Over 1.5 billion RMB! "Black Myth: Wukong" goes viral, but players complain it's "too difficult, discouraging", reporter dies 10 times fighting BOSS! Chinese game impresses foreign netizens, some urgently read the original work

On August 20th, the highly anticipated first domestic 3A game "Black Myth: Wukong" was globally launched. According to the statistics of the national game bestseller list, as of the evening of the 20th, it had sold over 3 million copies on Steam alone. Including sales on WeGame, Epic, and PS platforms, the total sales exceeded 4.5 million copies, with total revenue exceeding 1.5 billion RMB.

"Do you worry that it might not meet everyone's expectations?" The day before the global launch of "Black Myth: Wukong," when facing questions from Xinhua News Agency reporters, the founder of Game Science, CEO, and producer of "Black Myth: Wukong," Feng Ji, pondered for a few seconds before replying, "I worry every day, at least it has troubled me for four years."

Now, the enthusiastic feedback from the market may make Feng Ji's worries "a bit unnecessary."

Starting from 10 a.m. on August 20th, the numbers on the Steam platform kept jumping. Within an hour, the rallying call of millions of players had been sounded. On the WeGame platform, "Black Myth: Wukong" also quickly topped the new product list and bestseller list, with over 500,000 followers. Related content also quickly landed on Douyin, Weibo, Bilibili, and other major platforms, trending and flooding friends' circles.

"Black Myth: Wukong" has brought hope to domestic games." Internet analyst Ding Daoshi said in an interview with "Daily Economic News" that over the past 20 years, we have repeatedly hoped that domestic games could rise in terms of production, but have been disappointed time and time again. This has made many capital and game teams reluctant to venture into the development of domestic 3A games, even giants like Tencent and NetEase are hesitant to enter easily.

The popularity of "Black Myth: Wukong" has also spread to the capital market. On that day, the game's publisher, ZHEJIANG PUBLISHING & MEDIA, hit the limit up, and Huayi Brothers, which indirectly holds shares in Game Science, also rose by over 19%.

In the eyes of many industry insiders, this will inspire more practitioners to enter this industry. More practitioners will be rooted in Chinese traditional culture, such as the Four Great Classical Novels, Jin Yong's martial arts novels, "Fengshen Bang," and so on. They will use these traditional cultural IPs and adopt world-class production standards to polish games. In the future, we may see a large number of 3A games based on Chinese culture emerge.

However, amidst the praise, there are also "discouraging" reviews. Many players have given "too difficult" and "hell-level difficulty for beginners" evaluations of "Black Myth: Wukong." In response, reporters from "Daily Economic News" also experienced the game firsthand

1-hour rally of millions of players "Steam hasn't crashed for a long time"

At 10:00 am on August 20th, "Black Myth: Wukong" was officially unlocked. Subsequently, the Steam server experienced a crash. Many netizens tried to enter the game for the first time but found themselves unable to do so.

At the same time, the number of players online in the game also reached new highs. According to the game's online player rankings refreshed every 15 minutes on the Steam platform, at 10:20, the online player count for "Black Myth: Wukong" reached 312,600, ranking third on the Steam hot play list; at 10:35, with 935,700 online players, "Black Myth: Wukong" surpassed "CS2" to take the top spot.

"The server crashed, Steam hasn't crashed for a long time." Some netizens joked.

Image Source: Steam Screenshot

Meanwhile, searching for "Black Myth: Wukong" on Douyin reveals its related activities column. Many gaming influencers with millions of followers are also live streaming links to play "Black Myth: Wukong."

Additionally, in the live streaming section of Bilibili, there is a dedicated column for "Black Myth: Wukong," and gaming influencers are acting as "fate players" in their live streams. The journalist also observed that many gaming influencers' live streams have WeGame or third-party store Steam "Black Myth: Wukong" redemption codes available.

"Riding the Monkey to Rise," Capital Market Stirring Speculation Craze "Wukong" Goes Global, Former Blizzard President: Very Excited

The "fire" of "Black Myth: Wukong" has also spread to the capital market. On the first day of its launch, amidst a market where nearly 4600 stocks were falling, related concept stocks bucked the trend and surged. Qitian Technology hit the limit up, Huayi Brothers rose over 19%. In addition, CITIC Publishing, ZHEJIANG PUBLISHING & MEDIA opened limit up, Zhishang Technology, and Liyade followed suit.

