People try games at the booth of Game Science during Gamescom 2023 in Cologne, Germany, Aug. 23, 2023. (Xinhua/Zhang Fan)
TAIYUAN, Aug. 20 (Xinhua) -- The Monkey King or Sun Wukong, one of the most iconic characters in global fiction, comes to life for fans this Tuesday with the release of the Chinese video game Black Myth: Wukong.
Expressing his excitement, Xu Zhi, a gaming enthusiast from north China's Shanxi Province, said he took a day off just to fully immerse himself in the world of Wukong. "I've been waiting for such a game since I first read Journey to the West as a kid."
No video game has ever stirred such excitement among Chinese youngsters. The domestic triple-A title, which amassed a record 1.2 million pre-orders in just over a month, is based on Sun Wukong, the iconic figure from Journey to the West -- one of China's four great classical novels that was frequently adapted into TV series, movies and games over the years.
Triple-A games are typically defined as high-cost, high-volume, high-quality stand-alone titles, a market currently dominated by Japanese, American and French companies.
Millions of Chinese gaming enthusiasts share the same exhilaration. When the first video for Black Myth: Wukong was released on Bilibili, a leading video platform in China, on August 20, 2020, it garnered over 10 million views within 24 hours.
Fans rejoiced at seeing a well-crafted game virtually rich in Chinese architecture and sculptures for the first time.
China is the largest gaming market in the world, with sales revenue exceeding 300 billion Chinese yuan (about 42 billion U.S. dollars) in 2023.
To craft a truly immersive, world-class game, the game company Game Science spent years capturing footage from historical and cultural sites across China. They used real-world scanning technology to upload digital models of ancient buildings, statues and sculptures into Unreal Engine 5, a real-time 3D creation tool, laying the foundation for an ultra-realistic experience.
Today, these popular sites have become must-visit destinations for young Chinese. In Shanxi, which boasts the highest concentration of historical buildings in China, young visitors are flocking to Yuhuang Temple in Jincheng City. According to Tian Tongtong, a temple staff member, tourism has reached a record high, with about 40 percent of visitors coming because of the game.
"I had no idea that China had such realistic colored statues. I was truly amazed after seeing them," said Pan Qingqing from Shanghai.
According to Yang Qi, chief art director of Game Science, they initially attempted to create original buildings and sculptures but found that existing traditional elements were already incredibly captivating. "So, we focused on reproducing the beauty of these treasures as accurately as possible in the game."
The blend of traditional culture with an interactive gaming experience is more likely to attract youth both domestically and internationally, encouraging them to explore and fall in love with Chinese culture, said Han Xiao, lecturer at the University of International Business and Economics in Beijing.
He noted that even casual gamers around him, including those working in cultural and educational fields, have purchased the game. "Their interest lies not only in the combat itself, but also how the game serves as a novel medium to explore Chinese culture and connect with the young audience."
Inspired by the game's rich cultural elements online, some fans even started performing the game's theme music using traditional instruments.
Not only players at home but also international game enthusiasts are eager to post videos related to Sun Wukong to explore the underlying culture.
"Great games allow players worldwide to exchange experiences and share joy," said Feng Ji, the game's producer and cofounder of Game Science, noting he is glad to receive feedback from game players all over the world.
He said the global attention and praise has surpassed his initial expectations and has further motivated his team to develop more similar products.
"We plan to continue releasing games in the Black Myth series in the future, allowing more people to savor the marvelous and profound traditional culture," Feng said.
2月19日至22日，以“文化艺术交流中俄世代友好”为主题的中俄文化艺术交流周暨冰雪旅游消费季活动在黑龙江省鹤岗市举行，由160名俄罗斯青少年组成的代表团应邀来到鹤岗，与中国青少年开展了一系列 中国经济导报、中国发展网讯 为加快构建“一区三圈四园”产业发展新格局，发挥商务楼宇安商引商的引擎作用，2月21日，《海口市秀英区促进楼宇经济高质量发展扶持政策（试行）》（以下简称《扶持政策》）发布实施， 2月21日，湖北省仙桃市委书记孙道军，市委副书记、代市长熊享涛，会见湖北鼎龙控股股份有限公司董事长朱双全、深圳深创生物医药有限公司董事长马亚平一行，就具体项目开展洽谈。政企双方表示，要务实合作、携 中新经纬2月23日电 (周奕航)“和以往相比，今年的订单量足足翻了四五倍。”山东省菏泽市曹县的汉服加工厂老板陆平(化名)对中新经纬表示。 这个春节，马面裙火了。许多年轻人身穿马面裙，行走在大街小巷、灯展庙会间 福建今年首个核电机组工程开工 中新社漳州2月22日电 (记者 张金川)福建漳州核电3号机组22日开工建设，这是福建今年首台开工建设的核电机组，标志着漳州核电二期工程建设序幕全面拉开。 据悉，此次开工的二期工程 中新经纬2月22日电 证监会辽宁监管局网站22日消息，经查，辽宁中鑫华资产评估事务所(有限合伙)从事证券服务业务，未按规定向中国证券监督管理委员会备案。 辽宁证监局认为，以上行为违反了《证券服务机构从事证券服务 。本文链接：Interactive game featuring Monkey King gains immense popularityhttp://www.sushuapos.com/show-5-25498-0.html
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