Charting Uncharted Territories: Why Civilization 7 Will Revolutionize the Gaming World

Marvel's presence in popular culture has significantly expanded in recent years. It began with the success of comic book movies like Sam Raimi's Spider-Man trilogy and the X-Men films, and has reached its peak with the massive Marvel Cinematic Universe. While characters such as Spider-Man and Wolverine have always been well-known, even casual moviegoers are now familiar with heroes like Rocket Raccoon and Adam Warlock. However, despite its growing popularity, the Marvel brand alone sometimes falls short in terms of generating sales. This was evident with the release of Marvel's Midnight Suns at the end of last year. Although the tactical RPG developed by Firaxis received critical acclaim, it failed to captivate Marvel's mainstream audience. As Firaxis prepares for the launch of Civilization 7, they find themselves in a precarious situation, potentially facing a repeat of their previous mistake with Marvel's Midnight Suns.

Civilization 7 Needs to Avoid One Big Midnight Suns Mistake

Marvel's Midnight Suns received overwhelmingly positive reviews from players, praising its exceptional cutscenes, compelling character dynamics, clever dialogue, and extensive roster of playable characters. These factors, along with its captivating gameplay, contributed to the game's critical acclaim. With expertise gained from developing the XCOM series, Firaxis successfully incorporated an exhilarating card-based tactics system, allowing players to exercise strategic decision-making in explosive action sequences.

Despite the game's stellar reception among critics, Marvel's Midnight Suns struggled to engage casual audiences. Although dedicated strategy game enthusiasts embraced it from day one, the game failed to resonate with a broader player base. The reality is that the majority of gamers do not gravitate towards strategy games, particularly those that rely on turn-based mechanics. Rather than spending turns deliberating over which target Iron Man should strike with a missile and waiting for the outcome, many players prefer to take direct control and deliver the shot themselves.

Take-Two Interactive's CEO, Strauss Zelnick, stated that Marvel's Midnight Suns was a commercial disappointment. While several factors played a role, the primary reason was the game's marketing. The initial gameplay reveal of Midnight Suns was slow and awkward, which contradicted fans' expectations for a superhero video game. If the reveal had been more energetic and flashy, it may have attracted a larger casual audience.

Firaxis' upcoming game, Civilization 7, could potentially face a similar challenge. The grand strategy genre remains relatively niche, especially in the console market. While dedicated Civilization fans will eagerly embrace the new entry, it is more challenging to persuade casual gamers to take the leap into the unknown. However, Civilization 7 presents an ideal opportunity for Firaxis to learn from their mistakes with Midnight Suns. The marketing should prioritize appealing to casual audiences, rather than focusing solely on the game's complex diplomacy screens and menus. Trailers for Civilization 7 should emphasize action, showcasing dynamic battles and moving units. The marketing strategy should not be misleading, but it should captivate newcomers and prevent a repeat of the Marvel's Midnight Suns situation.

Marvel's Midnight Suns is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S.