Building Shanghai | Chinese Elements in Global Gaming
  • 2023-11-18
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Building Global Shanghai

2023


Editor's Note:


Building Shanghai is aseries of week-long PBL projects. During this week, SHBS students walk out of the classroom and into the wonders of Shanghai to do research, visit businesses, talk to scholars and professionals from Shanghai and around the world, and ask people of different jobs questions so that they can better understand how what they’ve learned at school relates to real-world challenges.


"Building Shanghai" started on November 13th this year. All teachers and students worked together and carried out 16 PBL projects. Let's take a look at what the “Cultural Code: Chinese Elements in Global Gaming” group did.

文化密码:全球化游戏中的中国元素



In an era of rapid development in the gaming industry, games are not just entertainment for teenagers; they are also a medium for socialization. We led students into the world of their favorite games, inspiring them to design their own games and utilize AI tools to visualize their ideas. The focus was on exploring how to better integrate Chinese elements into game design for global appeal.  


In the initial two days of the project, teachers guided students in a deep analysis of their favorite games: the worldview, art design, player interaction methods, and strategies to attract and retain players. Additionally, teachers provided insights into creative writing, inspiring and encouraging students to work together to start creating a narrative game infused with Chinese elements. To facilitate teamwork, teachers taught students to use collaborative tools like Notion. Each group steadily progressed on this platform with their creative work.  


With the preliminary research and knowledge, teachers then led students to visit miHoYo, gaining insights into the design processes of miHoYo's games such as "Genshin Impact" and "Honkai: Star Rail." Students learned how miHoYo incorporates Chinese elements into games for a global audience and the considerations and adjustments when introducing games to different cultures and regions. In addition to understanding the game's design, creation, and promotion process, students inquired about internship opportunities at miHoYo and the skills required for interns or job applicants.



Apart from the visit to miHoYo, teachers and students were fortunate to invite Mr. Zhou Xuan, a senior game concept artists who contributed to the worldview and art design of several AAA-level game masterpieces, and senior AI model trainer “Qinglong Saint.” The experts shared their experiences and profound understanding of how to integrate Chinese elements into games for a global audience. This collaboration revealed the depth of professional knowledge and aesthetic cultivation required behind the refinement of game worldviews and art designs. Furthermore, it highlighted the powerful capabilities that professional AI models can achieve. With these skills in hand, students can build a unique virtual universe, inviting more people to experience the wonders of their creative universe.

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Following this, teachers guided students to use AI tools to illustrate the main scenes and characters of their designed games, and create a promotional short film for their games. In the process of artistic design, students needed to learn how to use AI tools to extract and creatively design Chinese elements they wanted to apply and promote.


Students mainly used the following tools to visualize their ideas:

Midjourney

Runway Gen2

剪映

ChatGPT

Ableton

dubbing