Recently, netizens shared a chart that counts the sales of multiple 3A games (PC Steam version) in China and the United States. The statistics are as of September 2024, highlighting China as one of the most important markets for 3A masterpieces on Steam.
For example: (Total sales refer to PC Steam version)
"The Witcher 3: Wild Hunter" (2015)
Total sales: 21.1 million
United States: 2.637 million
China: 6.541 million
China is 2.48 times that of the United States
"Sekiro" (2019)
Total sales: 5.9 million
United States: 908,000
China: 2.666 million
China is 2.94 times that of the United States
"Red Dead Redemption 2" (PC, 2019)
Total sales: 15 million
United States: 2.37 million
China: 5.22 million
China is 2.2 times that of the United States
"Cyberpunk 2077" (2020)
Total sales: 14.3 million
United States: 2.96 million
China: 4.189 million
China is 1.42 times that of the United States
"Eldon Ring of Far" (2022)
Total sales: 13.3 million
United States: 3.258 million
China: 3.378 million
China is 1.04 times that of the United States
"Bad Gate 3" (2023)
Total sales: 13.2 million
United States: 3.88 million
China: 2.046 million
China is 0.53 times that of the United States
"Black Myth: Wukong"
Total sales: 17.8 million
United States: 1.068 million
China: 13.528 million
China is 12.66 times that of the United States
From the above data, it can be observed that the significant difference in sales multiples between China and the United States:
Multiple range for most games (1-3 times)
The sales volume of games such as "The Witcher 3: Wild Hunter" (2.48 times), "Sekiro" (2.94 times), and "Red Dead Redemption 2" (2.20 times) in China is about 2 to 3 times that of the United States.This shows that these games have a strong attraction in the domestic market, which may be related to action adventure or open world types, and will also attract domestic players' preferences.
Action games such as Sekiro and The Witcher 3 performed well in the Chinese market, with multiples close to or exceeding 2 times, which may also reflect the domestic players' love for fast-paced and high-immersion games.
The multiples of "Cyberpunk 2077" (1.42 times) and "Eldon Fargo" (1.04 times) are lower, and China's sales are only slightly higher than those of the United States, reflecting that these games perform relatively close in the two markets.
The most obvious multiple difference
"Black Myth: Wukong" leads far with an astonishing multiple of 12.66 times, and China's sales far exceed that of the United States.This game is set in "Journey to the West" and deeply rooted in Chinese culture, which may greatly stimulate the interest and enthusiasm of domestic players.
"Bader's Gate 3" shows the opposite trend, with a multiple of only 0.53 times, that is, the sales in the United States are 1.89 times that of China.As an RPG based on the Western "Dungeons and Dragons" rules, it is obviously more popular among American players.
Issuance time and market accumulation
"The Witcher 3" (2015) was released earlier and had a high cumulative sales volume. The 2.48-fold advantage of the Chinese market may be the result of years of word-of-mouth spread.
As a new work, "Black Myth: Wukong" has surged in China in the short term (13.528 million), showing strong market explosiveness.
