Introduction: The release of Black Myth: Wukong, a AAA video game from the Game Science studio that is based on the classic Chinese novel Journey to the West was a huge success. The game reached both commercial milestones and critical acclaim quickly after its August 20 launch. But, during the first 24 hours post-launch and several days after that, the game continued to reach new levels of success and even managed to carve out a spot for itself in the history of video games.
Article: The gaming landscape in the previous couple of years has been highly influenced by the rise and expansion of multiplayer online audiences. On a global level, competitive multiplayer games usually get most of the media attention, as well as a big chunk of the entire video game industry revenue. No matter if these games are based on photo realistic graphics and modern warfare, like Call of Duty: Warzone, or if they take a completely different approach, like Fall Guys, for example, the principle of mass participation and continued competitiveness remains the same. All big game development companies are also more or less determined to either continue to support their multiplayer franchises or to develop brand-new ones for the same market. Because of this, many industry experts began pointing out that other games, mainly single-player premium titles, have an increasingly hard time covering their costs. Even with top-tier pricing of 60 USD or even 70 USD, a AAA video game that took three or four years to develop would have to make dozens of millions of USD in sales to cover production expenses. In a day and age where so many gamers seemingly want to endlessly compete against each other – or with each other – this model of premium single-player games has been coming under ever-stronger pressure.
Game Science Project
A recent game from the Chinese developer Game Science turned that set of ideas on its head. The title, which is based on the classical novel of Chinese literature called Journey to the West, offers a strange and beautiful world filled with creatures that are beyond inventive. In it, the players take the role of Monkey King, or Sun Wukong, as he traverses the same world and defeats his powerful enemies. The game also provides many seemingly irresistible elements for the global audience and most importantly, offers a pure single-player, story-based experience. It features no multiplayer elements whatsoever. But, instead of being overshadowed by multiplayer titles, this game managed to get one of the best launch days in the history of Steam and overall PC and console gaming. It shattered records and mesmerized players in China and the rest of the world. By doing that, it offered a glimpse into the resurgence of AAA single-player games, as well as a radical change in the global gaming landscape.
Black Myth: Wukong Basics
The studio behind the game is a Chinese-based development team by the name of Game Science. Previously, the company, which was established in 2014, worked on free-to-play MMORPGs and it released several mobile games. However, in 2018, Game Science moved onto a AAA game project, and in 2020, it revealed that it was the Black Myth: Wukong. Based on Unreal Engine, the game’s initial teaser trailer offered a glimpse into the third-person game with face-paced combat, but which took place in a truly incredible environment. This was supplanted by the rich history and characters of the novel Journey to the West, which is considered one of the classical tales of humanity’s literature and one of the great Chinese novels. Over the course of four years, Game Science polished its game, entered a massive localization process that translated it from Chinese to English, and updated the technology to make it as presentable as possible, without making it rely too much on the latest generation of graphic cards. In terms of gameplay, the title has some souls-like elements but is more akin to a classic action adventure with a unique system of skills and spells that the players can use. The result of combining all of these elements was an innovative, unusual, rich, and highly satisfying gaming experience, all tied neatly into the genre of classic single-player games.
Release Day Success
The game established plenty of media attention and gaming hype before its release. Among its fans were names like the legendary game designer Hideo Kojima, along with countless others. So, when it finally got its launch on August 20, 2024, the expectations of the gaming public were high. Incredibly, these were not just met but also overcame what Game Science envisioned in their most ambitious plans. While the game had some technical issues like gameplay bugs and missing localizations where cutscenes and other narrative segments reverted into Chinese, the gaming public was more than pleased with the release. On its first day, Black Myth: Wukong attained 2.2 million concurrent players on Steam, overcoming games like Counter-Strike 2 and many other multiplayer titles. On social media and streaming services, the content creator focused on the game as well, where the live streams of the game became the most viewed in China and elsewhere. Even the game’s physical editions were in extremely high demand – according to retailer data, some 700,000 individuals signed up to purchase the game’s limited physical box set. However, only 30,000 of those were available for purchase. Then, on August 23, the developers of the game announced that they surpassed the figure of 10 million units sold across all platforms, making Black Myth: Wukong one of the fastest-selling titles of all time.
Impact of Black Myth: Wukong
Author: Ivica Milaric, game designer and assistant professor of game design at the Novi Sada Academy of Arts, Republic of Serbia