Video game based on classic novel goes viral
A gamer watches a promotional video for Black Myth: Wukong, a game developed by Chinese company Game Science, in Beijing on Aug 20, 2024, after the game was released worldwide. PAI GU/CHINA NEWS SERVICE
A highly anticipated video game based on ancient Chinese literature classic was released worldwide on Tuesday, thrilling gamers around the world.
The game, Black Myth: Wukong, an action role-playing game developed by Shenzhen-headquartered Game Science, was inspired by the rich tapestry of Chinese mythology and the 16th-century seminal novel Journey to the West, one of the four great classic novels of Chinese literature. It is infused with traditional Chinese cultural elements, offering gamers a novel experience of Chinese imagination and landscape.
In the game, players step into the shoes of the iconic Sun Wukong, also known as the Monkey King, who is likewise the leading hero in the novel, as they navigate his epic adventures westward.
Available on PS5, Steam, Epic Games Store and WeGame, Black Myth: Wukong is already a top seller on multiple platforms, including Steam and WeGame, marking a new milestone for Chinese Triple-A games — those with high budgets and profiles produced and distributed by large, well-known publishers.
Development of the game, which is being hailed as China's first Triple-A masterpiece, started in 2018 and completed after six-and-a-half years of challenges.
By July, presales had surpassed 400 million yuan ($56 million), and the physical Collector's Editions are currently sold out. In addition, Game Science's final prelaunch trailer on YouTube quickly hit 1 million views, highlighting the wide anticipation of the game's release, especially amid a 24-hour countdown.
As of 10 pm on Tuesday, Black Myth: Wukong had more than 1.5 million concurrent players on the platform Steam, surpassing Counter-Strike 2 to top the Steam trending games chart.
IGN China, a branch of IGN, one of the leading media companies covering video games, movies, TV shows, entertainment news, reviews and guides, rated the game with its highest score, 10 points.
More than 50 gamers on Metacritic, an international review aggregation website, gave the game a Metascore of 82 points out of 100.
One Metacritic commenter called GamesRD, who gave the game a score of 100 points, said, "With breathtaking concept art, stunning graphics and sceneries, wonderful score, and one of the most fulfilling playabilities we've seen in role-playing games, Black Myth: Wukong is unquestionably a Game of the Year candidate, promising a bright future for the genre's fans."
Zhinengluzhang, who has nearly 4.6 million followers on Chinese livestreaming platform Bilibili, said in a post that he gave the game 94 points out of 100 and expected its Metascore to rise soon.
What particularly impressed Chinese as well as foreign players is the design of the game scenes and characters.
Black Myth: Wukong crafts a stunning dreamscape with Chinese scenery, featuring desolate mountains, ancient roads, pavilions among mountains and water, deserts and ancient temples. This vision draws inspiration from the 1986 TV series Journey to the West as well as film director Stephen Chow's adaptation, A Chinese Odyssey.
The game's production team traveled across China and meticulously scanned ancient buildings and relics. It incorporated the creations and historical relics into every scene of the game.
For instance, in the trailer, the battle between Wukong and the dragon Kang Jinlong features a distant view of an ancient temple modeled after Dule Temple in Tianjin. The temple is one of the country's few remaining structures from the Liao Dynasty (916-1125).
The various minor demons, demon kings, gods and Buddhas that appear in the game all feature Chinese aesthetics, forming a contemporary illustrated compendium of creatures from The Classic of Mountains and Seas, a major source of Chinese mythology.
Additionally, the game features traditional Chinese instruments such as the guzheng, bowls, wooden clappers and gongs. Much of the music is composed using Chinese-style chord structures.
As the game combines ancient dialogue and a worldview that blends Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism, players are immersed in an environment in which simply strolling leisurely or sitting alone by a cold river offers its own unique pleasure.
Feng Ji, Game Science founder and CEO, said in a recent interview with Xinhua News Agency that "the script and artistic concepts always take the lead, seamlessly incorporating Chinese stories and classical cultural elements into the game".
He said that a game's true value isn't defined by its budget or visuals, but by the genuine enjoyment it offers players.
Feng emphasized that the game was crafted entirely by a Chinese team, with the aim of bringing Chinese narratives to the global gaming stage.
