China Goes Ape Over Culture-Boosting ‘Black Myth: Wukong’ Video Game 

A young man plays Chinese action role-playing game "Black Myth: Wukong", developed by Chinese video game company Game Science, during its launch day in Shanghai on August 20, 2024. (AFP) 
A young man plays Chinese action role-playing game "Black Myth: Wukong", developed by Chinese video game company Game Science, during its launch day in Shanghai on August 20, 2024. (AFP) 
TT
20

China Goes Ape Over Culture-Boosting ‘Black Myth: Wukong’ Video Game 

A young man plays Chinese action role-playing game "Black Myth: Wukong", developed by Chinese video game company Game Science, during its launch day in Shanghai on August 20, 2024. (AFP) 
A young man plays Chinese action role-playing game "Black Myth: Wukong", developed by Chinese video game company Game Science, during its launch day in Shanghai on August 20, 2024. (AFP) 

Chinese state media threw its back behind China's most successful single-player video game to date, saying its adaptation of the Ming dynasty epic "Journey to the West" would force Western players to learn more about the country's culture.

"Black Myth: Wukong", based on a mythological monkey king from a Chinese literary classic who can shape-shift into humans, animals and inanimate objects, was being played by 2.2 million concurrent players on Steam, a major online gaming platform, on Wednesday, a day after its release.

"Chinese players in the past have gone through this process of cross-cultural understanding, now it is the turn of overseas players to learn... and understand Chinese traditional culture," China Central Television wrote in a blog.

Drawing heavily on the story of the beloved magical monkey, Sun Wukong, who acquires supernatural powers by practicing Taoism, "Black Myth: Wukong" can only be enjoyed if players are familiar with the plot of the 16th century classic, the national broadcaster said.

The game was launched on Tuesday by Game Science, a Tencent-backed startup to much fanfare on Chinese social media. Hashtags on the video game accumulated 1.7 billion views on China's X-like microblog Weibo.

"This release marks a bold foray by Chinese game developers into a market long dominated by Western triple-A titles," state news agency Xinhua wrote in an editorial on Wednesday.

"With this breakthrough, the default language of a triple-A game is no longer English, but Chinese," it added.

"Black Myth: Wukong" would "attract more global players to pay attention to domestic games", said analysts at Shanghai-based Topsperity Securities, adding that companies across a wide range of sectors could expect to profit off intellectual property tie-ins.

Ride-hailing firm Didi, Lenovo Group and Luckin Coffee are incorporating elements inspired by "Black Myth: Wukong" into their promotional campaigns.

Be that as it may, gaming stocks were unchanged on Wednesday, with concept stocks linked to the game's development down after having risen considerably over the past month.

"Black Myth: Wukong" was widely lauded as China's first AAA game - high development costs, long production cycles and immense investment. But unlike other Chinese games that are played on mobile devices and involve endless micro-payments, the game is a one-time purchase with a price tag of 268 yuan ($37.58) for the standard version and 328 yuan for the premium.

Pre-sales, which began in June, had reached 400 million yuan as of Tuesday when the game was launched, according to Citi.

"It is unclear whether "Black Myth: Wukong's" business model can bring more profits... the important thing... is that China is finally getting its own AAA game that can excite the world," state-owned tabloid Global Times cited an industry insider as saying.

"Global players will be able to get a deeper understanding of traditional Chinese culture while having fun," Global Times declared.



Huawei Launches Pura 80 Smartphone Series in Next Step of China Comeback 

The Huawei logo is seen in this illustration taken on January 29, 2025. (Reuters)
The Huawei logo is seen in this illustration taken on January 29, 2025. (Reuters)
TT
20

Huawei Launches Pura 80 Smartphone Series in Next Step of China Comeback 

The Huawei logo is seen in this illustration taken on January 29, 2025. (Reuters)
The Huawei logo is seen in this illustration taken on January 29, 2025. (Reuters)

Chinese tech giant Huawei launched its Pura 80 smartphone series on Wednesday, as the company seeks to cement its comeback in China's premium smartphone market following years of US sanctions.

Huawei's latest flagship launch demonstrates the Chinese tech giant's continued efforts to reclaim the top spot in its home market despite ongoing US sanctions. Each new phone release is closely watched as a barometer of the company's technological capabilities and market resilience following years of restrictions that severely impacted its smartphone business.

Huawei's resurgence has intensified pressure on Apple, which has seen its market share in China steadily decline and has increasingly relied on price discounts to stimulate sales.

Huawei unveiled the Pura 80 series through a livestream event, with consumer business unit head Yu Chengdong focusing heavily on camera capabilities and AI features while staying silent about the chips powering the devices.

The series includes four models: Pura 80, Pura 80 Pro, Pura 80 Pro+, and Pura 80 Ultra. Pricing starts at 6,499 yuan ($905) for the Pro series launching June 14, with the Pro+ also launching June 14 at 7,999 yuan and the Ultra at 9,999 yuan on June 26. The base model launches in July.

The cameras use XMAGE technology and feature ultra-wide-angle and macro telephoto lenses with embedded AI that can identify objects and provide information like tourist guides.

Huawei phone launches generate significant interest as many view them as the company defying US sanctions.

On Chinese microblogging platform Weibo, three of the top ten trending topics on Wednesday were Pura 80-related. User reactions were mixed, with many praising the camera capabilities and sleek design, while others complained the prices were too high and not worth the cost.