Black Myth: Wukong sets off consumption wave

Journalist: Yang Chunyan
Translator and English Editor:  Chen Yongjie
 

Recently, the first China-made AAA game Black Myth: Wukong has become the biggest sensation in the gaming industry. Global cumulative sales on Steam, a digital distribution platform for video games, have exceeded 10 million by 9 pm on August 23, while more than 3 million players were logged in on the platform concurrently at its peak, setting a new record for a single-player game on Steam. The game, released on August 20, has also driven demand across several industries in Yichang.

 

On August 27, at a computer gaming arcade in Yichang's central business district, players could be seen as early as 10 am in the private booths, fully immersed in the game. The manager said they had installed the game on eight PS5 consoles. The price at the arcade is just 145 yuan (US$20.45) for 10 hours, and two players can enjoy the game together. Since Black Myth: Wukong was released, the arcade has seen a dramatic increase in visitors. Due to the limited number of available consoles, customers are required to book in advance. The manager has plans to add more consoles with the game in the future.

 

E-sports hotels have also seen an increase in patrons with the release of Black Myth: Wukong. On August 27, a front desk worker Ms. Lu at an e-sports hotel on Zhenzhu Road said that the hotel’s occupancy rate jumped 30 percent compared to early August. Numerous e-sports hotels are fully booked for the upcoming days according to the service platform Meituan.

 

 

The game has a higher demand for hardware configurations, and many players are needing to upgrade their setups, creating a surge in demand for the latest models of consoles and PCs.

 

“Thanks to 3C digital product vouchers, our notebook sales have skyrocketed recently, particularly the Lenovo Legion Y9000P, which is a collaborative model for Black Myth: Wukong, and is performing exceptionally well,” said the manager of the Lenovo store in Yichang Computer City. Since the game's launch, there has been a 50 percent increase in sales of high-performance laptops, primarily among students, and a 10 percent rise in sales of the co-branded computer with Black Myth: Wukong. At a console store on Zhenzhu Road, staff member Mr. Chen said that after the game's release, they sold up to 20 consoles a day.

 

Black Myth: Wukong has also sparked several cross-industry branding partnership opportunities. Luckin Coffee pioneered the format with a special black coffee on August 19, the day before the game's release, which came with Wukong themed merchandise. After the game’s release, the product's popularity has persisted, with the price now reduced to 10.50 yuan from the original 19.90 yuan.

At Wuhan Industrial & Trade Co., Ltd. Household Appliances Yichang International Trade Store, Hisense's 100-inch E8N Ultra model has become a favorite among players for its ability to support three major types of consoles and deliver optimal picture quality through upgrades in the screen, chip, Mini LED and AI technology. Customers can get a 2,000-yuan discount on this TV under the trade-in policy, making it an affordable choice. Saleswoman Ms. Zhou said she has had a significant number of consumer inquire about the TV.