Gaming is more likely to be the spearhead of China's cultural soft power than film or music. The interactive nature of gameplay transcends language and narrative censorship barriers that constrain other media, allowing Chinese creative products to find a global audience in a way movies and TV shows have struggled to.
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MiHoYo's Genshin Impact was a watershed moment, proving Chinese developers could create a globally successful AAA-quality, free-to-play, live-service game. Its success elevated the entire Chinese gaming industry's reputation, even though many international players are unaware of its Chinese origin due to its anime-inspired aesthetic.
China's promotion of open-weight models is a strategic maneuver to exert global influence. By controlling the underlying models that answer questions about history, borders, and values, a nation can shape global narratives and project soft power, much like Hollywood did for the U.S.
For the past five years, the top-performing shows on major streaming platforms have been adaptations of video game IP, such as 'The Last of Us', 'Fallout', and 'The Witcher'. This demonstrates a significant cultural shift where gaming franchises are now the dominant source of new, blockbuster entertainment content.
A growing meme suggests China is becoming "hot" and "in," capturing the Western imagination with its futuristic cities and unique online culture. This cultural shift, amplified by influencers, positions China as a new center of gravity for trends, potentially supplanting the long-held cultural influence of Japan and Korea.
The online portrayal of China has fundamentally changed. A decade ago, it was dominated by content from Western expatriates. Post-COVID, this has been largely replaced by content from Chinese nationals, shifting the perspective and control of the narrative to local creators.
Games like 'Black Myth: Wukong' are succeeding globally with aesthetics and stories that are 'Chinese culture, loud and proud.' This marks a shift away from the previous belief among Asian developers that they needed Western-coded themes like wizards and castles to achieve international appeal, signaling a new era of cultural confidence.
China's cultural influence spreads mainly through 'lowbrow' short-form content, not prestige films. Unlike movies with long production cycles, short videos can be created and distributed in minutes, enabling rapid, trend-responsive cultural transmission that high art cannot match.
A viral social media trend of Western youth adopting Chinese lifestyle habits reflects a growing disillusionment with American culture and a nuanced view of China. This 'China maxing' phenomenon shows an ability to appreciate Chinese culture (food, fashion, wellness) as distinct from the country's political system, representing a significant evolution in soft power dynamics.
The success of events like the Daft Punk concert in Fortnite signals a strategic shift. IP holders will launch new brands within games first to build community, then expand to movies or TV. Games are now viewed as the most influential social platforms, not just secondary marketing channels.
Beyond financial returns and 'game washing,' Saudi Arabia's push into the gaming industry is a long-term soft power strategy. The goal is to create games based on the region's myths and legends, similar to how China successfully exported its culture through games like 'Black Myth Wukong,' thereby shaping its global image.
