Devs and analysts predict Black Myth: Wukong could change games in China - "Wukong is proof a well-made single-player game can be big"

gamesradar.com:

Black Myth: Wukong has landed to absolutely massive success, to the point where it's now the second-biggest Steam game ever when measured by concurrent player count. Analysts suggest much of that success is coming from China, and some developers reckon this could be the start of a sea change for the Chinese gaming industry.

Simon Carless of analysis group GameDiscoverCo says on Twitter that the agency's estimates suggest 88.1% of Black Myth: Wukong owners on Steam are from China. You can back that up by taking a look at the language split of Steam reviews over on Steam Scout, which are currently 90.92% Chinese. It's still early hours for the Wukong's launch, but the game's week-old benchmark tool also features 85.38% Chinese reviews according to Steam Scout.

Even if you eliminate China from the equation, the remaining 10-15% of the sales of a game with over two million concurrent players would still mark a big hit, and indeed, Wukong is a top seller across many regions on Steam. But the implications of Wukong's success are especially big in China, as the game could open the door for more single-player titles to get the green light from Chinese developers.

Wukong just dethroned Palworld as the second-biggest game in Steam history, and Bucky - community manager for the viral 'Pokemon with guns' survival game - says on Twitter if the two titles went head-to-head in a gamer GOTY vote, "I'd vote for Wukong because I think this is the sort of positive change needed in the Chinese gaming world. Wukong is proof a well-made singleplayer game can be big, and not some mobile hybrid with 5,000 variations of microtransactions." 

I’d vote for Wukong because I think this is the sort of positive change needed in the Chinese gaming world. Wukong is proof a well-made singleplayer game can be big, and not some mobile hybrid with 5,000 variations of microtransactions.August 20, 2024

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