The Chinese and Canadian gaming markets are distinctly different in their customer preferences. In China, it’s very much a case of mobile or nothing. However, in Western markets like Canada, where mobile apps generate a lot of money, the focus is on competitive or triple-A experiences using powerful hardware, like PC or home consoles.
The likes of Genshin Impact, Naraka: Bladepoint, and Dyson Sphere Program all showcase steps towards triple-A within the “lighter” gaming sphere, like mobile gaming. Next year, Chinese developers will look to break into mainstream Western gaming. If these games stick the landing, it’ll almost certainly open the door to more creative projects to filter through from China.
A long history in gaming, just not triple-A console gaming
Ancient China is the birthplace of a host of games that remain popular today, including Mah-jong, keno, pai gow, and sic bo. Having stood the test of time, it’s perhaps not surprising that most of these games have been thoughtfully adapted to the online medium, enabling players to enjoy their favourites from the comfort of their homes.
Big casino franchises, in particular, have made an exponential profit from featuring the traditional classics among their more innovative new titles. Most people go to online casinos to claim free slots with bonus and free spins offers, which allow them to enjoy one of the main attractions, slot games, with value for money. Though slot games didn’t originate in China, the influence of Chinese culture is visible among the thumbnails. There’s a whole host of Chinese-themed slots to choose from, like Year of the Dog and 100 Pandas.
As for more modern creations, it’s fair to say that China has perfected the mobile formula. By 2027, Chinese companies are expected to hit at least $55 billion in gaming revenues – the vast majority of which is via mobile. Chinese game companies make 47 percent of the global revenue for mobile games and 30 percent of PC gaming revenues. Of these, Tencent is the biggest, reaping $346 million from in-app purchases in April 2023 alone.
Pivoting to triple-A with two potential big-hitters
<iframe width=”560″ height=”315″ src=”https://www.youtube.com/embed/EZr1HXkEahs” title=”YouTube video player” frameborder=”0″ allow=”accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share” allowfullscreen></iframe>
Set to be the first to break out of China and into the Canadian gaming mainstream is Black Myth: Wukong. Billed to launch in the summer of 2024, the Game Science creation puts you in the shoes of Monkey King, drawing its story from the classic Chinese novel -Journey to the West. The footage funnelled through IGN so far has been very impressive and viewed millions of times. Importantly, it’ll hit on the Souls-like genre while it’s hot.
Perhaps not long after Black Myth: Wukong could be the action-RPG Phantom Blade Zero. What started as a little indie project on RPG Maker 13 years ago has blossomed into a fully-fledged triple-A project under the studio S-Game. In another potential exclusive coup for Sony, Phantom Blade Zero will be a PlayStation 5 exclusive earmarked for a 2024 release. Like Black Myth: Wukong, the footage has already been impressive, and the announcement trailer alone collected over 2.8 million views.
It’s great to see another country with such a rich culture and gaming history finally look to break into the Western mainstream market. If they both succeed, it’ll only make being a gamer in Canada all the more diverse, engaging, and fun
