* . *
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Privacy & Policy
  • Contact
Friday, July 11, 2025
Earth-News
  • Home
  • Business
  • Entertainment
    Immersive sports and entertainment venue Cosm set to build its 5th location in Cleveland – WKYC

    Cosm Reveals Exciting Vision for Its 5th Immersive Sports and Entertainment Venue in Cleveland

    Monumental Sports & Entertainment’s Samantha Brady on the Power of the RSN’s Direct-to-Consumer Streaming Service Monumental+ – Sports Video Group

    Samantha Brady Reveals How Monumental+ is Transforming Sports Streaming with Direct-to-Consumer Access

    Moses Singer Welcomes Entertainment and Intellectual Property Partner Frederick Bimbler – Yahoo Finance

    Moses Singer Expands Team with New Entertainment and Intellectual Property Partner Frederick Bimbler

    Longhua District and Max-Matching Entertainments, supported by RWS Global forge strategic partnership to develop international IP-themed entertainment complex – Amusement Today

    Longhua District and Max-Matching Entertainments, supported by RWS Global forge strategic partnership to develop international IP-themed entertainment complex – Amusement Today

    Government whip to withdraw Entertainment Complex Bill on July 9 – Nation Thailand

    Government whip to withdraw Entertainment Complex Bill on July 9 – Nation Thailand

    Magicians and Battlebots light up Las Vegas entertainment scene – KSNV

    Magicians and Battlebots Take Las Vegas Entertainment by Storm

  • General
  • Health
  • News

    Cracking the Code: Why China’s Economic Challenges Aren’t Shaking Markets, Unlike America’s” – Bloomberg

    Trump’s Narrow Window to Spread the Truth About Harris

    Trump’s Narrow Window to Spread the Truth About Harris

    Israel-Gaza war live updates: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh assassinated in Iran, group says

    Israel-Gaza war live updates: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh assassinated in Iran, group says

    PAP Boss to Niger Delta Youths, Stay Away from the Protest

    PAP Boss to Niger Delta Youths, Stay Away from the Protest

    Court Restricts Protests In Lagos To Freedom, Peace Park

    Court Restricts Protests In Lagos To Freedom, Peace Park

    Fans React to Jazz Jennings’ Inspiring Weight Loss Journey

    Fans React to Jazz Jennings’ Inspiring Weight Loss Journey

    Trending Tags

    • Trump Inauguration
    • United Stated
    • White House
    • Market Stories
    • Election Results
  • Science
  • Sports
  • Technology
    Stallion Uranium Provides Update on Technology Data Acquisition Agreement – GlobeNewswire

    Stallion Uranium Announces Exciting Progress in Technology Data Acquisition Agreement

    2025 WE Local Prague Recap: Inspiring Women in Engineering and Technology – Society of Women Engineers

    2025 WE Local Prague Recap: Inspiring Women in Engineering and Technology – Society of Women Engineers

    SMPTE Opens Early Bird Registration for Media Technology Summit – TVTechnology

    SMPTE Launches Early Bird Registration for Exciting Media Technology Summit

    Google Fiber puts Nokia network slicing technology to the test – Fierce Network

    Google Fiber Puts Nokia’s Network Slicing Technology to the Ultimate Test

    Kaseya Extends Community Investment with Addition of Technology Marketing Toolkit – Kaseya

    Kaseya Extends Community Investment with Addition of Technology Marketing Toolkit – Kaseya

    AI and the Trust Revolution: How Technology Is Transforming Human Connections – Foreign Affairs

    AI and the Trust Revolution: How Technology Is Transforming Human Connections – Foreign Affairs

    Trending Tags

    • Nintendo Switch
    • CES 2017
    • Playstation 4 Pro
    • Mark Zuckerberg
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Business
  • Entertainment
    Immersive sports and entertainment venue Cosm set to build its 5th location in Cleveland – WKYC

    Cosm Reveals Exciting Vision for Its 5th Immersive Sports and Entertainment Venue in Cleveland

    Monumental Sports & Entertainment’s Samantha Brady on the Power of the RSN’s Direct-to-Consumer Streaming Service Monumental+ – Sports Video Group

    Samantha Brady Reveals How Monumental+ is Transforming Sports Streaming with Direct-to-Consumer Access

    Moses Singer Welcomes Entertainment and Intellectual Property Partner Frederick Bimbler – Yahoo Finance

    Moses Singer Expands Team with New Entertainment and Intellectual Property Partner Frederick Bimbler

    Longhua District and Max-Matching Entertainments, supported by RWS Global forge strategic partnership to develop international IP-themed entertainment complex – Amusement Today

