12th September 2024
The Global Marketing Success of "Black Myth: Wukong"
How Mindshare’s Game Marketing Experts Helped Chinese Game Developer Game Science “Journey to the West”
Have you played “Black Myth: Wukong" yet?
"Black Myth: Wukong” is a single-player action role-playing game created by the Chinese game developer Game Science and published over a span of six years. The storyline draws inspiration from the classic Chinese novel, "Journey to the West," showcasing the quality of an internationally cutting-edge AAA game through a world of Chinese mythology that is both real and fantastical.
The game has received critical acclaim from international media and players alike, positioning it as a benchmark for games seeking to make their mark and champion Chinese culture on a global stage. Launched internationally on August 20th, 2024, it sold 10 million copies across all platforms in its first three days and remains the highest-grossing product on Steam for the third consecutive week.
As Game Science’s official media partner, GroupM agency Mindshare leveraged decades of game marketing expertise and its strong global network to spearhead the international launch campaign for Black Myth: Wukong. The agency is responsible for game’s media promotion and content distribution across nine languages and multiple markets in North America, South America, Europe, and Asia, bolstering the game's global standing in the industry and securing cultural recognition and affection from players worldwide.
One of the biggest challenges in taking games global is the complexity of cross-cultural communication. To overcome this barrier, Mindshare leveraged its global network to craft a publicity strategy for Game Science that accounted for local needs, local insights, and which integrated global resources.
Implementing this strategy required the team to collaborate with major global gaming media groups like Twitch, IGN, Eurogamer, GameSpot, GamesRadar+, 4Gamer, and more, to create high-quality promotional content tailored to each language in key markets. This ensured alignment with the game's top-tier international standards and was the result of collective efforts from Game Science, Mindshare, and seasoned game media platforms worldwide.
“As someone who started his career in the game industry more than 20 years ago, the opportunity to help bring one of China’s most beloved stories to rest of the world in such a compelling way is about as exciting as it gets. We’re working with the best of the best of our global network to support this historic launch.”
Benjamin Condit, CEO of Mindshare in China
“Bringing a game like 'Black Myth: Wukong' to a global audience requires more than just translation – it demands a deep understanding of cultural nuances and player motivations. At Mindshare, we pride ourselves on bridging those gaps, connecting with gamers on a human level to build genuine excitement and anticipation.”
Arthur O’Neill, Head of Invention Worldwide, Mindshare
With decades of collective experience, GroupM’s game marketing experts inside Mindshare have a proven track record of successful collaborations with leading global brands and influential game IPs. The team looks forward to sharing more information about future campaigns and partnerships with gaming companies in China and around the world.