Wukong, China’s blockbuster blowing gaming out of the water
The Straits Times
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I have a video game problem. After finishing my last university paper many moons back, I came home, unwrapped the third-person action adventure God of War, and proceeded to do battle with Mount Olympus on my Playstation 2 for six straight hours.
It was mind-numbing and something I will never attempt again, at least not as a self-respecting professional and time-starved mum of a one-year old today. Still, I will admit, there was something oddly cathartic about it: the intriguing storyline and easy gameplay fueled a sense of escapism. It was like discovering a whole new world on a six-hour trek.
These memories came flooding back as I watched snippets of gamers walking viewers through Black Myth: Wukong this week. The sheer volume of such YouTube videos suggest many in China really did take up their employers’ offer for time-off to play the new game, inspired by the story of the Monkey King that attains godlike powers and becomes a deity.
What explains its astounding success? Quite simply, so many across Asia grew up with a variant of the Journey to the West myth, explains one columnist.
The recognition given to Wukong marks a turnaround for China’s gaming industry, which has faced regulatory crackdowns in recent years, our correspondent Lim Min Zhang writes from Beijing.
Every country wants a piece of the lucrative global video game industry, where revenues in 2022 have surpassed that of the film and music industries combined. Here in Singapore, we have set our sights on South-east Asia’s market, with the annual Gamescom Asia bringing together 30,000 from the industry each year, as tech reporter Osmond Chia highlights.
But while we are a hub for video game titans like Ubisoft and Riot Games, homegrown developers face an uphill climb, as Life reporter Kai Xiang Teo discovers.
There is also a dark underside to this growth. Bullying is prevalent, as online gaming blurs with reality and massive multiplayer games bring strangers together. One in two youths here game daily, most for more than two hours each time.
Steam, Discord and many other gaming platforms have also become platforms for radicalisation.
When it comes to video games, I am 14 years sober but very tempted to give this new Wukong a try. Moderation and control are key but the goal isn’t to snuff out the love of gaming but to realise real life happens outside of our virtual realities. It probably helps that my employer won’t give me any time off for this monkey business.
Until next week, here are my picks of the week to get yours started.
Cheers,
Suling Lin , Senior columnist
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Problem Solver | Community Builder | ex-Non Profit Leader | ex-Private Equity | Accidental Athlete | The Best is Yet to Be
3 个月Between Ma La and Wu Kong This game revives the Monkey God, a classic figure in Chinese mythology, and offers a new interactive experience that blends traditional heritage with modern gaming technology. The excitement around the game highlights how contemporary media can breathe new life into cultural icons, making them more accessible and engaging for today's audience. The idea of controlling the fate of such an iconic character through gameplay marks a powerful evolution in storytelling, one that bridges the gap between the old and new, resonating strongly with the rising influence of Chinese culture globally. The Chinese have landed!
Solventum Dental Solutions | Strategy & Business Effectiveness | ASIA
3 个月It's amazing to have a shared cultural experience - in 2024 - with literally tens of millions of people across generations and geographies. I was also delighted to learn last week that across southeast asia, the source material is almost universally known and loved among non-Chinese communities as well.
Content Stategist | Digital Marketer
3 个月OMG, give it a try! The storyline is impressive!