{"id":37836,"date":"2024-10-16T13:45:00","date_gmt":"2024-10-16T13:45:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/?p=37836"},"modified":"2024-10-27T17:16:20","modified_gmt":"2024-10-27T17:16:20","slug":"black-myth-wukong-how-chinas-gaming-revolution-is-fueling-its-tech-power","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/black-myth-wukong-how-chinas-gaming-revolution-is-fueling-its-tech-power\/","title":{"rendered":"Black Myth: Wukong \u2013 how China\u2019s gaming revolution is fueling its tech power"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Shaoyu Yuan<\/a>, Rutgers University – Newark<\/a><\/em> and Jun Xiang<\/a>, Rutgers University – Newark<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It may sound far-fetched, but the future of global technology supremacy could hinge on a video game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Black Myth: Wukong<\/a>, China\u2019s latest blockbuster, isn\u2019t just breaking gaming records<\/a> \u2013 it could be driving a critical shift in the global balance of technological power. What seems like just another action-packed video game is, in reality, a vital component in Beijing\u2019s larger strategy to challenge Western dominance in the tech industry<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The game, released by Chinese company Game Science<\/a> on Aug. 19, 2024, is based on the legendary 16th century Chinese novel \u201cJourney to the West<\/a>.\u201d The novel tells the story of a monk, Xuanzang, who journeys to India in search of Buddhist scrolls. The monkey Sun Wukong protects the monk by confronting and battling various demons and spirits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Black Myth: Wukong has captivated millions with its stunning visuals and storytelling. It quickly became a cultural sensation<\/a> in China and abroad, attracting widespread attention and praise for its graphic fidelity and technological sophistication.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As global affairs<\/a> scholars<\/a>, we see that the game\u2019s success goes beyond the number of downloads or accolades. It\u2019s what this success is driving within China\u2019s technology sector that has far-reaching consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Video games and global power<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

For years, China has been playing catch-up in the tech race, particularly in the production of semiconductors \u2013 the tiny microchips that power everything from smartphones to advanced artificial intelligence systems. The United States has maintained its dominance in this field by limiting China\u2019s access<\/a> to the most advanced chip-making technology.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As of 2024, China has shifted away from<\/a> its aggressive \u201cwolf warrior\u201d diplomacy<\/a> to a more cooperative approach in order to rebuild international ties. The government has also issued mandates for companies like Huawei to develop domestic chips. However, China\u2019s success in boosting semiconductor development and production using these approaches has been limited<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Historically, video games have played a significant role in driving technological innovation<\/a> in the semiconductor industry. From the early days of the 8-bit Nintendo Entertainment System to the modern PlayStation 5, gaming has always pushed chipmakers to develop faster, more efficient processors and graphics processing units, or GPUs. The intense graphical requirements of modern games \u2013 high resolutions, faster frame rates and real-time rendering \u2013 demand the most advanced semiconductor technology. The development of advanced GPUs by companies like NVIDIA was directly influenced<\/a> by the gaming industry\u2019s needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gamers require advanced processors to enjoy Black Myth: Wukong\u2019s high-end visual and gameplay experience. Built using the state-of-the-art Unreal Engine 5<\/a> video game development tool, the game is a visual spectacle featuring lifelike graphics<\/a>, seamless open-world environments<\/a> and complex combat systems. The game is available for PlayStation 5 and PCs, and Game Science plans to release an Xbox version.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A
Black Myth: Wukong features rich visuals and intricate gameplay. Courtesy of Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

As Black Myth: Wukong sweeps across gaming platforms, it not only puts pressure on China\u2019s semiconductor makers to build more and better chips, but it also reveals the vast market potential for high-performance hardware, especially for gaming PCs equipped with powerful GPUs. The game\u2019s success showcases just how big the demand is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Market analysts expect the Chinese video game industry to reach revenues of US$66.13 billion<\/a> in 2024, compared with $78.01 billion in the U.S.<\/a> Analysts predict the game will have annual sales of 30 million to 40 million copies<\/a> in 2024.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

China\u2019s gaming industry has surged into a global powerhouse, yet it remains dependent on foreign-made chips. Coupled with the West\u2019s restrictions on chip exports, Wukong has become a key catalyst for China\u2019s semiconductor development, and domestic companies now face growing pressure to innovate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This pressure aligns with Beijing\u2019s broader technological ambitions. The government\u2019s \u201cMade in China 2025<\/a>\u201d plan calls for technological self-reliance, particularly in sectors like semiconductors, where China lags behind. And advanced GPUs haven\u2019t been confined to the entertainment industry. They have become integral to advances in AI<\/a>, including deep learning and autonomous systems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Flexing China\u2019s cultural muscle<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

While it might seem strange to link video games with geopolitics, Black Myth: Wukong is more than just entertainment. It\u2019s a tool in China\u2019s soft power arsenal. Soft power is nations influencing each other through cultural exports<\/a>. For decades, the West, particularly the U.S., dominated global culture<\/a> through Hollywood, music and video games.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now, China is flexing its cultural muscle. The success of Black Myth: Wukong abroad, where it has been hailed as a game-changing title, is part of Beijing\u2019s strategy to export its culture and technological prowess. Millions of gamers around the world are now being exposed to Chinese mythology, art and storytelling through a highly sophisticated digital medium. https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/y3eCrBO0Ch0?wmode=transparent&start=0 \u2018China Stay Winning\u2019 American YouTubers react enthusiastically to Black Myth: Wukong. (Audio NSFW)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But Black Myth: Wukong isn\u2019t just a cultural triumph for China; it\u2019s a warning shot. The country is taking advantage of its booming gaming industry to drive advances in a field that will define the future of technology. This game not only exports Chinese culture but also strengthens its tech base by accelerating the demand for domestic semiconductors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While Black Myth: Wukong entertains millions, it also shows China\u2019s growing influence in the digital realm. In the future, we might not look back at Black Myth: Wukong as just a successful video game, but as a catalyst that helped China close the technological gap with the West. Beijing is playing a long game, and video games like Black Myth: Wukong are turning out to be effective weapons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shaoyu Yuan<\/a>, Dean’s Fellow at the Division of Global Affairs, Rutgers University – Newark<\/a><\/em> and Jun Xiang<\/a>, Professor of Economics and Global Affairs, Rutgers University – Newark<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This article is republished from The Conversation<\/a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Shaoyu Yuan, Rutgers University – Newark and Jun Xiang, Rutgers University – Newark It may sound far-fetched, but the future of global technology supremacy could hinge on a video game. Black Myth: Wukong, China\u2019s latest blockbuster, isn\u2019t just breaking gaming records \u2013 it could be driving a critical shift in the global balance of technological […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":44,"featured_media":37837,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[30,7,29,10,28,8,41],"tags":[145,1601,9964,7532,885,891,886,860,1163,14577,467],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37836"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/44"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=37836"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37836\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":37891,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37836\/revisions\/37891"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/37837"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=37836"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=37836"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=37836"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}