第一财经·2025-08-01 05:04Core Viewpoint - The Chinese gaming industry has evolved significantly over the past decade, now capable of producing AAA games, which are seen as essential for global competitiveness [6][8]. Group 1: Industry Evolution - The success of "Black Myth: Wukong" has encouraged more developers to pursue AAA games, with companies like NetEase and Century Huatong exploring this direction [3][10]. - The financial capacity of Chinese game developers has increased dramatically, with NetEase's gaming revenue projected to reach 83.6 billion RMB in 2024, up from 1.38 billion RMB in 2005, marking a 60-fold increase [6][8]. - The Chinese gaming industry has developed a systematic understanding of game development technologies and processes, making the creation of high-quality AAA games more feasible [6][7]. Group 2: Quality and Unique Experience - High quality is deemed the most challenging aspect of AAA game development, as games must offer unique experiential value to attract players [7][8]. - The game "Guitang" aims to leverage digital technology to recreate historical narratives, supported by cultural heritage data from Gansu Province [7][8]. - The report indicates that by 2024, overseas sales of Chinese self-developed games are expected to reach approximately 18.56 billion USD, representing about 40% of the domestic market's revenue [7][8]. Group 3: Market Dynamics and ROI - The AAA game market is becoming increasingly competitive, with many developers entering the space despite the high investment and uncertain returns [11][12]. - The return on investment (ROI) for AAA games is complex and cannot be solely compared to other game types, as the market for blockbuster games is limited [11][12]. - There is a growing interest from non-gaming companies in developing high-quality games, driven by the success of "Black Myth: Wukong" and the relatively lower development costs in China compared to Western markets [12][13]. Group 4: Market Growth - The Chinese console gaming market is experiencing rapid growth, with actual sales revenue reaching 1.03 billion RMB in the first half of 2025, a nearly 30% year-on-year increase [13]. - This growth is attributed to the ongoing popularity of "Black Myth: Wukong" and the success of new imported console games, providing a favorable environment for domestic AAA game development [13].