Game Science Interactive Technology Co., Ltd. (Chinese: 游戏科学; pinyin: Yóuxì Kēxué) is a Chinese video game development and publishing company, best known for its first internationally-released AAA game, Black Myth: Wukong (2024). It is headquartered in Shenzhen with an additional office in Hangzhou.
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Native name | 天津市游科互动科技有限公司 杭州游科互动科技有限公司 深圳市游科互动科技有限公司 |
|---|---|
| Company type | Private |
| Industry | Video games |
| Founded | June 13, 2014 |
| Founders | Feng Ji Yang Qi |
| Headquarters | Shenzhen, Guangdong, China |
Key people | Feng Ji (CEO) |
| Products | Black Myth: Wukong |
| Website | gamesci |
History
editIn 2014, Game Science was founded in Shenzhen by seven ex-Tencent Games employees. They had previously worked on a free-to-play MMORPG called Asura Online which was based on The Legend of Wukong, an online novel adapted from Journey to the West.[1][2][3]
Game Science released the mobile games 100 Heroes and Art of War: Red Tides before they started the development of Black Myth: Wukong in 2018.[2] The decision to develop an AAA game, according to operations director Lan Weiyi, came after the realization that there were more Steam users from China than the US.[2] Game Science decided to have a team focused on mobile games and a team focused on single-player games.[4] The Black Myth project's development team moved from Shenzhen to Hangzhou due to "slower pace and lower living costs".[3]
In August 2020, Game Science released the first trailer of Black Myth: Wukong as a way to recruit more talent for the company.[1] At the time, the game's development team had 30 members.[1] Due to the trailer going viral, Game Science received over 10,000 resumes.[1] Some were from AAA gaming companies with candidates even from outside of China who were willing to apply for a Chinese working visa at their own cost.[1] A day after the trailer's release, there were people showing up at the door of the company asking for a job.[1] The development team expanded to 140 employees according to the game's credit list.[3]
Hero Games acquired a 19% stake in Game Science through its wholly-owned subsidiary Tianjin Hero Financial Holding Technology in 2017, but sold the stake in 2022.[3] As reported in March 2021, Tencent increased its stake in Game Science to 5%.[5] They aimed to help their former employees on some projects, but committed to not interfering with the operation and decision-making of Game Science.[5]
In 2023, IGN released a report that alleged a history of sexism within the company, included screenshots of personal posts by company figures on Chinese social media and suggestive 2015 company hiring posters as evidence,[6] and added controversy to the game's launch. Game Science declined to reply, opting to only answer questions related to gameplay and the demo.[7][8][9] Chinese outlets HK01 and GameLook criticized IGN's report, saying that the article uses examples either taken out-of-context or vulgar but not sexist.[10] HK01 additionally stated that posts were mistranslated and that the anonymous criticism quoted by the article can not be verified.[11]
Black Myth: Wukong sold 20 million units in its first month,[12] making it one of the fastest-selling games of all time.[13]
Games and products
edit| Year | English | Chinese | Pinyin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 100 Heroes | 百將行 | Bǎi Jiāng Xíng |
| 2016 | Art of War: Red Tides | 战争艺术：赤潮 | Zhànzhēng Yìshù: Chìcháo |
| 2024 | Black Myth: Wukong | 黑神话：悟空 | Hēishénhuà: Wùkōng |
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f Young, Charles (11 September 2020). "Black Myth: Wukong - The World Exclusive Story Behind the Breakout Action-RPG". IGN. Archived from the original on 11 September 2020. Retrieved 18 August 2024.
- ^ a b c Ye, Josh (21 August 2020). "Black Myth: Wukong martial arts title in race to become China's first AAA game". South China Morning Post. Archived from the original on 24 August 2020. Retrieved 18 August 2024.
- ^ a b c d Cao, Ann; Le, Kelly (22 August 2024). "Black Myth: Wukong's popularity brings unexpected windfall, fame to low-profile developer". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 23 August 2024.
- ^ 祝佳音 (21 August 2020). "如今我风华正茂：游戏科学是如何制造《黑神话：悟空》的 - 触乐". Chuapp.
- ^ a b Jia, Liu (30 March 2021). "[Exclusive] Tencent Lifts Stake in Indie Studio Game Science to Draw Closer, Source Says". www.yicaiglobal.com. Archived from the original on 18 August 2024. Retrieved 18 August 2024.
- ^ Valentine, Rebekah; Chan, Khee Hoon (20 November 2023). "How Black Myth: Wukong Developer's History of Sexism Is Complicating its Journey to the West". IGN. Archived from the original on 17 August 2024. Retrieved 18 August 2024.
- ^ Regan, Tom (25 July 2024), "Black Myth: Wukong – the summer's most exciting, and most controversial, video game", The Guardian, ISSN 0261-3077, retrieved 13 November 2024
- ^ Valentine, Rebekah (17 June 2024). "About Our Report From Last Year". IGN. Archived from the original on 19 August 2024. Retrieved 20 August 2024.
- ^ Fenlon, Wes (20 August 2024). "We asked Black Myth: Wukong's developer about the controversy over its founders' past sexist remarks, but GameScience's only reply was 'No comment'". PC Gamer. Archived from the original on 21 August 2024. Retrieved 22 August 2024.
what would otherwise be a celebratory launch has been dogged by controversy that studio GameScience seems unwilling to address, including in a recent interview with PC Gamer.
- ^ "《黑神话：悟空》被外媒锤了，仗义执言还是别有用心？". GameLook. 23 November 2023. Archived from the original on 27 August 2024. Retrieved 29 August 2024.
- ^ 林卓恆 (17 June 2024). "傳黑神話悟空遭政確團體逼害小島秀夫都中槍｜因拒交5500萬顧問費". HK01 (in Chinese). Archived from the original on 23 August 2024.
不過這篇文章的真實性也存疑；在網上早就有人指出該文中引用的性別歧視例子，基本上都是將遊戲科學成員在社交媒體上的發文斷章取義，以至惡意翻譯而成。而文章中引用了不止一位「來自中國的女性遊戲開發者」的批評遊戲科學的發言，均全都以化名（pseudonym）記載，完全無法查證真偽。
- ^ Bonelli, John (26 September 2024). "Black Myth: Wukong Passes Yet Another Impressive Sales Milestone". Game Rant.
- ^ Kaser, Rachel (23 August 2024). "Black Myth: Wukong is one of the fastest-selling games of all time". Venture Beat.