The Era of 'Meme-driven Hyping' Begun by Black Myth: How Long Will It Last?

Summary

On August 20, 2024, Black Myth: Wukong officially launched, opening a new era for Chinese single-player games. However, the trend of 'meme-driven hyping' in the domestic single-player gaming discourse has intensified since then. As 'China's first AAA single-player game,' Black Myth: Wukong faced intense scrutiny from various groups starting from its first gameplay trailer in 2020. By the eve of its release, voices had exploded: some spread rumors about the creators' controversial statements, some questioned the story direction based on leaked content, and some ignited a 'Sino-Western discourse power' debate over the gap between domestic and international media scores. Only after official sales data showed '10 million copies sold in 3 days' did the spotlight shift to whether sales were solely driven by Chinese players. This phenomenon stems partly from a decade of weak domestic single-player games that fostered skepticism, and partly from the internet's 'spectator' culture that amplifies chaos. This article reviews these controversies, exploring why the rise of Chinese single-player games remains entangled in doubt and infighting, and how this affects player communities and industry development. For players, this is not just about one game but reflects the social mindset and public discourse environment as Chinese single-player gaming moves from the fringe to the mainstream. As…