When choosing to develop a game based on mythology, the developers do not consider whether a theme is "popular or outdated", Feng said, but reflect instead on whether the subject excites them.
"Traditional Eastern myths, infused with magical elements, aren't sufficient," he said.
Feng added that his team aimed to go beyond the myths and also learned from other excellent games.
"The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring video game involves a team completing a daunting task, similar to Journey to the West," Feng said. "Although the narrative structures and worldviews differ, the core essence is comparable."
Citing the growth of other Chinese industries in the international market, including the film industry, Feng said, "Eight years ago, we were confident that the stand-alone game market in China would not only exist but would also become significant." Stand-alone games are those that are not dependent on being online in order to play.
"Back in 2016, the stand-alone game market in the United States was about $10 billion; Japan's was $5 billion; and China's was less than $1 billion," he said. "We believe that within 10 to 15 years, China's stand-alone game market share will reach or even exceed that of Japan."
The highest-ranked AAA titles on Metacritic are still from Western and Japanese companies, such as FromSoftware's Elden Ring and Nintendo's The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, both of which have been given a score of 96, compared with the current 82 for Black Myth: Wukong.
The game won the Best Visuals Award at Gamescom 2023, the world's largest annual trade fair for video games, which was held in Germany.
基于经典小说的电子游戏迅速走红
周二，一款备受期待的基于中国古代文学经典的电子游戏在全球范围内发布，让世界各地的玩家感到兴奋。
游戏《黑神话：悟空》是总部位于深圳的游戏科学公司开发的一款动作角色扮演游戏，其灵感来自中国神话的丰富挂毯和16世纪的开创性小说《西游记》，这是中国文学四大经典小说之一。它融入了中国传统文化元素，为玩家提供了中国想象和风景的新颖体验。
在游戏中，玩家将扮演标志性的孙悟空，也被称为美猴王，他也是小说中的主角，他们将带领他向西进行史诗般的冒险。
《黑神话：悟空》在PS5、Steam、Epic Games Store和WeGame上都有售，它已经是包括Steam和WeGame在内的多个平台上的畅销书，这标志着中国Triple-a游戏的一个新里程碑——那些由大型知名发行商制作和发行的高预算、高知名度的游戏。
这款游戏的开发始于2018年，在经历了六年半的挑战后完成，被誉为中国首款Triple-A杰作。
截至7月，预售已超过4亿元人民币（5600万美元），实体珍藏版目前已售罄。此外，《游戏科学》在YouTube上的最后一个发布前预告片迅速达到了100万次观看，突显了人们对游戏发布的广泛期待，尤其是在24小时倒计时的情况下。
截至周二晚上10点，《黑神话：悟空》在Steam平台上的并发玩家已超过150万，超越《反恐精英2》，荣登Steam热门游戏排行榜榜首。
IGN中国是IGN的一个分支，IGN是一家领先的媒体公司，涵盖电子游戏、电影、电视节目、娱乐新闻、评论和指南，IGN以10分的高分对游戏进行了评分。
国际评论聚合网站Metacritic上有50多名游戏玩家给这款游戏的Metascore评分为82分（满分100分）。
一位名为GamesRD的Metacritic评论者给这款游戏打了100分，他说：“凭借令人惊叹的概念艺术、令人惊叹的图形和风景、精彩的分数，以及我们在角色扮演游戏中看到的最令人满意的游戏能力之一，《黑神话：悟空》无疑是年度最佳游戏的候选者，为该类型的粉丝们带来了光明的未来。”
Zhnenglzhang在中国直播平台Bilibili上拥有近460万粉丝，他在一篇帖子中表示，他给这款游戏打了94分（满分100分），并预计其Metascore很快就会上升。
给中外玩家留下深刻印象的是游戏场景和角色的设计。
黑神话：悟空用中国风景打造了一个令人惊叹的梦幻景观，有荒凉的山脉、古道、山水亭台楼阁、沙漠和古庙。这一愿景的灵感来自1986年的电视剧《西游记》以及电影导演周星驰的改编作品《大话西游》。
