Why is this Chinese video game causing such a stir?

An anthropomorphic monkey and a campaign against “feminist propaganda” set the video game world on fire this week following the release of the most successful Chinese game of all time.

Many players were angry that the company behind Black Myth: Wukong sent them a list of topics to avoid during live broadcasts of the game, including “feminist propaganda, fetishism, and other content that incites negative rhetoric.”

Nonetheless, within 24 hours of its release on Tuesday, it became the second most played game on the streaming platform Steam, with more than 2.1 million concurrent players and more than 4.5 million copies sold.

The game is adapted from the 16th-century Chinese classic novel “Journey to the West” and is seen as a rare example of popular media spreading Chinese stories on the international stage.

“Black Myth: Wukong” is a single-player action game in which players play “The Destined One” – an anthropomorphic monkey with supernatural powers.

“The One with Destiny” is based on the character of Sun Wukong (or Monkey King), a key figure in “Journey to the West”.

The novel is considered one of the greatest works of Chinese literature, drawing heavily on Chinese mythology as well as Confucian, Taoist and Buddhist folklore.

It has inspired hundreds of international films, TV shows and cartoons, including the popular Japanese animated series Dragon Ball Z and the 2008 Chinese-American fantasy film Forbidden City.

“Black Myth” was first announced in August 2020 via a well-received trailer and launched on Tuesday after four years of anticipation.

It’s the first AAA title in the Chinese video game industry – a title usually awarded to big-budget games from big companies.

High-end graphics, sophisticated game design and passionate hype all contributed to its success and the size of the largest Chinese gaming community in the world.

“This is not just a Chinese game for the Chinese market or the Chinese-speaking world,” Yu Haiqing, a professor at Australia’s Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology who specializes in the sociopolitical and economic impact of digital media in China, told the BBC.

“Players from all over the world [are playing] A game with Chinese cultural elements.

This has become a huge source of national pride in the country.

The Shanxi Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism released a video on Tuesday showing many scenes and scenes from the game, sparking a tourism boom known as “Wukong Travel.”

Videos posted on TikTok after Black Myth’s release showed visitors flocking to the game’s temples and shrines, with one X user describing it as “a successful example of cultural rediscovery.”

Niko Partners, a company that researches and analyzes the Asian video game market and consumers, also pointed out that “Black Myth” “helps to showcase Chinese mythology, traditions, culture and real-life scenes in China to the world.”

Ahead of Black Myth’s release, several content creators and streamers revealed that a company associated with its developer sent them a list of topics to avoid talking about while streaming the game: including “feminist propaganda, fetishes, and others.” Content that incites negative speech.”

While it’s unclear what exactly “feminist propaganda” means, a widely circulated report from video game publication IGN in November alleged that employees at Game Science, the studio behind Black Myth, engaged in sexism and sexism. Misconduct.

Other topics designated as “prohibited” in the document have been widely circulated on social media and YouTube, including politics, Covid-19 and China’s video game industry policies.

The directive, issued by co-publisher Hero Games, sparked controversy outside China.

Multiple content creators declined to comment on the game, claiming its developers were trying to censor discussion and stifle free speech.

Others choose to simply ignore the warning.

A creator with the username Moonmoon launched a black myth stream on Twitch called “Covid-19 Quarantine Taiwan (is a real country) Feminist Propaganda”. Another anchor, Rui Zhong, discussed China’s one-child policy on camera while playing a game.

On Thursday, Chinese social media platform Weibo blocked 138 users deemed to have violated its guidelines while discussing “Black Myth.”

According to an article on the state-run Global Times news website, some banned Weibo users “no longer discuss the game itself, but use it as a platform to spread ‘gender antagonism,’ ‘personal attacks,’ and other content.” Irrational comments”.

While the controversy attracted a lot of international media and online attention, it didn’t really diminish or detract from the overwhelmingly positive response to Black Myth.

The game earned $53 million from pre-sales alone and sold an additional 4.5 million copies within 24 hours of release. In the same time frame, it broke the record for the most played single-player game of all time on Steam.

Across platforms like Weibo, Reddit and YouTube, numerous comments are celebrating the game’s success. Many believe the impact of the controversy surrounding the game’s release has been exaggerated.

Ms. Yu agreed, describing “Black Myth” as “an industry and overall market success.”

“When it comes to China’s digital media and communication platforms, people certainly can’t avoid talking about censorship,” she said. “Black Myth is… an example of how to tell Chinese stories well and expand the global influence of Chinese culture. I didn’t see any censorship there.

She also noted that apparent attempts to steer or censor what commenters were saying were unlikely to come from Chinese officials themselves. It’s more likely, Ms. Yu said, that the list of “do’s” and “don’ts” came from a company trying to keep itself out of trouble.

“The company issues notices, so if anyone from central government comes and talks to the company, the company can say, ‘Look, I told them that. I can’t stop people from saying what they want to say.

“In layman’s terms, they’re basically covering their asses,” she concluded. “I think this is a politically correct gesture towards China’s censorship apparatus rather than a real directive from the top down.”