    Longhua District and Max-Matching Entertainments, supported by RWS Global forge strategic partnership to develop international IP-themed entertainment complex – Amusement Today

    Government whip to withdraw Entertainment Complex Bill on July 9 – Nation Thailand

    Government whip to withdraw Entertainment Complex Bill on July 9 – Nation Thailand

    Magicians and Battlebots light up Las Vegas entertainment scene – KSNV

    Magicians and Battlebots Take Las Vegas Entertainment by Storm

  • General
  • Health
  • News

    Cracking the Code: Why China’s Economic Challenges Aren’t Shaking Markets, Unlike America’s” – Bloomberg

    Trump’s Narrow Window to Spread the Truth About Harris

    Trump’s Narrow Window to Spread the Truth About Harris

    Israel-Gaza war live updates: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh assassinated in Iran, group says

    Israel-Gaza war live updates: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh assassinated in Iran, group says

    PAP Boss to Niger Delta Youths, Stay Away from the Protest

    PAP Boss to Niger Delta Youths, Stay Away from the Protest

    Court Restricts Protests In Lagos To Freedom, Peace Park

    Court Restricts Protests In Lagos To Freedom, Peace Park

    Fans React to Jazz Jennings’ Inspiring Weight Loss Journey

    Fans React to Jazz Jennings’ Inspiring Weight Loss Journey

    Trending Tags

    • Trump Inauguration
    • United Stated
    • White House
    • Market Stories
    • Election Results
  • Science
  • Sports
  • Technology
    Stallion Uranium Provides Update on Technology Data Acquisition Agreement – GlobeNewswire

    Stallion Uranium Announces Exciting Progress in Technology Data Acquisition Agreement

    2025 WE Local Prague Recap: Inspiring Women in Engineering and Technology – Society of Women Engineers

    2025 WE Local Prague Recap: Inspiring Women in Engineering and Technology – Society of Women Engineers

    SMPTE Opens Early Bird Registration for Media Technology Summit – TVTechnology

    SMPTE Launches Early Bird Registration for Exciting Media Technology Summit

    Google Fiber puts Nokia network slicing technology to the test – Fierce Network

    Google Fiber Puts Nokia’s Network Slicing Technology to the Ultimate Test

    Kaseya Extends Community Investment with Addition of Technology Marketing Toolkit – Kaseya

    Kaseya Extends Community Investment with Addition of Technology Marketing Toolkit – Kaseya

    AI and the Trust Revolution: How Technology Is Transforming Human Connections – Foreign Affairs

    AI and the Trust Revolution: How Technology Is Transforming Human Connections – Foreign Affairs

    Trending Tags

    • Nintendo Switch
    • CES 2017
    • Playstation 4 Pro
    • Mark Zuckerberg
No Result
View All Result
Earth-News
No Result
View All Result
Home Entertainment

Love Bytes: How a New Runaway Hit Game Is Wooing Single Chinese Men

December 15, 2023
in Entertainment
Love Bytes: How a New Runaway Hit Game Is Wooing Single Chinese Men
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

From being single all his life, 25-year-old David Zhang suddenly found six women vying for his attention in recent months. All seemingly out of his league, they ranged from a single mom and a high-flying executive to a college graduate and a free-spirited party queen. 

Except none of it, including the women themselves, is real.

Zhang’s suitors are all characters within “Love Is All Around,” a new dating simulation game designed specially for men that’s taken China by storm. Part interactive sim, part TV romance drama, the game offers escape into a world where love and relationships unfold according to a player’s individual choices — and they rarely ever lose. 

What’s more, real actresses portray the six characters. For instance, Zou Jiajia, a member of the Chinese idol group SNH48, plays one character, while Dong Qi, known for her role in the film “Monk Comes Down the Mountain,” portrays another.

“Everyone jokes that this is just a fantasy masterpiece, but the more people play it, the more addicted they get,” says Zhang, who works in Shanghai. 

Priced at just 42 yuan ($6), “Love Is All Around” has topped Steam China’s best-selling charts for weeks, with an all-time peak of more than 60,000 players and a 95% positive rating across over 29,000 reviews. 

Most players praise the game for how it satisfies their desires for romance and fantasy despite having flaws in its storyline, acting, and quality. And the game’s format, which mimics the engaging, quick episodes typical of China’s highly popular online miniseries — often between one and 15 minutes long — adds to the allure. 

But since its release, the game has also sparked controversy, with critics underscoring that it perpetuates the male gaze and gender stereotypes. While acknowledging the game’s popularity, experts tell Sixth Tone that its appeal among men is rooted in their fantasies of romantic relationships. 