游戏制作团队走遍了中国各地，仔细扫描了古代建筑和文物。它将创作和历史遗迹融入了游戏的每一个场景。
例如，在预告片中，悟空与亢金星君之间的战斗以天津独乐寺为蓝本的一座古庙的远景为特色。这座寺庙是该国仅存的辽代（916-1125）建筑之一。
游戏中出现的各种小恶魔、恶魔王、神和佛都具有中国美学，形成了中国神话主要来源《山海经》中当代生物的插图简编。
此外，游戏还配有古筝、颂钵、快板和锣等中国传统乐器。大部分音乐都是使用中国风格的和弦结构创作的。
由于游戏结合了古老的对话和融合了儒家、佛教和道教的世界观，玩家沉浸在一个环境中，在这个环境中，悠闲地漫步或独自坐在冰冷的河边，都能带来独特的乐趣。
游戏科学创始人兼首席执行官冯骥在最近接受新华社采访时表示，“剧本和艺术理念始终处于领先地位，将中国故事和古典文化元素无缝融入游戏中”。
他说，一款游戏的真正价值不在于它的预算或视觉效果，而在于它为玩家提供的真正乐趣。
冯强调，这款游戏完全由中国团队打造，旨在将中国叙事带入全球游戏舞台。
冯说，在选择开发基于神话的游戏时，开发人员不会考虑主题是“流行还是过时”，而是会考虑主题是否让他们兴奋。
他说：“传统的东方神话，充满了神奇的元素，是不够的。”。
冯补充说，他的团队的目标是超越神话，并从其他优秀的比赛中学习。
冯说：“《指环王：指环王》电子游戏需要一个团队完成一项艰巨的任务，类似于《西游记》。”。“尽管叙事结构和世界观不同，但核心本质是可比的。”
冯引用了包括电影业在内的其他中国产业在国际市场上的增长，他说：“八年前，我们相信中国的独立游戏市场不仅会存在，而且会变得重要。”独立游戏是指那些不依赖在线游戏的游戏。
他说：“早在2016年，美国的独立游戏市场约为100亿美元；日本为50亿美元；中国不到10亿美元。”。“我们相信，在10到15年内，中国的单机游戏市场份额将达到甚至超过日本。”
Metacritic上排名最高的AAA级游戏仍然来自西方和日本公司，如FromSoftware的《Elden Ring》和任天堂的《塞尔达传说：王国之泪》，这两款游戏的得分都是96分，而目前《黑神话：悟空》的得分是82分。
该游戏在德国举行的全球最大的年度电子游戏交易会Gamescom 2023上获得了最佳视觉奖。
【语法填空改编】
The game, Black Myth: Wukong, an action role-playing game developed by Shenzhen-headquartered Game Science, was inspired by the rich tapestry of Chinese mythology and the 16th-century seminal novel Journey to the West, one of the four great classic novels of Chinese literature. It is infused with traditional Chinese cultural 1._______(element), offering gamers a novel experience of Chinese imagination and landscape.
In the game, players step into the shoes of the iconic Sun Wukong, also known as the Monkey King, who is likewise the leading hero in the novel, as they navigate his epic adventures westward. 2.________ particularly impressed Chinese as well as foreign players is the design of the game scenes and characters.Black Myth: Wukong 3.________(craft) a stunning dreamscape with Chinese scenery, featuring desolate mountains, ancient roads, pavilions 4.________ mountains and water, deserts and ancient temples. This vision draws inspiration 5.________ the 1986 TV series Journey to the West as well as film director Stephen Chow's adaptation, A Chinese Odyssey.
The game's production team 6._________(travel) across China and meticulously scanned ancient buildings and relics. It incorporated the creations and historical relics into every scene of the game.For instance, in the trailer, the battle between Wukong and the dragon Kang Jinlong features a distant view of an ancient temple modeled after Dule Temple in Tianjin. The temple is one of the country's few 7._________(remain) structures from the Liao Dynasty (916-1125).The various minor demons, demon kings, gods and Buddhas that appear in the game all feature Chinese aesthetics, forming a contemporary illustrated compendium of creatures from The Classic of Mountains and Seas, 8.___________ major source of Chinese mythology.
