Back when we reviewed Civilization 7 at launch, we generally recommended the game, but pointed out that missing features and controversial changes could take some adjusting to.
Firaxis, the franchise’s developer, has continued to iterate upon the release – but on PC, where its most popular, it’s generally been averaging fewer concurrent players than Civilization 5 and Civilization 6. That’s not great.
Speaking with IGN, though, Take-Two boss Strauss Zelnick said that he’s not concerned about the long-tail performance of the sequel – even if it’s endured a particularly slow start:
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“I think the key thing is that Civ has always been a slow burn. It's always been a title that had – I'm not really a big believer in the long tail theory of the entertainment business – but Civ is an example of that theory. And right now our projections for the lifetime value of the title are very consistent with our initial expectations for the title.
So while we were off to a slow start and while we have had to make changes – and there are more changes coming – I feel like consumer uptake is better and better and we feel really good about the title. I think over time it's going to take its place in its civilization pantheon in a very successful, credible way.”
Zelnick wouldn’t say how many copies Civ 7 has actually sold, but he said the numbers are “definitely improving” as the project continues to mature.
What’s your view on the strategy game sequel now it’s been out for approximately six months? Build your empire in the comments section below.