China has been a colossus of gaming for the better part of a decade. Spurred on by the Chinese market’s love of mobile games, developers who’ve been able to make it big in China have often found success in mobile app stores everywhere else in the world.
Despite the people power, technical skill availability, and track record of crafting popular games of all formats that have spread around the world, China’s yet to stake its major claim in triple-A gaming. On 20 August, that will change. Black Myth: Wukong from Game Science looks set to put China on the premium games map.
A penchant for creating global games
China is often cited as the origin of many different kinds of games that have become globally enjoyed over the centuries. You could look to mah-jongg and its 19th-century origins, the idea of poker hailing back to a domino-card game played in the 10th century, and even one of the most popular dice games around.
Sic Bo has gone from being an ancient Chinese game played with three dice on a table to one of the most prominent gambling dice games of live casinos. Simplicity and accessibility have been a big part of the rise of these games – especially with Sic Bo. In the dice game, you bet on all of the different outcomes on the table, the dealer shakes the dice in a closed container, and then the dice determine which bets win.
Similarly, in mobile gaming, simple mechanic loops and the convenience of being on smartphones have enabled Chinese-made games to become global hits. Of the most lucrative mobile games in the world, you’ve got the likes of Honor of Kings, Honkai: Star Rail, and Genshin Impact all remaining in the top ten and, in the case of the former two, topping the charts.
The first big leap into premium gaming
So, there’s a lot riding on Black Myth: Wukong as the first real leap into the premium gaming space. Luckily for Game Science, the game has had a tremendous amount of hype and momentum generated around it since its reveal in August 2020. From that first pre-alpha gameplay trailer, people have been sold on it.
The publisher allowing critics and game news outlets to try and write about Black Myth: Wukong has also helped to keep the conversation going. Despite it being announced four years ago, the game hasn’t faded or been forgotten about. Naturally, the strong trailers and gameplay experienced by writers have been a huge help.
Better still, Black Myth: Wukong doesn’t look set to adopt the most premium price tag of £70 as many other new releases have. On Steam, it’s currently listed for pre-purchase at £50. In terms of the triple-A space, this will make it a much more accessible game and will likely help its sales further.
Black Myth: Wukong will officially test the waters for Chinese-made triple-A games. Achieving strong sales after so much hype should bode well for other plans for premium games hailing from China, like Lost Soul Aside and Wuchang: Fallen Feathers.