Additionally, the game features traditional Chinese instruments such as the guzheng, bowls, wooden clappers and gongs. Much of the music is composed using Chinese-style chord structures.As the game combines ancient dialogue 9._______ a worldview that blends Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism, players are immersed in an environment in which simply strolling 10._______(leisure) or sitting alone by a cold river offers its own unique pleasure.
【参考答案】
1.elements 2.What 3.crafts 4.among 5.from 6.traveled 7.remaining 8.a 9.and 10.leisurely
Black Myth: Wukong a global hit, milestone for China-made game
By Liu Xuanzun, Jiang Li and Tao Mingyang
A woman takes a photo of a screen showing Black Myth: Wukong at an electronics market in Shanghai on August 20, 2024. Photo: VCG
Long-awaited Chinese game Black Myth: Wukong, inspired by the story of Monkey King, topped PC gaming platform Steam's chart by a large margin after launch on Tuesday and triggered widespread discussions on its cultural implications.
With beautiful graphics and a new narrative based on the Chinese classic novel Journey to the West, the game Black Myth: Wukong has not only attracted core players, but also intrigued the public in China and around the world.
Many see the game as a milestone in Chinese gaming industry from both technical and artistic perspectives. Moreover, video games, once bore the stigma of "digital heroin," can also be a carrier of culture and knowledge.
After its launch on Tuesday, the number of concurrent players on the platform Steam quickly surpassed Counter-Strike 2, propelling Black Myth: Wukong to the top of Steam's most played chart.
The concurrent players on Tuesday peaked over 2 million worldwide on Steam. The actual figure was believed to be higher because the game was also released on PlayStation 5, which does not provide a real-time tracker for concurrent users.
As China's first true AAA game - high development costs, long production cycles, and significant resource investment - Black Myth: Wukong represents a major breakthrough for the Chinese gaming industry, observers said.
Most previous popular Chinese video games are mobile games that make profit by encouraging continuous microtransactions while limiting production costs. But Black Myth: Wukong is a one-time purchase AAA game, a Chinese video game industry insider surnamed Wang told the Global Times.
The game is sold at 268 yuan ($38) in Chinese mainland and $59.99 on PlayStation 5's North American store.
It is unclear whether Black Myth: Wukong's business model can bring more profits, but the more important thing to me, and to many of the players out there, is that China is finally getting its own AAA game that can excite the world," Wang said, hailing the game's significance to the industry as a whole.
AAA games used to mainly come from the US, Europe and Japan, and it was hard to imagine China developing such a game close to their standard several years ago, Wang said
Cultural bridge
In Journey to the West, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature, Tang Monk and his disciples successfully obtained Buddhist scriptures, Monkey King (Sun Wukong) was named Fighting Buddha and gradually vanished without a trace.
Many years later, the player controls a young monkey who, inspired by the legend, decides to follow Sun Wukong's footsteps to the West, overcoming various difficulties and trials, ultimately forging and transforming the player's own will.
To authentically recreate the scenes for Black Myth: Wukong, the game's development team visited several scenic spots in North China's Shanxi Province, incorporating many elements of Shanxi's painted sculptures.
Shanxi culture and tourism authority recently released an official promotional video for the game, showcasing real locations where the game got inspirations, including Xiaoxitian (Small Western Paradise), Yuhuang Temple, and Tiefo Monastery, attracting many bloggers to visit these sites as part of a "cultural pilgrimage."
Many YouTubers as well as netizens on other social media platforms such as Reddit also expressed huge interest in Black Myth: Wukong, making it not just a game, but also a cultural bridge that connects China and the world, observers said, noting that global players will be able to get a deeper understanding of traditional Chinese culture while having fun.
The success of Black Myth: Wukong indicates a milestone of China's game industry. It was developed by a domestic studio based on a traditional classic and can compete with its global counterparts, Liu Dingding, a veteran industry observer, told the Global Times on Tuesday.
Favorable policy also facilitates the emergence of more high-quality games alike, said Liu.
China's National Press and Publication Administration on February 27 released a list of 111 games that had been granted publication licenses for the month, and Black Myth: Wukong was included.
In China, video games were used to be called "digital heroin" given the possibility of addiction, particularly among children, and that was believed to be a reason why relevant authorities have been very careful granting publication licenses for video games.
