Until a few years ago, Chinese state media referred to online games as 'mental opium.' At one point, the issuance of game licenses (approval for game services in China) was completely halted for over six months. However, unlike other industries that are in decline, the growth of the gaming industry has been steep. Consequently, the government also shifted its stance. Following the success of 'Genshin Impact,' 'Black Myth: Wukong' has hit it big across the world, proving the development capabilities of Chinese game companies that had been hidden.
In this context, 'Ming末: Feather of the Void' (hereafter referred to as Ming末), which was released on the 24th, quickly rose to the top of the popular games ranking on the gaming platform Steam on its first day. In Korea, reviews are pouring in on YouTube and social media, drawing attention to Lingze Technology (hereafter referred to as Lingze), the developer of the game.
◇ As soon as it was released, 'Ming末' attracted attention, developed by a new Chinese company
According to the company, 'Ming末' takes place during the tumultuous end of the Ming Dynasty, where a warrior woman named 'Wuchang,' who has lost her memory, battles monsters infected by a plague called 'Feather Disease' in chaos following her sister's death, seeking to uncover her identity and the truth entangled with this world. Depending on how one plays, multiple endings can be seen. It is a soul-like genre that is currently gaining global popularity, with a development period that lasted a remarkable six years. The standard edition is priced at 248 yuan (about 48,000 won), and the deluxe edition at 298 yuan (about 57,000 won).
The game saw a surge in pre-orders two days before its launch, ranking first in global sales on Steam and capturing attention. By the afternoon of its release day on the 24th, it secured second place on the global popular games list. It ranked within the top five not only in the Chinese-speaking regions but also in the Americas and Europe. According to Steam, the game surpassed 96,600 simultaneous users within 30 minutes of its official launch, exceeding 110,000 an hour later. While this is lower than the previous blockbuster 'OKONG,' it is a notable achievement for a new developer.
According to Caixin, Lingze, which developed the game, is a newly established company founded in 2016. It started with virtual reality (VR) game development, transitioned to console game development in 2018, and began the Ming末 project in 2019. The current number of employees is around 300, with the founding members hailing from Sichuan, the region that inspired the game's background. In 2020, the project nearly collapsed due to financial difficulties but was revived through government subsidies.
According to the Chinese state-run Xinhua News Agency, Lingze became the first company to settle in the 'Tianfu New Area Digital Culture and Creative Cluster' in Chengdu that same year. This complex aims to build a '100m industrial chain,' concentrating digital content companies in one place to maximize synergies among similar industry businesses. In fact, dozens of corporations participated in the creation of 'Ming末,' nearly half of which are based in Chengdu.
◇ Collaborating with local governments for historical and cultural accuracy… Concerns about 'overseas expansion limitations'
With a vast original intellectual property (IP) boasting approximately 4000 years of history, 'Ming末' was also developed drawing inspiration from ancient history. It borrows from ancient texts 'Huayang Guozhi' and 'Shu Wang Benji,' written around the 3rd to 4th centuries, relating to the history and mythology of the Sichuan region, known as Shu.
To enhance the historical and cultural authenticity, non-playable character (NPC) dialogues in the game were composed in the Sichuan dialect, and real historical architectural structures were digitally scanned and implemented in the game. In this process, the city of Chengdu provided support for cultural asset measurings. Chengdu is optimistic that the success of 'Ming末' will lead to a cultural tourism boom, much like the tourism surge that occurred in Shanxi Province, the game's setting, following the success of 'OKONG.'
However, there are criticisms that these historical and cultural details, which immersed local users, did not resonate effectively in the overseas market. Caixin noted that 'Ming末' cannot escape the structural challenges faced by purely Chinese IP games entering the international market, pointing to limitations in delivering cultural context, relative weakness in distribution channel competitiveness, and the long time required for market acceptance.
Caixin further stated, 'Although the classic IP 'Journey to the West' is known in overseas markets as 'Monkey King' and has gained some recognition, 'OKONG' showed certain limitations in the global market.' It added, 'While 'Ming末' highlighted excellent historical accuracy and field verification within China, it could not employ such strategies overseas, resulting in criticism over the sexualization of its female protagonist's clothing.'
There are also criticisms that the game's mechanics overly sexualize the female protagonist character. In a report covering the evaluations and controversies surrounding 'Ming末,' the Chinese media Xina.com stated, 'Most reviews highly praised the game's visual representations, artistic style, and world-building, but the treatment of female characters has become a point of contention.'
According to reports, the game's storyline develops such that after female characters experience pain and oppression, they obtain suggestive outfits as a reward. Xina.com remarked, 'Such portrayals may discomfort some players,' adding, 'In fact, this setting has been one of the main reasons some media outlets have downplayed evaluations.'
◇ 'Mental opium' is a thing of the past… China bolstering its gaming industry
The Chinese government has strictly regulated online games, going so far as to call them 'mental opium.' Laws were enacted allowing only three hours of online gaming per week for minors, and spending limits on game users were set. The issuance of game licenses was also halted for eight months.
As a result, more than 10,000 Chinese game companies have closed, and major companies like Tencent and NetEase have seen their market capitalization evaporate by over 100 trillion won. While the global gaming industry is rapidly expanding, in China, companies are losing competitiveness due to regulations, causing the industry to shrink.
In response, the Chinese government has started to adjust its strategy. They are now focused on boosting the gaming industry. The government is providing approximately 100 million yuan (about 19 billion won) in subsidies annually to promote e-sports and has increased the issuance of game licenses. According to the National Press and Publication Administration, a total of 757 Chinese online games received licenses in the first half of this year, an 18% increase compared to the previous year. Notably, the number of licenses issued in June alone reached its highest since 2022. From the 1st to the 22nd of this month, a total of 127 Chinese games were granted licenses.