EDIT: Text translations are the only viable option available to someone who doesn’t natively speak the Chinese language. Arguing over the translation accuracy is one thing, but it is the best option we have to understand if we don’t natively speak the language.
—
It’s quite a long read, however I’ve bolded some portions that stood out to me.
English translated version (via ChatGPT):
—
Reflections Post-TGA: Words from the Heart
The Game Awards this year coincided with a major update for Black Myth: Wukong.
For me personally, this project that spanned seven years has officially come to an end.
The four nominations (Best Action Game, Best Art Direction, Best Game Direction, and Game of the Year) were a first for a Chinese game. Ultimately, we took home Best Action Game and Players’ Voice. Especially winning Players’ Voice was gratifying.
Yet, I must admit, there’s a sense of loss and regret. More than anything, though, there’s a letting go of illusions.
The games nominated this year were all exceptional, but honestly,
I still can’t figure out what the criteria were for Game of the Year. I feel like I came all the way here for nothing!
Since last night, I’ve seen a lot of strong dissatisfaction and frustration in players’ comments—often expressed humorously or ironically, which made me laugh.
I completely understand these feelings and share the frustration, because behind these emotions lies not pain or malice, but dignity and confidence.
When you’re so confident and yet don’t receive the recognition you expected, it’s natural to feel upset.
Personally, I’m even more confident than most of you (as you can see from my first-ever answer on Zhihu).
In fact, I wrote my Game of the Year acceptance speech two years ago—only to never get the chance to deliver it!
During the development of this game, many of my colleagues weren’t as optimistic as I was. Having tested so many interim builds, they couldn’t help but focus on the game’s flaws and doubt whether we could meet deadlines.
One of my main roles in the company was reassuring everyone: We’re doing great, and the product is improving.
Because here’s the thing—you can’t just be confident when you’ve already won. That’s not confidence; that’s parroting results.
Sure, we lost today. We might lose again tomorrow. So what?
There are countless factors that influence outcomes, and results are always uncertain.
What we can control is choosing what we do: tackling real challenges, doing hard things, pursuing what we believe in. When you’re doing these things, you should absolutely have confidence.
Some have said that a team with no prior experience in single-player games achieving such success on their first attempt is a rare, unrepeatable fluke.
I’d like to say: This was no fluke. It’s the inevitable outcome of Chinese culture, Chinese talent, China’s business environment, China’s gaming industry, and gamers worldwide coming together.
If we hadn’t recognized this “inevitability” early on, we wouldn’t have been so determined to make this choice. This wasn’t a gamble; it was following the tide of history.
Game Science is fortunate to have participated in and witnessed the beginning of this tide. I believe many more peers will, in the future, bring higher-quality, more engaging, and more confident Chinese stories to the world.
There’s a saying everyone knows but not everyone realizes comes from Journey to the West:
“Nothing is impossible to the one who sets their mind to it.”
To me, this doesn’t mean that any difficulty can be overcome as long as you’re determined. Instead, it means that with the mindset to face challenges head-on, difficulties and failures become less frightening. They won’t easily defeat you.
A life where you can calmly wrestle with inevitable hardships feels more grounded.
After all, it’s the difficulty that makes it fun.
Why did we call ourselves Game Science?
When we decided to use mathematics, physics, and the foundational sciences and engineering derived from them to analyze and solve problems—eschewing superstition, mysticism, and backward reasoning—it allowed us to look at this complex world with clarity.
It let us truly understand what makes those who are far ahead of us so exceptional.
If someone dismisses specific problems, avoids evidence and logic, yet insists something is difficult or overly complicated, maybe you should test their knowledge of partial differentials.
Science is not truth; it’s the pursuit of truth with an attitude grounded in facts and reality.
In truth, just being able to make and play games already makes us incredibly fortunate.
In this world, many people have never even had the chance to play so-called AAA games, never used a console or computer, and feel lost, pained, or even despairing in the face of their circumstances. Many are suffering from hardship and injustice.
Precisely because of this, we must strive to create better games—ones that bring truth, goodness, and beauty to more people.
I’ve always believed that the greatest value of good games lies in making happiness more evenly distributed in this world.
The road ahead is long, the winds still fierce, and the demons still arrogant. But we are always growing stronger.
Lastly, I hope the story of Black Myth: Wukong can give some courage to those who are still feeling lost, and perhaps shed a bit of light for those still groping in the darkness. Then, with a calm heart, we can all keep moving forward.
I hope everyone can continue to carry confidence and ambition, while staying brave, honest, and kind. Focus on every small, specific task at hand, accept uncertain outcomes with grace, and keep walking the journey—right until the very end.
As Hemingway once said:
“The world is a fine place and worth fighting for.”
—
Original post in Chinese: https://m.weibo.cn/status/5111567333196223
