Niko Partners: PS5 is selling at a 2x faster rate vs PS4 in China | Wukong drives PS5 to Top of Alibaba Tmall

[Puff]

While console has historically remained niche in China, despite the overturning of the console ban in 2014, the PlayStation 5 is selling 2x faster than its predecessor in the country and has become an established platform alongside the Nintendo Switch. A limited time deal on the PlayStation 5 that is running this week has led to a surge in sales for the console that further cements these changing gamer preferences in the market.

Journey to Success: Black Myth Wukong Breaks Records on Day One

Journey to Success: Black Myth Wukong Breaks Records on Day One Black Myth: Wukong, an action RPG developed by Chinese studio Game Science, has had an extremely successful launch following its release on August 20, 2024, for PC and PS5. The high sales, particularly within China, reflect the...

nikopartners.com

(Bloomberg) -- The release of China’s biggest PC game to date, Black Myth: Wukong, also sparked an unusual buying spree for Sony Group Corp.’s PlayStation 5.

The PS5 jumped to the top of Alibaba Group Holding Ltd.’s list for electronics game equipment in the week leading up to Wukong’s Aug. 20 release, doubling its sales from the same period a year earlier. Playable on the Sony console as well as on PC, Wukong was top of Alibaba’s Taobao hot search on launch day and enticed gamers to buy new hardware in a market where mobile gaming typically reigns supreme.

While small by the scale of Sony’s global business, the surge in China is a rare occasion of local consumers embracing the console segment of the gaming world. Sony and rival Nintendo Co. have tried for years to gain a stronger foothold in the world’s biggest games market.

Developed by Hangzhou-based studio Game Science, Wukong was an instant hit, with more than 2.2 million PC gamers playing it concurrently around the world. It has sustained that momentum with well over a million people logged in and experiencing the mythical adventures of the titular Monkey King on Wednesday. Its popularity on consoles has yet to be quantified, but the early indication from these bumper PS5 sales in China — where consumer spending has been stunted for months — suggests the frenzy around the game is widespread.

Tencent Holdings Ltd. has a 5% stake in creator Game Science, which was founded by former Tencent employees, and also distributes the game on its WeGame online platform.

‘Wukong’ Game Debut Drives PlayStation 5 to Top of Alibaba Tmall

The release of China’s biggest PC game to date, Black Myth: Wukong, also sparked an unusual buying spree for Sony.’s PlayStation 5.

www.bnnbloomberg.ca

 

[Cool hand luke]

@thicc_girls_are_teh_best

The bigger picture, and the reason why Sony continues to invest in initiatives like China Hero.

 

[ApolloHelios]

I read somewhere that at least 70-80% of Wukong players are from China and this seems to track with PS5 selling like this along with Steam numbers.

 

[KvallyX]

I read somewhere that at least 70-80% of Wukong players are from China and this seems to track with PS5 selling like this along with Steam numbers.

It's at 88% China for Steam

 

[YeezyDude]

Excellent news man... Hopefully so will Sony continue to find ways to sell in China and other places with a lot of amazing games coming from China, Korea, Japan etc.!

 

[saltyashell]

The steam peak is 2.4 million people. If we estimate that around 12% of those are players not in China, that's about 290k players, which is nothing to sneeze at.

 

[anonpuffs]

The steam peak is 2.4 million people. If we estimate that around 12% of those are players not in China, that's about 290k players, which is nothing to sneeze at.

290k global is a very good launch for a single player game on steam.

 

[Cool hand luke]

290k global is a very good launch for a single player game on steam.

I'd say it's incredible given paltry PC software sales (100:1 in favour of consoles in Spain, miles behind in UK, France, dropping behind consoles in Germany)

 

[anonpuffs]

I'd say it's incredible given paltry PC software sales (100:1 in favour of consoles in Spain, miles behind in UK, France, dropping behind consoles in Germany)

It won't be that lopsided considering the vast majority are Chinese PC players for this. But it does really plant a seed of console in China which should easily grow in the next 10 years if Sony play their cards right. If they are smart they can easily turn China into a large console market, especially if they can keep their large multiplayer games relatively cheater-free

 

[Etifilio]

if Sony manages to get China to purchase consoles, we can see a console gen surpassing 200M units sold, they need to work on regions like China and India, big in population

 

[AllBizness]

Wukong is #2 on PSN in North America only behind Fortnight, holy effing crap.