However, Chinese authorities have recently introduced a series of supportive policies to encourage innovation, protect intellectual property rights, and promote the internationalization of the gaming industry. Now video games have proven themselves to be capable of becoming arts and spreading Chinese culture among not only Chinese, but also foreign players, observers told Global Times.
黑神话：《悟空》全球热播，中国制造游戏的里程碑
备受期待的中国游戏《黑神话：悟空》受《美猴王》的启发，在周二发布后以大幅优势荣登PC游戏平台Steam排行榜榜首，并引发了人们对其文化影响的广泛讨论。
凭借精美的图形和基于中国经典小说《西游记》的新叙事，游戏《黑神话：悟空》不仅吸引了核心玩家，也吸引了中国和世界各地的公众。
从技术和艺术的角度来看，许多人认为这款游戏是中国游戏行业的一个里程碑。此外，曾经带有“数字海洛因”污名的电子游戏也可以成为文化和知识的载体。
周二推出后，Steam平台上的并发玩家数量迅速超过了《反恐精英2》，将《黑神话：悟空》推上了Steam最受欢迎排行榜的榜首。
周二，Steam上全球并发玩家人数达到200多万。实际数字被认为更高，因为该游戏也在PlayStation 5上发布，PlayStation 5没有为并发用户提供实时跟踪器。
观察人士表示，作为中国第一款真正的AAA级游戏——高开发成本、长生产周期和大量资源投入——《黑神话：悟空》代表了中国游戏行业的一个重大突破。
以前最受欢迎的中国视频游戏都是手机游戏，它们通过鼓励持续的微交易来获利，同时限制生产成本。但一位姓王的中国视频游戏业内人士告诉《环球时报》，黑神话：悟空是一款一次性购买的AAA级游戏。
这款游戏在中国大陆售价268元（38美元），在PlayStation 5的北美商店售价59.99美元。
目前尚不清楚“黑神话：悟空的商业模式是否能带来更多利润”，但对我和许多玩家来说，更重要的是，中国终于有了自己的AAA级游戏，可以激发世界的热情，”王说，并称赞了这款游戏对整个行业的意义。
王说，AAA游戏过去主要来自美国、欧洲和日本，很难想象中国几年前会开发出接近他们标准的游戏。
文化桥梁
在中国文学四大经典小说之一的《西游记》中，唐僧和他的弟子成功地获得了佛经，美猴王（孙悟空）被命名为“战佛”，逐渐消失得无影无踪。
多年后，玩家控制着一只年轻的猴子，受到传说的启发，它决定跟随孙悟空的脚步去西方，克服各种困难和考验，最终锻造和改变玩家自己的意志。
为了真实再现《黑神话：悟空》的场景，游戏开发团队参观了中国北方山西省的几个景点，融入了山西绘画雕塑的许多元素。
山西省文化和旅游局最近发布了这款游戏的官方宣传视频，展示了游戏获得灵感的真实地点，包括小西天、玉皇庙和铁佛寺，吸引了许多博主作为“文化朝圣”的一部分参观这些景点
观察人士表示，许多YouTube用户以及Reddit等其他社交媒体平台的网民也对《黑神话：悟空》表示了极大的兴趣，使其不仅成为一款游戏，而且成为连接中国和世界的文化桥梁，并指出全球玩家将能够在享受乐趣的同时更深入地了解中国传统文化。
《黑神话：悟空》的成功标志着中国游戏产业的一个里程碑。资深行业观察人士刘定鼎周二告诉《环球时报》，这部电影是由一家国内工作室根据传统经典作品开发的，可以与全球同行竞争。
刘说，优惠政策也促进了更多高质量游戏的出现。
2月27日，中国国家新闻出版署发布了一份本月获得出版许可的111款游戏名单，其中包括《黑神话：悟空》。
在中国，电子游戏过去被称为“数字海洛因”，因为有可能上瘾，尤其是在儿童中，这被认为是有关当局非常谨慎地发放电子游戏出版许可证的原因。
然而，中国当局最近出台了一系列支持政策，鼓励创新，保护知识产权，促进游戏产业的国际化。观察人士告诉《环球时报》，现在电子游戏已经证明自己有能力成为艺术，不仅在中国人中，而且在外国玩家中传播中国文化。
【语法填空改编】
With beautiful graphics and a new narrative based on the Chinese classic novel Journey to the West, the game Black Myth: Wukong has not only attracted core players, but also intrigued the public in China and around the world.Many see the game 1._______ a milestone in Chinese gaming industry from both technical and artistic perspectives. Moreover, video games, once bore the stigma of "digital heroin," can also be a 2._______(carry) of culture and knowledge.As China's first true AAA game - high development costs, long production cycles, 3._______ significant resource investment - Black Myth: Wukong represents a major breakthrough for the Chinese gaming industry, observers said.
