunning graphics and special effects, it can pique interest.
In the end, when they open the packaging, they will naturally appreciate the most touching thing, which is the excellent cultural core.
Even after "Black Myth: Wukong" sparked a craze, gaming enthusiasts in China and abroad eagerly posted their interpretations of the plot and Chinese culture.
Although some of the content was not entirely accurate, Feng Ji didn't mind, "A game is a product that allows players from all over the world to exchange experiences and share joy, and we welcome different voices."
Read More: Black Myth: Wukong｜Thanks to art director Yang Qi's cultural confidence