Even if you’re not a gamer, you would have heard about the massive international success of China’s first AAA game, Black Myth: Wukong, based on the classic Chinese tale Journey to the West. The game has excited a lot of people, including many Chinese who feel that this kind of soft power is a perfect opportunity to show Chinese culture to the world, free from the confines of biased and negative mainstream media representations of the country. But as with every success from China, there are detractors. Some in the industry are claiming the game lacks diversity, and that its developers are sexist. How relevant are those smears? And why is Wukong such a massive success? Today I’ll all those questions and more with my special guest, podcast host and media personality @CarlZha This is Reports on China, I’m Andy Boreham in Shanghai. Let’s get reporting! #wukong #gaming #diversityandinclusion
  • Awoo [she/her]
    ·
    25 days ago

    I don't think it's unfair to point out that there's basically no women in the game. Carl Zha is full of shit saying that there are a lot in Chapter 2 onwards lol.

    This is entirely fair when you consider the show that is responsible for this being such a hugely popular story does have a lot of women in it.

    This doesn't make it a bad game. It is a good game, I have enjoyed it. But it is definitely odd having literally no women and questioning that shouldn't generate entire videos complaining about people mentioning it.

    • Bartsbigbugbag@lemmy.ml
      ·
      25 days ago

      It’s been a hugely popular story for 500 years though? A show didn’t popularize it. I haven’t seen many women, for sure, but I don’t recall many in the book/oral story either, but I could just be forgetting some.

    • Imnecomrade [none/use name]
      ·
      25 days ago

      I do agree. I posted this for discussion. I don't necessarily agree with the video and just learned about the chuddiness about the channel afterwards. I believe I came across this channel from Hexbear or Lemmygrad to begin with, so I subscribed and didn't know about its sketchiness until now.

      I do find it odd to not include women in the game until after an entire chapter. And if the media it is based on is more diverse than the game, then why is the game made like this? And if the game serves as a pipeline to Chinese culture, why give the West valid ammo to attack the game and China as a whole?

      • Awoo [she/her]
        ·
        25 days ago

        Not suggesting you agreed with it!

        I do find it odd to not include women in the game until after an entire chapter.

        I don't recall any women in Chapter 2 either tbh. There's one female character in the entire game as far as I'm aware, she's a boss. This one: https://youtu.be/DZykPABE8U4