Gamescom, one of the world's largest gaming exhibitions, has just ended, marking the first large-scale offline gaming exhibition of the year.

        This year, Gamescom saw participation from over 1,220 exhibitors from 63 countries and regions around the world, with 30 Chinese companies such as NetEase, Tencent, miHoYo, and Game Science making their appearance. Compared to previous years, Chinese gaming was a highlight at this year's Gamescom.

        The prominence of Chinese games at Gamescom is a result of the Chinese gaming industry's exponential growth and global influence over the past decade. According to statistics, overseas sales of Chinese electronic games have exceeded the combined sales of Chinese films, music, animation, and books, making gaming one of the main platforms for sharing Chinese culture. German sinologist Cord Eberspächer expressed at the "Gaming and Cross-cultural Communication Forum" hosted by NetEase that many of his friends started learning Chinese because of Chinese games. On foreign forums, some ethnically Chinese people have mentioned that their children started actively requesting Chinese language classes after becoming fans of certain Chinese games.

　　At the 2023 Games Unbounded conference, NetEase showcased six products, including a self-developed new game and three new games published by their subsidiary studio. New overseas plans for multiple games including Naraka: Bladepoint and Where Winds Meet were also announced.

The Gamescom held in Cologne

 

I. Promoting Exchange and Mutual Learning With an Inclusive Mindset

　　The theme of the NetEase Games press conference was "Games Unbounded" to represent an open and inclusive attitude.

        Games fulfill players' dreams of experiencing the lives of different civilizations. When millions of players around the world venture into the open world as Arthur Morgan in Red Dead Redemption 2, they can gradually understand the inner workings of someone from the American West a century ago.

　　NetEase's various games provide players with immersive experiences in different civilizations. Huang Ying, Deputy Consul General of Chinese Consulate-General in Dusseldorf, mentioned at the press conference, "Many young diplomats at the consulate expressed their envy when they heard that I was invited to attend the NetEase press conference. They actively introduced and showcased several NetEase games they are currently playing.  In Onmyoji, I can see Japanese mythology being reinterpreted in a Chinese game. In Eternal City, I can see a perfect fusion of European art style and a miniature reincarnation worldview. In Justice Online, I can see the Chinese martial arts combat scenes exhibited to the fullest extent by the Microsoft Havok Engine. In Identity V, I saw players from various countries and regions competing on the same stage, transcending geographical and language barriers."

Cologne Game Conference: Huang Ying delivering a speech

        She added that in recent years, NetEase Games has achieved vigorous development and launched a wide range of high-quality works for global players. This achievement is inseparable from a spirit of openness and inclusiveness.  From design concepts, technological applications, production, and operation team communication, to actively exploring foreign markets, focusing on promoting the localization of works for overseas players, and even participating in the Cologne Gamescom again this year, NetEase Games has pushed its games to the highest level through international cooperation and cultural exchange. In short, NetEase Games has integrated global cultural elements into Chinese games and promoted Chinese culture to global players, raising the bar for the Chinese game industry.

　　The Chinese game market is one of the largest in the world. In the past decade, Chinese game shares have increased dramatically in the global market, allowing more and more global players to appreciate Chinese worldviews and philosophies.

        Cultural exchange involves competition, but it is also a process of mutual reflection. But the question for many remains: How can Chinese games become a cultural brand overseas, while also being open and inclusive? Wang Yi, Senior Vice President of NetEase, said that NetEase Games believes that as long as domestic games offer true cultural substance, Chinese culture is fully capable and has the potential to charm overseas users.

        NetEase has accumulated profound experience in various aspects of Chinese culture in the world of cultural exchange, such as martial arts. At this year's Cologne Gamescom, NetEase released two games in its overseas plan, Naraka: Bladepoint and Where Winds Meet — both of which are new martial arts works that NetEase has been focused on in recent years. Since its global release in August 2021, Naraka: Bladepoint has achieved remarkable success, showcasing the beauty of Chinese culture to players from over 239 countries and regions with its deep Chinese traditional cultural heritage, innovative gameplay, and exquisite art. The global user base has exceeded 20 million, setting a new record for sales of Chinese freemium games. Where Winds Meet has already undergone its first test in China in June and is expected to be released soon.