Utopia

The game follows protagonist Gu Yi, a young entrepreneur in debt from his failed business, as he encounters six different women. It offers players control over the narrative, allowing them to shape the story through choices with simple mouse clicks at key plot points. 

With over 100 story branches and 12 possible endings, the game weaves complex narratives. Each female character, distinct in personality, is inexplicably drawn to Gu, with storylines ranging from one offering to take on his debts to another proposing marriage. 

Xu Nanqiao, a 33-year-old photographer based in Chengdu in the southwestern Sichuan province who’s been playing the game since its release, likens it to the cheap thrills found in zhongma novels, a web novel subgenre where several women compete for one man’s affections. 

“People seldom care if the plotline is real. They simply play it for fun,” Xu told Sixth Tone, adding that its affordable price broadens its appeal.

For Zhang, the game offers an escape from real-world dating pressures. “In real life, some bad decisions might lead to the end of a relationship. But in the game, the same decision might make you more endearing to the characters,” says Zhang. “Why bother buying gifts for Valentine’s Day anymore? Even if I spend a lot of money, I still won’t have a partner. But in the game, you can spend 30 yuan to interact with six beautiful women.”

Kong Degang, a professor at Nanjing Normal University researching Chinese games, explains that compared with conventional dating sims, “Love Is All Around” offers a more titillating experience. 

“In this game, players don’t need to work to earn affection. They are adored from the start, and the challenge lies in choosing the right partner without causing jealousy among the others,” he says.

Kong attributes the game’s appeal among male players to its resonance with traditional male fantasies in romantic relationships. He notes that, amid increasing debates surrounding feminism and gender, “Love Is All Around” serves as an outlet for fantasies and relationship anxieties. He says the game also addresses anxieties linked to perceptions of wealth and status in a society that places a high value on individual success.

For Zhang, the protagonist’s portrayal as a struggling entrepreneur resonates with many young men in urban China. “In real life, we’re often afraid to take risks or accept failure,” he says. “The game gives us the opportunity to start anew and fearlessly chase the love we desire, supported every step of the way. It’s utopia.” 

While dating games for men have long been common in China, with some occasionally sparking controversy due to their content, the gaming industry’s focus has recently shifted to the otome genre, such as the hugely popular “Mr. Love: Queen’s Choice.” 

These story-based games center around female players forming romantic connections with attractive men. This shift has attracted developers and investors looking to tap into the lucrative female-oriented gaming market, which is projected to reach 95.8 billion yuan this year.

But Sun Jing, an associate professor at Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University’s School of Cultural Technology, says there’s a key difference. “Men tend to appreciate content that is real, visually impactful, and sexy. On the other hand, women often seek more emotional and intellectual connections,” says Sun.

And while she recognizes the commercial success of such games, Sun raises significant concerns about their portrayal of gender roles in games like “Love Is All Around.” 

Miniseries mania

INTINY, the Guangzhou-based company behind “Love Is All Around,” credits its success to a deep understanding of male users’ emotional needs, influenced by the growing trend of miniseries-style content. 

CEO Chen Yurong told domestic game research website GameLook that the company drew inspiration from a popular video series on Douyin, China’s version of TikTok. Titled “Meeting Her,” it showcases the encounters of different women from a personal perspective, and has over 10 million followers on the platform.

“We analyzed the reasons behind this success and identified certain user needs, emotional triggers, and value points. One significant reason for the product becoming so popular is its ability to provide emotional value in a very direct and straightforward manner,” Chen Tianhui, head of distribution and not related to Chen Yurong, told Time Finance.

Miniseries and short dramas, often spanning just one to 15 minutes per episode, have carved a niche in China. Known for their fast-paced narratives, they cover a range of themes from dramatic love stories to tales of revenge, giving viewers a quick escape from reality. A typical feature of these series is the use of cliffhangers at the end of each episode. 

The format has become particularly popular on mobile platforms. A 2023 report by the China Netcasting Services Association revealed that nearly 95% of internet users use short-form video apps, and more than half of this user base specifically look for content less than three minutes long.

New to the interactive film and full-motion video market, INTINY did not expect that “Love Is All Around” would become a smash hit. “We estimated that some would like it and that we may just break even. We never anticipated that the product would become so popular, and it has now far exceeded our expectations,” said Chen Tianhui.

The unexpected success of “Love Is All Around” has also sparked interest within the wider gaming industry. 

Yan Min, who manages a miniseries community, told Sixth Tone that since early November, he’s received requests from at least five video game companies hoping to explore collaborations with producers of miniseries. 

