A woman stands next to a cardboard cutout of the ‘Monkey King’ character, or ‘Sun Wukong’, of the Chinese action role-playing game ‘Black Myth: Wukong’ during its launch day in Beijing on Aug 20, 2024. Before its debut, a company affiliated with the game’s China-based developer rankled some influential overseas players with a list of topics to avoid discussing while livestreaming the game. — AFP
Black Myth: Wukong is one of the most highly anticipated Chinese video games ever, a premium title with a blockbuster-worthy budget that underscores the country’s push to become a global cultural power.
But before its debut Aug 20, a company affiliated with the game’s China-based developer rankled some influential overseas players with a list of topics to avoid discussing while livestreaming the game.
The list of forbidden subjects laid out in a document under “Don’ts” – politics, “feminist propaganda”, Covid-19, China’s video game industry policies and other content that “instigates negative discourse” – offered a glimpse of the restrictions that content creators face in China as well as the topics deemed sensitive to Beijing.
“I have never seen anything that shameful in my 15 years doing this job. This is very clearly a document which explains that we must censor ourselves,” Benoit Reinier, a prominent video game streamer on YouTube and a French journalist, said in a YouTube video.
Game Science, the game’s developer, and Hero Games, which is handling its marketing, did not respond to an email seeking comment.
The game’s release is a landmark moment for China’s gaming industry. It is considered China’s first “AAA” title, a big-budget, global game with sophisticated gameplay and advanced graphics. Chinese news media has reported it is one of the most expensive games ever developed there, with a budget exceeding US$50mil (RM218.33mil).
Within hours of its release, there were more than 1.5 million people playing it on Steam, making it the No. 1 game on the online platform.
Black Myth: Wukong is based on a classic 16th century Chinese novel called Journey To The West. The game’s protagonist is inspired by Sun Wukong, also known as the Monkey King, who fights opponents with a staff. Game Science also has the backing of Tencent Holdings, one of China’s biggest technology conglomerates and its top video game publisher, which holds a 5% stake in the developer.
China’s video game industry is dominated by titles played on smartphones, not big-budget console or PC games that are released globally. Black Myth: Wukong is initially being released on Sony’s PlayStation 5 and personal computers.
The industry has been in turmoil in China over the last several years. The government has sought to rein it in over concerns that children could grow addicted and be corrupted by games. Beijing introduced rules prohibiting young people from playing games online on school days and imposing time limits on games on weekends and holidays.
But the game’s debut has been met by a swell of national pride, with the game becoming a top trending topic on Weibo, China’s version of the social platform X. One Chinese media outlet noted in a Weibo hashtag that the game’s default language is Chinese and added: “It feels so good.”
The global interest in the game also highlighted China’s push to exercise its “soft power”. The novel that it is based on is considered one of China’s four great classics. The game also depicts important cultural landmarks throughout China.
“The success of Black Myth: Wukong is not only a victory for the gaming industry, but also an important milestone in the overseas expansion of Chinese culture,” Yangcheng Evening News, a state-owned newspaper, wrote in an article.
The Department of Culture and Tourism in Shanxi province released a video highlighting landmarks in northern China featured in the game. In another sign of its close ties to the state, the game’s publisher is Zhejiang Publishing & Media, a company majority owned by the Zhejiang provincial government.
In an interview, Reinier said he received an email from Hero Games, which owns nearly 20% of Game Science and has financial ties to several state-owned enterprises, about three weeks ago asking if he would be interested in a free virtual “key” to play the game. Reinier, who said this is a common industry practice for streamers, responded that he was interested.
When Hero Games sent Reinier the key, it also linked to a document that “outlines the essential dos and don’ts regarding content creation”. By using the key to livestream, “you acknowledge that you have been informed of the following guidelines,” the document said.
Reinier said this was sent unilaterally and that it had no legal weight, but he chose not to stream the game.
The list of “don’t” discuss topics included Covid-19, “quarantine” or “isolation”.
Beijing has sought to rewrite its handling of the pandemic. China’s “zero-Covid” policy helped to contain the virus for almost three years, but it crumbled amid widespread opposition. After the government dismantled the policy, China’s censors erased mentions of many of the hardships, such as extended periods of forced isolation for hundreds of millions of people.
Another forbidden topic seemed to be targeted at criticism of misogyny at Game Science. The company has come under fire for lewd and sexist comments attributed in media reports to its founders as well as recruiting materials from 2015 replete with sexual innuendos. Those original job postings and comments were deleted, and the company has not commented.
As of Aug 20, a Chinese hashtag translated as “Black Myth: Wukong insults women”, had been viewed 9 million times on Weibo. – The New York Times
