'Black Myth: Wukong' a Chinese culture boost as it journeys to the West | ABS-CBN News

From the comfort of their gaming chairs and headsets, Chinese video game lovers last Thursday (August 22) joined mythical monkey king Sun Wukong in combat during an event for 'Black Myth: Wukong', as the country goes ape over its most successful single-player video game to date. A day after its release last week, 'Black Myth: Wukong' – adapted from the 16th century classic 'Journey to the West' featuring a mythical magical monkey, Sun Wukong – was played by 2.2 million concurrent players on Steam, a major online gaming platform. Gamer Tommy Jiang praised the video game, calling it a "masterpiece". Another player, Li Jianling, said the game was a "breakthrough" for the industry, mirroring Sun Wukong's unprecedented journey in the 16th century Chinese novel. "I think it (Black Myth: Wukong) is like the opening of the heavens and the earth (a breakthrough for the industry), and befitting of the character Sun Wukong in 'Journey to the West'," said the 25-year-old. The novel, 'Journey to the West', one of the greats of Chinese literature, is about the Buddhist monk Tang Sanzang's journey to India to seek ancient Buddhist scriptures, while being protected by Sun Wukong and two other disciples from monsters and demons. Chinese state media threw its back behind "Black Myth: Wukong", saying its adaptation of the tale would force Western players to learn more about the country's culture, adding that the game could only be enjoyed if players are familiar with the plot of the 16th century classic. "Its role would be more significant than how much revenue the product itself generates, said Xiaofeng Zeng, vice President of Niko Partners, a video game research firm. Launched by Game Science, a Tencent-backed startup, "Black Myth: Wukong" was widely lauded as China's first AAA game – high development costs, long production cycles and immense investment – with industry analysts viewing its sudden fame and popularity as marking an inflection point for China's PC/console gaming sector. (Production: Xihao Jiang) For more ABS-CBN News videos, click the link below: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLgyY1WylJUmgUHWUpi2ioSp4xAP1SmAaf For more Breaking News & Live Coverage videos, click the link below: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLgyY1WylJUmgG2ln-vtKXb-oLlGEZc3sR For more latest news and analysis from ABS-CBN News videos, click the link below: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLgyY1WylJUmg4pcvfM9a96rbUcLD_0P_U For more News Digital News Raw Cuts, click the link below: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLgyY1WylJUmivfD9aJD-8k0SNcMqG2xdA Subscribe to the ABS-CBN News channel! - http://bit.ly/TheABSCBNNews Watch full episodes on iWantTFC for FREE here: http://iwanttfc.com Visit our website at http://news.abs-cbn.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/abscbnNEWS Twitter: https://twitter.com/abscbnnews Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/abscbnnews #Wukong #LatestNews #ABSCBNNews