When it comes to kung-fu, there’s nowhere in the world as famous as Shaolin. The mountaintop temple in Henan has been the heart of Chinese kung-fu for centuries, and monks continue to practice and study there to this day.
Even so, it must have surprised people when Shaolin leader Shi Yanlu and a bunch of his disciples showed up at a recent conference on rural technology and e-commerce hosted by Alibaba. And it turned out they weren’t there to put on a show (or to beat someone up), they were there to learn about mobile games.
Apparently, a mobile game being developed in tandem with an animated film being produced about Shaolin has piqued the monks’ interest in mobile development, and now they’re hoping to develop their own mobile game. The game would be based on Shaolin kung-fu and would integrate various aspects of their sword- and staff-fighting styles into an interactive experience of some kind, according to Netease Games.
Obviously, the monks aren’t likely to actually write any of the code for this game themselves, and we’re probably still a long way off from the day when you can play an official Shaolin game on your mobile phone. But don’t doubt the monks’ commitment to joining the 21st century; Shaolin Temple abbot Shi Yongxin has already authorized one video game, the 2003 PC game Shaolin Legend.
(via Netease Games)
Stay updated on the go with our mobile app.
Get latest insights with smoother, more personalized experience through TIA mobile app.
