China goes ape as video game controversy breaks out

The release of a Chinese video game touted as the country’s first to meet Triple-A standards has sparked online criticism of the Chinese government. A Triple-A label usually means it has been backed by big funds, is highly developed, and is distributed by well-known publishers.

Yesterday’s worldwide release of the Chinese game Black Myth: Wukong has been anticipated since its demo got more than 56 million views on the Chinese video-sharing website Bilibili in 2020. On YouTube, which is banned in China, it had more than 10 million views.

Developed by China-based Game Science, it has players taking on the role of the Monkey King, a character from the Chinese classic novel Journey to the West. The goal is to defeat monsters wreaking havoc on the world.

Although there is no direct connection to politics, Chinese commenters took to an American-based gaming discussion board before the release to criticize the ruling Communist Party and President Xi Jinping.

Steam, an online gaming platform, was hit with a slew of comments in Chinese last week that directly and indirectly sniped at Chinese authorities and Xi. One mocked the Chinese leader’s unprecedented third term:

I will continue to be Jade Emperor in Black Myth: Wukong. Raise your hands if you oppose it.

Critical posts

Most critical posts ranted against the Chinese government, in ways unrelated to the game. What appeared to be the first disapproving comment read:

Overthrow the Communist Party of China and establish a democratic constitutional system where everyone has a vote.

“Thank you to the Party, thank you to our great chief accelerator, Xi Jinping,” another comment read, mocking Xi’s policies as accelerating China’s economic decline.

One post listed the timeline of the 1989 Tiananmen Square pro-democracy protests. Hundreds, perhaps thousands, of students were killed during the violent crackdown by the People’s Liberation Army.

Such comments about the Party are not allowed on China’s internet, where an army of censors frequently scrubs websites and discussion boards if they do not follow the government’s line.

Observers were surprised to find that many of the critical posts on Steam’s discussion board had later been removed.

Li Ying, a Chinese social media influencer and government critic known online as Teacher Li, posted his opposition to the removal last week on X with screenshots of the original posts:

Steam is inherently a free platform, with a wide variety of games here, and players are free to express any opinions and opinions about the game.

Steam’s China-based website does not have a discussion board, and the Washington site is only available to users outside that country. 

Those inside China need to use a Virtual Private Network, or VPN, which helps users bypass controls to access internet content blocked by the Party’s Great Firewall.

‘Disrespectful’ content

Voice of America reached out to Steam seeking comment about why the posts were deleted but did not receive a reply. Its discussion board rules do not explicitly prohibit political posts. But it says users are not allowed to post “disrespectful” content.

While the game is not directly connected to the Chinese government, it did receive official help and praise. The city government of Hangzhou, where Game Science is located, awarded a grant in 2022.

In Zhejiang province, state media described Black Myth: Wukong as “one of the most important explorers in the history of AAA games in China – an explorer that deserves applause and encouragement.”

Still, it is not the first time Black Myth: Wukong has stirred up controversy. The game’s developers have been accused of making lewd and sexist remarks.

Feng Ji, the founder and CEO of Game Science, discussed the difficulties the company faced in a Weibo post last year, using words with erotic connotations.

Yang Qi, the game’s artistic director, remarked as early as 2013 on Weibo that they would not pander to female players in the production process when he wrote:

I don’t need the reverse drive of female players. I don’t take care of those lewd insects who come to pick up girls – some things are made for pure men.

In response, a female influencer posted on the gender-focused WeChat account Orange Umbrella, urging Game Science to respect female gamers. She wrote:

As a fellow player, I know how much hard work and dedication it takes to make a game, and Black Myth: Wukong’s dedication and seriousness in the production are commendable. 

“However, don’t let the backward gender consciousness push players who are also full of expectations for the game in the opposite direction more and more,” she added.

Controversial comments

When Western media, including IGN, one of the most influential American online news sites for video games, reported last year on the controversial comments, it drew a backlash. 

Nationalist Chinese commenters called the coverage an attempt to impose Western values and put down China’s gaming industry.

“Judging the Chinese game with the politically correct stance of the West is really biased for the media,” a review article read. 

It said whether the developers’ remarks constituted sexism “depends on the perspective.” On Weibo, one commenter called IGN a “clown” and wrote: 

In order to suppress the rise of Chinese games, the gender card is unsurprisingly played.

Despite the controversies, experts expect Black Myth: Wukong to be a big hit. Daniel Camilo, a game industry consultant in southern China’s Shenzhen city, told VOA that sexism in the sector is not new and has little impact on commercial success. He said:

Hardcore gamers and fans that actively discuss these issues and are aware of them usually represent a very small [loud] minority online that accounts for a small residual amount of those who actually buy games.

Black Myth: Wukong has already received high praise from reviewers in China and abroad. Last week, IGN gave it an 8 on a scale between 1 to 10, calling it a “great action game, albeit with a few bugs.”

The Chinese version of IGN gave the game a perfect score of 10, writing:

This is a truly competitive domestic game in the global market, and I believe it will be a strong contender for this year’s Game of the Year.

Soft power

Camilo noted the high quality has given Chinese players something to be proud of that might even help improve the country’s international image. He said:

Black Myth will change perceptions people have regarding Chinese games and, to some extent, China and its cultural output and soft power.

Adrianna Zhang contributed to this report.

Wenhao Ma is a producer with Voice of America.

This edited article is republished courtesy of Voice of America. Read the original article here.

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy of China Factor.