INTINY announced on Nov. 6 a sequel titled “Love Is All Around 2” in collaboration with game company HippoJoy, but with a new target audience: female players.

And, in a clear signal of increasing partnerships between gaming and film industries, HippoJoy is set to work with the entertainment company Qishu Youyu, focusing on more interactive full-motion video games. 

But can the success of “Love Is All Around” be replicated? 

Professor Kong suggests that with the increasing reliance on AI, real actors may become “less significant.” “As AI and game production technologies advance, companies can achieve lifelike graphics without them,” he says.

He also points to another possible trend: “More and more companies will likely start catering directly to male preferences, a shift that seems inevitable given the success of games like ‘Love Is All Around.’”

Professor Sun, however, believes commercial successes don’t necessarily mean high-quality games. Considering the profit-driven nature of China’s game market, she says it often leads to a rush of similar games following a successful formula, thus creating a homogenized industry landscape. 

She says, “If the industry continues to churn out games with similar themes, their success might be short-lived, lacking sustainability in the long term.”

Editor: Apurva. 

(Header image: A Promotional poster for “Love Is All Around.” From Weibo)

>>> Read full article>>>
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source : SixthTone – https://www.sixthtone.com/news/1014279/Love%20Bytes:%20How%20a%20New%20Runaway%20Hit%20Game%20Is%20Wooing%20Single%20Chinese%20Men

Tags: BytesentertainmentRunaway
Previous Post

A hurricane-proof town? Florida community may be a test case

Next Post

Winter Is Here: Temperatures Approach Record Lows in Northern China

Stallion Uranium Provides Update on Technology Data Acquisition Agreement – GlobeNewswire

Stallion Uranium Announces Exciting Progress in Technology Data Acquisition Agreement

July 11, 2025
Angel Reese’s rebounding greatness summed up in one wild statistic – Yahoo Sports

Angel Reese’s rebounding greatness summed up in one wild statistic – Yahoo Sports

July 11, 2025
International call for freedom for environmentalist Onur Yılmaz – ANF English

International call for freedom for environmentalist Onur Yılmaz – ANF English

July 11, 2025
This week in science: a comet, plastic-eating bugs, and how altitude changes smell – KUOW

This week in science: a comet, plastic-eating bugs, and how altitude changes smell – KUOW

July 11, 2025
Science Museum of Minnesota cutting more than 40 full-time employees – CBS News

Science Museum of Minnesota to Cut More Than 40 Full-Time Jobs

July 11, 2025
Doctors say we’ve been misled about weight and health – ScienceDaily

Doctors Reveal the Truth About Weight and Health That You’ve Been Misled About

July 11, 2025
Sierra Club breaks record for world’s largest display of origami fish to protest Line 5 – News From The States

Sierra Club Creates Giant Origami Fish to Break World Record and Protest Line 5

July 11, 2025
Senate Democrat: Trump economy full of ‘uncertainty,’ ‘chaos’ – The Hill

Senate Democrat Warns of ‘Uncertainty’ and ‘Chaos’ in Trump Economy

July 11, 2025
Arts and entertainment events happening July 10th-13th across the Mid-Ohio Valley – WTAP

Unmissable Arts and Entertainment Events Happening July 10th-13th in the Mid-Ohio Valley

July 11, 2025
World’s Premier Cancer Institute Faces Crippling Cuts and Chaos – KFF Health News

World’s Leading Cancer Institute Grapples with Devastating Cuts and Turmoil

July 11, 2025

Categories

Archives

July 2025
MTWTFSS
 123456
78910111213
14151617181920
21222324252627
28293031 
« Jun    
Earth-News.info

The Earth News is an independent English-language daily published Website from all around the World News

Browse by Category

  • Business (20,132)
  • Ecology (715)
  • Economy (738)
  • Entertainment (21,626)
  • General (15,827)
  • Health (9,775)
  • Lifestyle (745)
  • News (22,149)
  • People (740)
  • Politics (748)
  • Science (15,956)
  • Sports (21,237)
  • Technology (15,724)
  • World (721)

Recent News

Stallion Uranium Provides Update on Technology Data Acquisition Agreement – GlobeNewswire

Stallion Uranium Announces Exciting Progress in Technology Data Acquisition Agreement

July 11, 2025
Angel Reese’s rebounding greatness summed up in one wild statistic – Yahoo Sports

Angel Reese’s rebounding greatness summed up in one wild statistic – Yahoo Sports

July 11, 2025
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Privacy & Policy
  • Contact

© 2023 earth-news.info

No Result
View All Result

© 2023 earth-news.info

No Result
View All Result

© 2023 earth-news.info

Go to mobile version