 

[Vertigo]

You can’t just write it off as sales as “china.”

The hype will spread internationally and appeal to more than just already huge Asian populations in western nations etc… sorta grassroots. It’s turned most heads — I might buy it cuz I gotta see — will you?

PARADIGM SHIFT moment in gaming history for sure.

I’m curious to see if it can break 3 million concurrent on steam this weekend. Since launch it peaks 100k higher each day. The rest of the world may show up this weekend.

 

[anonpuffs]

You can’t just write it off as sales as “china.”

The hype will spread internationally and appeal to more than just already huge Asian populations in western nations etc… sorta grassroots. It’s turned most heads — I might buy it cuz I gotta see — will you?

PARADIGM SHIFT moment in gaming history for sure.

I’m curious to see if it can break 3 million concurrent on steam this weekend. Since launch it peaks 100k higher each day. The rest of the world may show up this weekend.

Yeah the steam hype definitely has some effect on console gamers, I posted the news article on my gaming friends group chat and it convinced at least one PS5 player to buy it

Fomo is a real thing

 

[Airbus]

It's at 88% China for Steam

Proving what a giant market china is

Can carry a game sales on its own

 

[Vertigo]

Yeah the steam hype definitely has some effect on console gamers, I posted the news article on my gaming friends group chat and it convinced at least one PS5 player to buy it

Fomo is a real thing

It’s a bit more than that too I think.

Breakout hits like Baldur’s Gate and Helldivers, etc…

I look at these games and I don’t see titles that embraced the designed by committee, one size fits all, game design philosophy that gives us the McDonald’s gamepass quality of games we suffer from.

Gamers are making pretty huge statements about what they want.

PS - I think this gen finally got rolling. Pro consoles are in a good spot considering I think this will be as long if not longer than ps360 gen. Which is crazy since this year sorta objectively sucked but there’s been some crazy software numbers in the last year from new sources.

 

[anonpuffs]

It’s a bit more than that too I think.

Breakout hits like Baldur’s Gate and Helldivers, etc…

I look at these games and I don’t see titles that embraced the designed by committee, one size fits all, game design philosophy that gives us the McDonald’s gamepass quality of games we suffer from.

Gamers are making pretty huge statements about what they want.

PS - I think this gen finally got rolling. Pro consoles are in a good spot considering I think this will be as long if not longer than ps360 gen. Which is crazy since this year sorta objectively sucked but there’s been some crazy software numbers in the last year from new sources.

With the advent of AI inferenced upscaling, I think consoles are set to deliver a quite decent baseline in performance compared to PCs now, along with the marginal gain in graphical fidelity that more compute power brings, as well as the slowing of node shrinks and efficiency gains in semiconductor manufacturing. The idea that consoles are going away is, from my perspective, purely fictional one driven by propaganda created by companies that aren't succeeding with their own platforms (or by open platform ideologues like gaben). Walled gardens and closed hardware ecosystems are here to stay and Apple is the biggest counterexample for anyone who thinks otherwise.

 

[Johnic]

if Sony manages to get China to purchase consoles, we can see a console gen surpassing 200M units sold, they need to work on regions like China and India, big in population

Big in population but a lot of them not well off financially. A console can cost more than an average monthly salary in those countries. There's a reason PC gaming is successful there. Cheap PCs are easier to come by., which also means poor performance.

Pricing will be the core factor in those regions.

 

[Airbus]

Big in population but a lot of them not well off financially. A console can cost more than an average monthly salary in those countries. There's a reason PC gaming is successful there. Cheap PCs are easier to come by., which also means poor performance.

Pricing will be the core factor in those regions.

Were not talking about luxury item like cars, bikes or clothing brand

PS5 is a $500 consoles the average working people can afford that

 

[Johnic]

Were not talking about luxury item like cars, bikes or clothing brand

PS5 is a $500 consoles the average working people can afford that

I speak from experience. Almost the entire average salary goes on a console. Consoles are luxury items and government taxes are incredibly high on those products.

 

[Airbus]

I speak from experience. Almost the entire average salary goes on a console. Consoles are luxury items and government taxes are incredibly high on those products.

$500 is not that much unless youre really broke

People spend more than $500 in just couple days ( well depends where you live but thats a safe guesstimate )