In Journey to the West, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature, Tang Monk and his 4._______(disciple) successfully obtained Buddhist scriptures, Monkey King (Sun Wukong) was named Fighting Buddha and 5._______(gradual) vanished without a trace. Many years later, the player controls a young monkey who, 6._________(inspire) by the legend, decides to follow Sun Wukong's footsteps to the West, overcoming various difficulties and trials, ultimately forging and transforming the player's own will.
To authentically recreate the scenes for Black Myth: Wukong, the game's development team visited several scenic spots in North China's Shanxi Province, 7.________(incorporate) many elements of Shanxi's painted sculptures. Many YouTubers as well as netizens on other social media platforms such as Reddit also expressed huge interest in Black Myth: Wukong, making 8._______ not just a game, but also a cultural bridge that connects China and the world, observers said, noting 9.________ global players will be able to get a deeper understanding of traditional Chinese culture while having fun.
The success of Black Myth: Wukong 10.________(indicate) a milestone of China's game industry. It was developed by a domestic studio based on a traditional classic and can compete with its global counterparts, Liu Dingding, a veteran industry observer, told the Global Times on Tuesday.
【参考答案】
1.as 2.carrier 3.and 4.disciples 5.gradually 6.inspired 7.incorporating 8.it 9.that 10.indicates
Look at fever of ‘Black Myth: Wukong’ with a calm mind-set: Global Times editorial
The Chinese gameBlack Myth: Wukong was officially released on Tuesday. Within just a few hours of its launch, it ranked first on the best-selling list of 29 countries and regions on the game platform Steam, with more than 1.1 million online players at the same time. The authentic presentation of Chinese culture and Chinese aesthetics in the game has not only impressed Chinese players, but also attracted a large number of foreign players. Before experiencing the game, reading through the original book Journey to the West has become a "required course" for many foreigners.
Since the second decade of this century, with the successive release of a series of representative masterpieces such as The Three-Body Problem, The Wandering Earth, Genshin Impact, 30,000 Miles from Chang'an and My Altay, China's cultural industry has ushered in a matrix breakthrough. From the full digestion and absorption of foreign culture to the creative transformation and innovative development of China's excellent traditional culture, high-quality products with excellent reviews have emerged in the fields of film, television, games, and more. This not only marks the overall improvement of the comprehensive level of the country's cultural industry, but also a manifestation of cultural confidence.
From every plant in the game to every word spoken by the characters, Black Myth: Wukong showcases distinct national cultural characteristics. In order to reproduce the buildings in the original work of Journey to the West, technicians traveled all over the country and established China's first virtual asset library of ancient buildings. A large number of historical temples, cultural relics and ancient books were restored, including Dazu Rock Carvings in Chongqing and Lingyin Temple in Hangzhou. The wonders that can be seen everywhere in the game make players around the world marvel at Chinese culture. "When rendering, we even didn't wipe away the dust so as to preserve the beauty of Chinese oriental architecture to the greatest extent. We believe that the digital expression of Chinese culture can transcend national borders," said the game's makers. This firm confidence in Chinese culture and the dedication to preserving China's excellent traditional culture are the strength for Chinese literary and art workers to stand firm in the world culture.
Journey to the West is a representative work of Chinese literature in overseas communication and a well-known symbol of Chinese culture. In modern times, numerous adaptations of Journey to the West have emerged in various forms, including literature, film, television, and video games. China has produced the animated film Havoc in Heaven and the TV series Journey to the West. In Japan, Akira Toriyama created the manga Dragon Ball. In the West, the US has made films such as The Monkey King and American Born Chinese, and Australia produced The New Legends of Monkey. However, most of these Western adaptations tell Western stories under the name of Journey to the West. How to use contemporary technology and forms to create a "Monkey King" that embodies Chinese discourse, narrative, and spirit has been a continuous exploration for Chinese artists and eagerly anticipated by Chinese society.
