Yang Yongxin: China’s Real-Life Internet Addiction Horror Story

Yang Yongxin: China’s Real-Life Internet Addiction Horror Story

In 2017, the survival horror video game Dead by Daylight wanted to introduce a Chinese butcher character as a thank-you to its growing Chinese fan base. To better understand its audience, the developers held a poll on the Chinese Steam forum. Options included classic figures from Chinese folklore, like the Black and White Impermanence (黑白无常), the two guardians of the underworld, and the White Bone Spirit (白骨精), a shapeshifting demon from Journey…