After a long day’s work, Lisa Gao, a programmer at a Beijing-based tech company, often immerses herself in the fantasy world of online gaming. Her favorite game is Genshin Impact, an open-world action role-playing game developed by Chinese game company miHoYo established in Shanghai in 2011.
In the game, which features a three-dimensional design that simulates real-world scenery, a virtual Gao climbs snowy mountains inspired by the Alps in Europe to take in a breathtaking sunset, or visits a traditional Chinese city where thousands of lanterns light up the night sky.
“I have been playing the game for about two years and have spent more than 10,000 yuan ($1,400) on swiftly completing my character’s missions. I feel like an adventurer exploring the virtual world,” Gao told Beijing Review.
From a niche industry to a booming sector, online gaming is increasingly embraced by Chinese gamers, and those developed by Japanese gaming company Nintendo dominated the market.