Since the first trailer of Black Myth: Wukong caused a sensation four years ago, many have placed high hopes on it to boost the international spread of Chinese culture. So far, Black Myth: Wukong has garnered much admiration overseas, but some media outlets a different stance, viewing the Chinese gaming industry as the next "threat" to Western companies in the market. These perspectives are familiar, but they have missed the mark. China's cultural market is already enormous, and with its rich historical and cultural resources, vast creative talent, and technological innovation, Chinese cultural products are making breakthroughs, steadily advancing toward high-end and international markets. This is clearly an unstoppable trend. At the same time, the international dissemination of China's excellent cultural products also has the significance of enriching global cultural experience and demonstrating cultural diversity.
China also needs to maintain a calm mind-set. While the success of a game is certainly exciting, the Chinese people must recognize that in terms of the technical level, industry experience, and market maturity related to single-player games, the country is still a beginner. Chinese industry professionals need to understand that as their capabilities rise, they will gradually enter a stage of direct competition with their international peers, and the competition will only become more intense. In the face of an international market with diverse evaluations, Chinese developers, as latecomers in the global gaming industry, should maintain a humble and progressive mind-set, viewing external feedback and their own achievements objectively and calmly.
Black Myth: Wukong is a successful and new beginning for the international communication of Chinese cultural products, but just like Wukong breaking out of the stone and becoming the "Monkey King," it is the prelude on the long journey to the West. Currently, contemporary Chinese experience, represented by film, television, games, and etc., is overflowing. This is a cultural fact that the whole world is constantly perceiving. Looking to the future, China must especially exert modern cultural industry methods with a more confident mindset to create and produce more high-quality works that focus on Chinese discourse and Chinese narrative, so as to form an international discourse power that matches the country's comprehensive national strength and international status.
以冷静的心态看待《黑神话：悟空》的热潮：环球时报社论
中国游戏《黑神话：悟空》于周二正式发布。在发布短短几个小时内，它就在游戏平台Steam上29个国家和地区的畅销榜上排名第一，同时拥有超过110万在线玩家。游戏中中国文化和中国美学的真实呈现不仅给中国玩家留下了深刻印象，也吸引了大量外国玩家。在体验游戏之前，通读原著《西游记》已经成为许多外国人的“必修课”。
本世纪第二个十年以来，随着《三体》、《流浪地球》、《原神》、《长安三万里》、《我的阿勒泰》等一系列具有代表性的杰作相继问世，中国文化产业迎来了矩阵式的突破。从对外来文化的充分消化吸收，到对中国优秀传统文化的创造性转化和创新发展，在影视、游戏等领域涌现出了口碑极佳的优质产品。这不仅标志着国家文化产业综合水平的全面提高，也是文化自信的体现。
从游戏中的每一株植物到角色所说的每一句话，《黑神话：悟空》展现了鲜明的民族文化特色。为了再现《西游记》原作中的建筑，技术人员走遍全国，建立了中国第一个古建筑虚拟资产库。重庆大足石刻、杭州灵隐寺等一大批历史寺庙、文物古迹得到修复。游戏中随处可见的奇观让世界各地的玩家惊叹于中国文化。游戏制作人表示：“在渲染时，我们甚至没有擦掉灰尘，以最大限度地保留中国东方建筑的美丽。我们相信中国文化的数字表达可以超越国界。”。这种对中国文化的坚定信心和对保护中国优秀传统文化的执着，是中国文艺工作者在世界文化中站稳脚跟的力量。
《西游记》是中国文学在海外交流中的代表作，也是中国文化的著名象征。在现代，《西游记》的许多改编作品以各种形式出现，包括文学、电影、电视和电子游戏。中国已经制作了动画电影《大闹天宫》和电视剧《西游记》。在日本，鸟山明创作了漫画《龙珠》。在西方，美国制作了《美猴王》和《美国出生的中国人》等电影，澳大利亚制作了《新猴子传奇》。然而，这些西方改编作品大多以《西游记》的名义讲述西方故事。如何利用当代技术和形式创造一个体现中国话语、叙事和精神的“美猴王”，一直是中国艺术家的不断探索，也是中国社会热切期待的。
