(Yicai) Jan. 20 -- The official Tmall flagship store for Chinese blockbuster game Black Myth: Wukong generated nearly CNY3 million (USD410,000) in sales within the first three days of opening, showing how intellectual property-based merchandise is in with young Chinese consumers.

The e-store opened on Jan. 15 with more than 30 categories of Black Myth: Wukong-branded goods listed, including figurines and accessories. Three days later, six had already sold out. The estimated delivery time for some items has also been extended to “within 90 days.”

Black Myth: Wukong is a hit action-adventure video game inspired by Chinese mythology. Released last August, the game has captivated global audiences with its visually stunning graphics and unique gameplay, earning revenue in excess of USD1 billion.

Robust merchandise sales are the first wave of commercial success and reflect the IP’s strong market appeal, gaming industry analyst Zhang Shule told Yicai. But to become a super IP, the game’s developer needs to go beyond goods to movies, television series, and theme parks, Zhang said.

Game Science, the studio behind Black Myth: Wukong, said earlier this month that it is linking arms with IP management and commercialization platforms of Alibaba Group Holding, which owns Tmall, to beef up the game’s brand influence in the IP derivatives market. The developer also said it is forming a dedicated team to design, make, and market Black Myth: Wukong merchandise.

Although some consumers said the goods sold through the Black Myth: Wukong Tmall store were too expensive and others said the quality was poor, this did not deter a huge number of fans from snapping them up. For instance, more than 500 people bought an item priced at CNY499 (USD68) in the first three days.

The Chinese market for derivative products based on copyrighted works such as animation, comics, and games is growing fast, as more people born after the year 2000 start buying consumer goods.

Between 2023 and 2029, the market for animation, comics, and games is expected to grow at an annual compound rate of 18 percent to CNY590 billion (USD80.6 billion), according to the Qianzhan Industry Research Institute and the Zhejiang Securities Research Institute.

Editor: Tang Shihua, Kim Taylor