        Naraka: Bladepoint is a Chinese martial arts competitive game.  In Naraka: Bladepoint, players can experience the fun of close combat using ancient Chinese melee weapons.  A video about Naraka: Bladepoint was released by a European team on a Chinese video website. Their self-introduction was written as follows: "Vermilion Stars (VS) is a Naraka: Bladepoint team that mainly produces YouTube content. Our team mainly operates in Europe, but we also have players from around the world." Under the video, there were many Chinese players leaving encouraging comments.

        When overseas game enthusiasts log on to Chinese websites to watch videos of skilled Chinese players, cultural exchange becomes possible as players meet others from different backgrounds with curiosity and joy.

        Naraka: Bladepoint is a PC game, and its mobile version is currently in development, which is expected to further expand the global player community for martial arts games. In the past few years, another NetEase-developed mobile battle royale game, Knives Out, became extremely popular in Japan.  The significant increase in the influence of Chinese games worldwide is closely related to the outstanding performance of Chinese game developers in the mobile game market. NetEase, as a powerful player in the Chinese mobile game field, won the Best Mobile Game Award at this year's Cologne Game Show with its game Sky: Children of the Light.

　　NetEase has included significant Chinese cultural symbols in its Chinese-style games, among which the martial arts genre is particularly abundant.

Cologne Game Conference: the Exhibition Stand of Naraka: Bladepoint

        In the West, many call Chinese martial arts "Kung Fu", which is a distinctive symbol of Chinese culture. "Japanese manga has made Japanese culture popular worldwide. If we think back to the Hong Kong movies of the 1960s, we would remember the legendary figure Bruce Lee, who was highly popular internationally and played a significant role in cultural dissemination. Therefore, I believe it is a great idea to use martial arts to promote Chinese culture,"said Cord Eberspächer.

        With its rich experience in the martial arts game genre, NetEase is expected to promote the integration of martial arts with more gameplay styles and bring them to the international stage.  The game Where Winds Meet showcased at Cologne is one such work. During the event, Where Winds Meet was available for media and professional players to try.  According to official sources, amidst the lively evaluation process, the team heard the most common exclamation: "What?  Is that Chinese magic?" Geographical and cultural differences did not reduce overseas player enthusiasm and curiosity for Where Winds Meet. Although many might not have fully understood the term "martial arts" in the past, the magical power of games has the ability to broaden horizons.

        During the discussion, when asked about the contribution of cultural products such as literature, film, and games to cultural exchanges between countries, Cord Eberspächer said, "In my opinion, films and games have enormous potential in this regard because both can appeal to our most important senses, sight and hearing. I believe games may have a greater impact than films because players spend more time immersed in the game world, and the sensory experience is stronger."

 

II. How Games Promote Global Chinese Cultural Exchange

        How can Chinese games grasp the opportunity for cross-cultural communication and effectively introduce Chinese culture to the world? The focal points for NetEase include polishing the setting and story, game element design, globalized operation and co-creation, as well as a global exchange of technology and talent.

        Where Winds Meet is a new historical martial arts game by NetEase.  The game integrates "Chinese-style martial arts" with open-world gameplay, setting it apart from existing martial arts games. The world of Where Winds Meet offers players a high level of freedom, allowing them to try out many ideas in an impeccable world. Since Where Winds Meet does not restrict players to a specific sect, anyone can learn any martial arts moves they want such as acupressure points and Tai Chi.

        Huang Ying mentioned that young diplomats who joined the event with her had pre-registered for this game quite early.  She said that what drew her in most about Where Winds Meet was the concept of "no sect, no school": the idea that traditional sects working in isolation can only mass-produce warriors, while only the wandering vagabonds who care for the people can become heroes and draw on the strengths of various schools.  There are no divisions like "warrior and mage", just as how people surpass cultural barriers, learn from each other, and develop together.  By learning martial arts without sects, players can cultivate without boundaries, play games without limits, and create cultures without boundaries.

