Chinese Triple-A Video Game "Black Myth: Wukong" Smashes Pre-Order Records by 16x, Set to Revolutionise Chinese Gaming Market
"Black Myth: Wukong" receives 16 times more pre-orders than expected. Developed by Game Science and backed by Tencent Holdings. Deluxe edition pre-orders reach 160,000 within hours on JD.com.
Developed by Shenzhen-based studio Game Science and backed by Tencent Holdings, the game is based on the classic Chinese novel "Journey to the West" and has captured the attention of gamers nationwide.
The deluxe edition of "Black Myth: Wukong," priced at 1,998 yuan (US$276), which includes online access to the game and souvenirs, was made available on JD.com, a popular e-commerce platform. Within a few hours, the total pre-orders reached a staggering 160,000, far exceeding the initial supply. This huge response reflects the game's immense popularity.
"Black Myth: Wukong" is set to be released on August 20 for Windows and Sony's PlayStation 5 and is classified as a high-budget, high-profile game manufactured and distributed by recognised publishers. These games frequently become blockbusters due to their enormous popularity.
Despite the game's success, Game Science has yet to reveal the development cost of "Black Myth: Wukong." However, the high pre-order figures reflect pent-up demand in mainland China, which has been building since the studio's initial release of a 13-minute demo film of the game in August 2020. The video swiftly racked over 10 million views on Chinese video-sharing site Bilibili and nearly 2 million on YouTube.
The latest demo video for "Black Myth: Wukong" in 2022 has already received an astonishing 21 million views on Bilibili. The game will be available on both Tencent's gaming portal, WeGame, and the popular online gaming platform, Steam.
Meng Fanjie, a mainland Chinese video gamer who pre-ordered the physical deluxe edition of "Black Myth: Wukong," has high anticipation for the game and plans to play it on his PlayStation console. He referred to it as the first true masterpiece of Chinese video gaming and expressed his support.
In Hong Kong, the game's physical deluxe edition costs HK$2,151 (US$275), while the normal version costs HK$298 and the digital deluxe edition costs HK$368. The overwhelming demand for "Black Myth: Wukong" bodes well for the prospects of China's video gaming sector, which earned total sales of US$44.6 billion in 2023, trailing only the United States with US$46.7 billion in revenue, according to market research firm Newzoo.
The release of the first demo video for "Black Myth: Wukong" in 2020 was a useful recruitment tool for Game Science, resulting in thousands of applications from brilliant individuals eager to join the firm. This emphasises the game's importance to the gaming industry and its ability to catapult Chinese game development to new heights.
"Black Myth: Wukong" receives 16 times more pre-orders than expected.
Developed by Game Science and backed by Tencent Holdings.
Deluxe edition pre-orders reach 160,000 within hours on JD.com.
Source: SCMP