Specifically, there are reports that CITIC Publishing will participate in publishing the setting collection of "Black Myth: Wukong." In response to this, a staff member from the securities department of CITIC Publishing responded to the media that CITIC Publishing is one of the companies producing peripheral products for "Black Myth: Wukong" and will publish a setting collection for this game. The setting collection is tentatively scheduled to be released around November. The company has signed relevant contracts, but there is currently no more information to disclose, and future announcements will be subject to the company's official statements.

Furthermore, ZHEJIANG PUBLISHING & MEDIA's Zhejiang Publishing Group Digital Media Co., Ltd. is the publisher of "Black Myth: Wukong," responsible for game content review, publishing application, and publication number application work. Huayi Brothers indirectly holds shares in the game company Even Shanxi Expressway (SZ000755) saw a rapid surge in stock price in the afternoon, hitting the limit up. Netizens explained that many scenes in "Black Myth: Wukong" are set in Shanxi, but these locations are relatively scattered, suggesting a self-driving tour, hence benefiting Shanxi Expressway.

Actual in-game screenshot of "Black Myth: Wukong" Source: Every reporter Zhang Zitong

The gaming industry's anticipation for "Black Myth: Wukong" is not only reflected in discussions about the game itself. On the official launch day of August 20th, some companies even "retraced the journey to the West" with their families.

Gamera Game, the domestic game distributor of "Dyson Sphere Program," announced the suspension of work for a day on Tuesday, August 20th, due to "force majeure." To ensure that employees are not at a loss, Gamera will gift everyone a digital deluxe edition of "Black Myth: Wukong."

"Black Myth: Wukong," this "Journey to the West" game, has also gained popularity overseas, stunning foreign netizens with Chinese mythology and impacting the Western gaming industry.

Foreign netizens have expressed, "This is a visual feast," "Perfect presentation of Chinese mythology," and "Attracts people to understand the legendary stories within." According to Red Star News, some foreign players urgently read the original "Journey to the West" to better understand "Black Myth: Wukong."

Former Blizzard president Mike Morhaime recently shared the final trailer of "Black Myth: Wukong" on his personal social media on August 8th, stating, "This game excites me, it seems to further drive the hardware industry's development. I am delighted that developers from the East have released some incredible games, and I can't wait to play this game this month."

Is the new game's difficulty "hellish"? Producer: "Newbies" can play, the key is to be serious

Amidst the praise, there are also "discouraging" reviews.

"This is heaven's punishment for idiots trying to gain popularity." A player exclaimed after playing. It was found on social platforms that many players described "Black Myth: Wukong" as "too difficult" and having a "hellish difficulty level" for newcomers. In terms of game design, the game does not offer difficulty options, so all players can only "grit their teeth" and play through Players complain that they are "killed within 10 seconds of starting a fight" and even trend on Baidu.

From the perspective of the combat system, the game requires players to master positioning, rolling (dodging), and other complex operations, as well as manage resources such as stamina effectively.

For players who are new to ARPG (Action Role-Playing Games), this may be quite a challenge. Taking the "Specter" boss as an example, its attack patterns are diverse, including melee, mid-range, and long-range attacks, posing a substantial threat to novice players. This design not only tests players' reaction speed but also their tactical strategies.

"Overall, the game has a relatively high learning curve. For players who have not previously played action role-playing games, the initial gameplay may be accompanied by a period of pain and self-doubt," said Bilibili game influencer Gao Fei (alias) to reporters.

In addition to complaints about the difficulty, some players have also given positive feedback.

"What impressed me the most about the game is the level and system design. Each major chapter map in the game is interconnected, cleverly and naturally designed, reducing the traditional backdoor and elevator designs found in other games. At the same time, the game maintains the framework of an action game in its growth system, without introducing too many RPG elements. The equipment system is simple, leveling up only grants skill points, and skill growth is not complicated," said a veteran ARPG game enthusiast to a reporter from "Daily Economic News."

On August 20th, reporters from "Daily Economic News" also tested the game firsthand. The experience revealed that players only receive skill points when leveling up, rather than continuously increasing numerical values, maintaining balance in the game. The skill growth system avoids lengthy and mostly useless talent trees, providing diversity and choice. The growth elements in the game are well controlled throughout the entire gameplay process, offering rich diversity. Even many experienced developers may find it challenging to achieve such a level.