        "A lance, a horse, and a young hero starting from scratch — this is the original spirit of martial arts", said the game producer of Where Winds Meet.

　　After its first appearance at the Cologne exhibition last year, Where Winds Meet ignited the attention and anticipation of global players and industry media with its portrayal of ancient Chinese society. At this year's press conference, the producer revealed that the game will launch a collaborative research and creation activity called the "Sound Seeking Project" aimed at enhancing player experiences. Overseas testing will begin in September.

Cologne Game Conference: Where Winds Meet

        In the open world of Where Winds Meet, Chinese culture is fully on display. For example, in the weapon system, players are provided with eighteen different weapons to choose from, including swords, spears, fans, and umbrellas. Each weapon has its own derived actions and skill systems, such as light attacks, heavy attacks, dashes, and jumps. The gameplay and combat strategies vary for each weapon, allowing players to experience endless excitement from different weapons.

        "In Where Winds Meet, we have abandoned excessive special effects and 'light pollution'. In the design of iconic weapons in martial arts such as lances, swords, knives, and fans, significant and reasonable differences in weight and range have been set up. In terms of action design, we strive for unique moves and counters," the producer said.

        The global journey of Naraka: Bladepoint is still ongoing.  On July 14th, Naraka: Bladepoint was freely provided for global users to get more domestic and international players to experience the game content and unique charm of Chinese culture.  Since becoming a free game, the number of concurrent players in Naraka: Bladepoint on Steam surpassed the record set by the demo version in 2021. In the conference, Nakara: Bladepoint announced the official launch of the 2023 World Championship. Qualifying rounds will take place in six major regions around the world in October, with the finals held in China in December. Global players will compete in the martial arts world, which will undoubtedly promote Chinese culture.

        To spread Chinese culture well, beauty and accuracy are essential.  When it comes to producing games related to Chinese culture, NetEase has made good use of its strengths. Wang Yi, Senior Vice President of NetEase, said that in the development of Where Winds Meet, they meticulously studied works like "Riverside Scene at Qingming Festival" and classics like "Records of Kaifeng City" to faithfully reproduce the bustling city of Bianjing, allowing global players to immerse themselves in another time.

　　"For example, in our game Naraka: Bladepoint, in order to recreate a piece of Warring States ceremonial music or restore Tang Dynasty armor, we conducted in-depth field research and sampling to bring history to life in modeling," said Wang Yi.

Cologne Game Conference: the Exhibition Stand of Naraka: Bladepoint

        It is worth mentioning that many games developed by NetEase are based on their own engine.  Compared to the nearly 50-year development of the global gaming industry, China's gaming industry has been able to keep apace in just around 20 years with technological advancements.

        Since 2007, NetEase started developing its own game engine, tackling fundamental technical challenges. To this day, NetEase has developed two engines with complete independent intellectual property rights and has obtained multiple industry-leading technical patents.

         To create games that impress players worldwide, a global exchange of technology and talent is essential. Quantic Dream, a French game company acquired by NetEase, also showcased three games: Lysfanga, Under the Waves, and DustBorn in the event.

        Beyond China, NetEase has continued to strengthen cooperation with top game producers in major game markets such as North America, Europe, Japan, and South Korea.  "As long as you have creativity, technology, passion, and a dream for gaming, we are willing to invest and provide abundant resources to help establish studios, regularly 'exchange rotations' to share experiences, and work together to create more high-quality, globally recognized games, maximizing the creative potential of talents, and unleashing the value of the global gaming industry", said Wang Yi, voicing NetEase Games' invitation for global game production teams.

　　Huang Ying, Deputy Consul General of Chinese Consulate-General In Dusseldorf, stated, "In promoting cultural exchange, NetEase Games and its Chinese counterparts are like my peers, acting as 'diplomats' for promoting mutual learning and cultural exchange between Chinese civilization and world civilization. "