Written by Mark G. Murphy. This article is presented in two parts. The first part was published on 19th November. In this second part, we explore the relationship between cultivation and rootedness in video games by examining how different cultural traditions shape narrative approaches to spiritual development.
Written by Mark G. Murphy. This article explores how Taiwan’s video games use wuxia mythology to build cultural identity and soft power. The games weave local legends with historical events, focusing on themes of resistance, spiritual growth, and rootedness. The author argues that the practice of “cultivation” – developing inner strength – should be interpreted broadly, linking it to Taiwan’s cultural memory and landscapes. This allows players to engage deeply with Taiwanese culture, blending myth and real-world settings to reinforce collective identity and memory. Importantly, this means soft power becomes a kind of internal power, a key principle in wuxia philosophy.
Written by Chee-Hann Wu. This article centres on the popular topic of discussion on Taiwan’s lack of AAA games. It argues the necessity of such questions. Rather than focusing on the absence of AAA titles, the conversation should shift towards supporting and promoting the existing strengths of Taiwan’s game industry.
Written by Chee-Hann Wu. Taiwanese horror (taishi kongbu) is a rising genre that has claimed an important space in Taiwanese popular culture, particularly in the video game industry since the debut of Detention in 2017. These video games often incorporate elements of Taiwan’s local religions, ritual practices, and mythologies, especially the ones associated with ghosts and other supernatural beings. Although mostly implicit, many Taiwanese horror games contain hints of historical references to the 228 Incident and the White Terror under Martial Law. Malevolent monsters and ghosts become physical incarnations of state-sanctioned violence by perpetrators and accomplices and the suffering of those who were arrested, executed, or silenced.
Taiwan Insight 