Actual gameplay screenshot of "Black Myth: Wukong" Source: Reporter Zhang Zitong for Every Economic News

In terms of the game's difficulty itself, taking one Boss (a very outstanding and rare powerful enemy) as an example, during the reporter's experience, it was found that in terms of action modes, it possessed a combination of melee, mid-range, and long-range skills. Although its attack intensity and frequency were not very high during confrontation, once in battle, the difficulty of evasion was quite significant, especially with the long-range three-hit combo, which had a wide attack range and irregular release rhythm. If not familiar, it is easy to be continuously defeated. For novice players, its attack power is high, often forcing players to retreat and use healing items, making them vulnerable to long-range three-hit combos Game Over Screen

Therefore, during the actual testing process, the reporter also felt a kind of "more anxious as the battle goes on". As a player with some experience in soul-like games, even though I understand that its difficulty is not that high, I still encountered repeated setbacks in both attack and defense, and gradually became "red-hot" after dying 10 times, at one point stopping to pick up my phone to find other similar "resonances" to relieve the sudden sense of frustration.

It is worth mentioning that the game producer Feng Ji seems to have anticipated the challenge for beginners. Five hours before the global release of "Black Myth: Wukong," which is at 5 a.m. on August 20, Feng Ji posted on Weibo:

"In the last year before the release, what I discussed the most with the planners was how to increase the flexibility and tolerance of the game difficulty. Yes, we want both. We want each important enemy character to be respected, but we also don't want to deter newbies who like the appearance of the Black Monkey because the enemies are too fierce and the levels are too malicious. I often recall how I went from zero to loving some seemingly difficult games. What did they do right to make me obsessed, and what designs made me want to delete the game directly. Can a complete action newbie play our game well? Today, my answer is, definitely yes."

Game scientist and CEO Feng Ji. Image source: Feng Ji Weibo

In the above post, Feng Ji further provides psychological preparation and "comfort" for new players: "Of course, the game is not simple, but it is by no means as unbeatable as you think. If you don't have a controller, use a keyboard and mouse. If you're stuck here, go there. Can't find the way, just wander around. Don't understand how to play, maybe take a look at the story. You can do anything, the only key point is: be serious. This is not because I have some kind of seriousness compulsion, but because the healthy joy in this world is often born from seriousness. The magic of a good game lies in being able to immerse yourself in the present; the essence of immersing in the present must be a period of selfless serious experience."

A New Example of "Cultural Overseas Expansion"?

The game "Black Myth: Wukong" has caused a huge sensation in the domestic gaming industry. Besides the technical strength and gameplay design of the game itself, the game's close adherence to the theme of the Chinese classic literature "Journey to the West" has also captivated many players.

From the perspective of the story text, the narrative of "Black Myth: Wukong" is not limited to the traditional text of "Journey to the West", but draws on the essence of various literary works including the 1986 TV series "Journey to the West" and the movie "A Chinese Odyssey". The game creates a multi-layered, multi-perspective narrative system, allowing players to discover different versions of the "truth" and experience unexpected plot twists.

Image Source: Official screenshot of "Black Myth: Wukong"

"For players familiar with Chinese traditional culture and 'Journey to the West', every detail in the game can bring a sense of decryption pleasure," Gao Fei told reporters. The game world constructs a background of chaos and decadence, allowing players to experience a "Rashomon"-style narrative full of deceit. This deep cultural experience enables players to have a deeper understanding and appreciation of Chinese traditional culture while enjoying the game.

In Ding Daoshi's view, the success of the game "Black Myth: Wukong" further demonstrates the importance of games as a carrier for cultural export. By using the traditional Chinese story of "Journey to the West" as its foundation and incorporating exquisite visuals, rich plotlines, and unique gameplay, the game has attracted the attention of players worldwide. In doing so, it invisibly expands the influence of China's Four Great Classical Novels globally, allowing more people to understand and fall in love with Chinese traditional culture.

"Embarking on the journey to the West is more important than reaching the Mountain of Flowers and Fruits." Perhaps as Feng Ji said in the interview, regardless of the feedback "Black Myth: Wukong" receives from players, the Chinese gaming industry has indeed taken a solid step forward.

Authors: Li Zhuo, Zhang Zitong (Intern), Li Yutong (Intern), Source: National Business Daily, Original Title: "Over 1.5 Billion Yuan! 'Wukong' Goes Viral, Some Players Complain 'Too Difficult, Discouraging', Journalist Dies 10 Times Fighting Boss! Chinese Game Amazes Foreign Netizens, Some Urgently Read the Original Work"