自从四年前《黑神话：悟空》的第一部预告片引起轰动以来，许多人都对它寄予厚望，希望它能促进中国文化的国际传播。到目前为止，《黑神话：悟空》在海外赢得了很多钦佩，但一些媒体持不同立场，将中国游戏业视为西方公司在市场上的下一个“威胁”。这些观点是熟悉的，但它们没有抓住重点。中国的文化市场已经巨大，凭借其丰富的历史文化资源、庞大的创意人才和技术创新，中国文化产品正在取得突破，稳步向高端和国际市场迈进。这显然是一个不可阻挡的趋势。同时，中国优秀文化产品的国际传播也具有丰富全球文化体验、展示文化多样性的意义。
中国也需要保持冷静的心态。虽然一款游戏的成功肯定令人兴奋，但中国人必须认识到，就单人游戏的技术水平、行业经验和市场成熟度而言，中国仍然是一个初学者。中国行业专业人士需要明白，随着他们能力的提升，他们将逐渐进入与国际同行直接竞争的阶段，竞争只会变得更加激烈。面对评价各异的国际市场，中国开发商作为全球游戏行业的后来者，应该保持谦逊进取的心态，客观冷静地看待外部反馈和自己的成就。
黑神话：悟空是中国文化产品国际交流的一个成功的新起点，但就像悟空破土而出，成为“美猴王”一样，它是通往西方的漫长旅程的前奏。目前，以电影、电视、游戏等为代表的当代中国体验正在泛滥。这是一个全世界都在不断感知的文化事实。展望未来，中国必须特别以更加自信的心态运用现代文化产业方法，创作和制作更多以中国话语和中国叙事为重点的高质量作品，形成与国家综合国力和国际地位相匹配的国际话语权。
【语法填空改编】
Since the second decade of this century, with the successive release of a series of representative masterpieces such as The Three-Body Problem, The Wandering Earth, Genshin Impact, 30,000 Miles from Chang'an and My Altay, China's cultural industry has ushered in a matrix breakthrough. From the full digestion 1.__________ absorption of foreign culture to the creative transformation and innovative development of China's excellent traditional culture, high-quality products with excellent reviews 2.___________(emerge) in the fields of film, television, games, and more. This not only marks the overall improvement of the comprehensive level of the country's cultural industry, but also a manifestation of cultural confidence.
From every plant in the game to every word spoken by the characters, Black Myth: Wukong 3.___________(showcase) distinct national cultural characteristics. In order to reproduce the buildings in the original work of Journey to the West, technicians traveled all over the country and established China's first virtual asset library of ancient buildings. A large number of historical 4.___________(temple), cultural relics and ancient books were restored, including Dazu Rock Carvings in Chongqing and Lingyin Temple in Hangzhou. The wonders 5.________ can be seen everywhere in the game make players around the world marvel at Chinese culture. This firm confidence in Chinese culture and the dedication to 6._________(preserve) China's excellent traditional culture are the strength for Chinese literary and art workers to stand firm in the world culture.
Journey to the West is 7.________ representative work of Chinese literature in overseas communication and a well-known symbol of Chinese culture. In modern times, numerous adaptations of Journey to the West have emerged 8._________ various forms, including literature, film, television, and video games. How to use contemporary technology and forms to create a "Monkey King" that embodies Chinese discourse, narrative, and spirit has been a continuous exploration for Chinese artists and 9.__________(eager) anticipated by Chinese society.Black Myth: Wukong is a successful and new beginning for the international communication of Chinese cultural products, but just like Wukong breaking out of the stone and becoming the "Monkey King," 10.________ is the prelude on the long journey to the West.
【参考答案】
1.and 2.have emerged 3.showcases 4.temples 5.that 6.preserving 7.a 8.in 9.eagerly 10.it
声明：本公众号部分资料是网络资源的整合，只为交流分享，如有侵权请联系删除，转载请完整备注。本文英语原文及图片第一篇来自China Daily，第二篇及第三篇内容及图片来自Global Times，语法填空皆由小予君改编。
