Summary
A new market data analysis suggests that a recent bump in the sale of gaming monitors was caused by the massive success of action RPGBlack Myth: Wukong. One of the major gaming success stories of 2024,Black Myth: Wukongsmashed historic sales records in China and around the world.
Though it has been months since the game released in August 2024, the impact ofBlack Myth: Wukongis still being felt in the game industry. Though some were upset byWukonglosing Game of the Year at The Game Awards 2024, Game Science’s first modern AAA game release even being nominated was a major honor in itself. On top of that,Black Myth: Wukongsold millions of copies in China alone, underscoring the great demand Chinese players have for “home-grown” titles capable of competing with traditional powerhouses of the game industry like the United States and Japan.
Black Myth: Wukong’s commercial influence even extends into the realm of hardware sales,according to a new report from analyst firm TrendForce. The report looked into the monitor industry, tracking trends likethe growing popularity of OLED gaming monitorsin recent years. In its conclusions, the report suggested that the release ofBlack Myth: Wukongin August 2024 boosted Chinese demand for high-quality gaming monitors so dramatically that LCD panel manufacturers saw major sales boosts.
Black Myth: Wukong’s Popularity Boosted Gaming Monitor Sales Numbers Dramatically
Using the latest graphical tech, Game Science rendered the world of traditional Chinese myth with a unique dark fantasy style. Many players in China, already a major hub of PC hardware sales, opted to try to get thebest PC settings to enjoyBlack Myth: Wukong’s graphicswith, and often looked to upgrade their monitors to display those visuals at the highest quality possible. As a result, LCD panel companies like BOE, CSOT, and HKC, which supply displays to various monitor manufacturers, saw bumps of 20%, 40%, and 50% in their 2024 sales figures, respectively.
Those figures in China stand out because, according to Trendforce’s report, the overall market for gaming monitors worldwide grew just 12%. While a respectable number, that percentage is fairly small. For Chinese customers to make up such a large proportion of that growth suggests that the timing of the jumps in LCD panel sales was linked to a game that inspired Chinese gamers to seek out high-quality screens. For 2024, that game was undoubtedlyBlack Myth: Wukong, which was nominated for a variety of “Best Visuals” awards during the year.
Though the evidence is indirect, the linking ofBlack Myth: Wukong’s success to helping inspire entire hardware market trends is evidence of the increasingly clear power of the Chinese market. Already we’re seeing Chinese sales numbers influence global blockbuster rankings single-handedly, like whenNe Zha 2overtookSuper Mario Bros.as the 4th best-selling animated movie of all time. Game companies are surely taking notice of the Chinese audience and factoring it into their plans.
