Magical cultural magic from an ancient country in the East: “Black Myth: Wukong” is approved for sale in Taiwan

This article comes from the original link of Vents Magazine:

https://ventsmagazine.com/2024/10/24/magical-cultural-magic-from-an-ancient-country-in-the-east-black-myth-wukong-is-approved-for-sale-in-taiwan/

On Oct 11, Chinese AAA game “Black Myth: Wukong” was approved for sale in Taiwan after two months for sales.

Before the Taiwan PS series version has not been reviewed, players can only download through the game platform Steam, or choose to cross the region to Hong Kong ,Japan or other areas to buy it. Taiwanese players expect for the game that carried elements of classical Chinese culture. Not only that, more and more countries around the world have a sense of identity with traditional Chinese culture. To date, the game has sold more than 21 million units on Steam and grossed more than $1 billion.

The game is modeled on Journey to the West, one of the four great classics of Chinese literature.”Monkey” is called “Shen Monkey” in the Chinese zodiac. The monkey is clever, it is often regarded as a symbol of good luck and wealth In New Year pictures and folk art. Therefore, monkeys are a frequent feature in ancient Chinese literature and art works, and Sun Wukong is a classic representative of monkey characters. He is smart, brave, loyal and just. Such a likeable character is easily followed by young people who love to play games.

“Black Myth: Wukong” has triggered a worldwide craze for westward travel. A few days ago, SONY employees at the Star Game Awards game competition site revealed that the sales of “Black Myth” outside China has reached 6 million copies, accounting for more than 25% of the total sales. This figure directly contradicts the stereotype that only Chinese people enjoy the game. According to the Steam store page, as of press time, the game has received 701,650 reviews, and of the 88,605 player reviews in the past 30 days, 97% are positive.

Journey to the West books and TV series have also generated a new round of dissemination. Many youtubers visit the locations where “Black Myth” was set. “Actually there is such a place,””every detail is amazing,””I won’t leave here,” An Italian blogger marveled at the beauty of the ancient buildings at Xiaoxitian, Shanxi Province, one of the filming locations. Many netizens joined the “Shanxi tour” craze through online platforms. Data show that after the launch of the “Black Myth” game, the search volume of the “Shanxi Province” entry on the TikTok platform has increased dramatically, and the related videos of “follow Wukong to Shanxi” have also caught more wealth. Of course, “Black Myth: Wukong” goes international not only to promote their culture, but also to integrate with international tastes. British voice actor James Alexander was invited to play Yin Tiger in the English voice. The creators of the game encouraged him to keep the “Birmingham” accent in the character, because the “Birmingham” accent can convey a deep sense of humility, oppression and threat. This example will better integrate Chinese culture with international culture and show the charm of cross-cultural communication.