Player stats, sales, and reception speculation thread

[Siptah]

Reviews have ticked up to mixed, and back in the top 100 top sellers, perhaps i am under-estimating the effect of the patches...

There have been several days with positive reviews between 40-54% in the past week. That seems to be mostly before the patch, interestingly. Today, it seems down again. The weekly trend for the last to weeks seems to be upwards (from a very low 33% the week before).

If Gamalytic is to be trusted, there were around 800 sales since yesterday. And there's currently no more price reduction (at least around here). If that's the patch, that's quite interesting, as this is more than during the steam summer sale on average.

I mean, viewing these things a positive shows the low standard from which we currently operate with civ 7, but, you know, hope dies last, and the last 3 patches were really moving the game forward – slowly, but steadily.

 

[Verified_Confection_Being]

Could well be a sales uptick is reflecting the newly released DLC content rather than more basegame sales

 

[stealth_nsk]

Could well be a sales uptick is reflecting the newly released DLC content rather than more basegame sales

If they really sale a lot of DLCs that's a much more positive sign for the game than base game sales. This means a lot of people who already own the game are willing to spend additional money on DLC.

Although I don't know whether they count DLC or not in the sales.

 

[Verified_Confection_Being]

If they really sale a lot of DLCs that's a much more positive sign for the game than base game sales. This means a lot of people who already own the game are willing to spend additional money on DLC.

Although I don't know whether they count DLC or not in the sales.

So steamdB at least doesn't have sales data on the individual DLC, so I'm presuming it counts any distinct unit sold, base or DLC, as a sale of the core game.

That suggests that 800 people bought the DLC on release day on steam. Presumably a lot of people have founders edition already so didn't need to.

There's a conversation to be had about what constitutes "a lot" of people of course. Difficult for this particular DLC given the numbers with founders presumably. But from about 1mil initial base game steam sales, 800 doesn't feel like a lot.

I would hazard a guess the remaining concurrent players have a big crossover with hardcore players and purchasers of the founders edition. I would think casual players and more cautious players on the changes would have bought the base game only. Only 800 of these paying attention enough to buy the DLC on release day is probably not a resounding endorsement of the games longevity or the impact of the patches and dlc in widening the player base.

 

[stealth_nsk]

So steamdB at least doesn't have sales data on the individual DLC, so I'm presuming it counts any distinct unit sold, base or DLC, as a sale of the core game.

On Steam best sellers page, Civ7 is now on 72th place https://store.steampowered.com/charts/topselling/global - that's counted by amount of money, so it counts both base game and DLC, but with proportion

SteamDB places Civ7 at 80th place https://steamdb.info/stats/globaltopsellers/ but they don't have access to actual Steam sales number, they guesstimate it based on number of metrics - changes in Steam page is the one, but also number of simultaneous players, and the like. I honestly, not sure that the estomate actually represents.

And where did you get the number 800? I don't see it anywhere.

 

[Verified_Confection_Being]

On Steam best sellers page, Civ7 is now on 72th place https://store.steampowered.com/charts/topselling/global - that's counted by amount of money, so it counts both base game and DLC, but with proportion

SteamDB places Civ7 at 80th place https://steamdb.info/stats/globaltopsellers/ but they don't have access to actual Steam sales number, they guesstimate it based on number of metrics - changes in Steam page is the one, but also number of simultaneous players, and the like. I honestly, not sure that the estomate actually represents.

And where did you get the number 800? I don't see it anywhere.

Quoting from Siptah who quoted from Gamalytic.

I think it must be about right too. The chart you've posted seemed to be by week. Looking at one of the other games that's recently rejoined the chart above it, Maneater, there's been 11.7k sales of that in the last 7 days, and it's been on sale at $8, which equates to about $93,000 in revenue. So we can be pretty Civ Civ VII has got less revenue than that in the last 7 days.

assuming all those sales are full dlcs at $30, that's about 3,100 sale in the last week. Or less of some of those are based game

 

[stealth_nsk]

Quoting from Siptah who quoted from Gamalytic.

I think it must be about right too. The chart you've posted seemed to be by week. Looking at one of the other games that's recently rejoined the chart above it, Maneater, there's been 11.7k sales of that in the last 7 days, and it's been on sale at $8, which equates to about $93,000 in revenue. So we can be pretty Civ Civ VII has got less revenue than that in the last 7 days.

assuming all those sales are full dlcs at $30, that's about 3,100 sale in the last week. Or less of some of those are based game

Gamalytics shows 3500 units sold in 7 days, that's for base game. They have separate DLC estimations, but they are behind paywall and I'm not really interested to paying for this. In any case, they don't have access to Steam data too, so those are pretty approximate.

And I assume comparing with Maneater works, because Gamalytic already incorporated such data into their estimation - for them Steam chart is primary source of data too.

 

[Verified_Confection_Being]

Gamalytics shows 3500 units sold in 7 days, that's for base game. They have separate DLC estimations, but they are behind paywall and I'm not really interested to paying for this. In any case, they don't have access to Steam data too, so those are pretty approximate.

And I assume comparing with Maneater works, because Gamalytic already incorporated such data into their estimation - for them Steam chart is primary source of data too.

Yeah it's a little weird isn't it. Something with gamalytics data isn't adding up when you compare it with the steam store data. Either it's underestimating maneater sales or overstating Civ VII sales, or both. It especially does not make sense that the sales levels are as gamalytoc lays out of it's only compare base, where Civ viis unit prices are much higher.

So if you'll pardon the pun, something fishy is afoot

 

[stealth_nsk]

Yeah it's a little weird isn't it. Something with gamalytics data isn't adding up when you compare it with the steam store data. Either it's underestimating maneater sales or overstating Civ VII sales, or both. It especially does not make sense that the sales levels are as gamalytoc lays out of it's only compare base, where Civ viis unit prices are much higher.

So if you'll pardon the pun, something fishy is afoot

I think 3100-3500 is within statistical error. Those estimations are wild enough. Or it could be even simpler - Maneater went on sale 3 days ago, so some sales there could be full price.

 

[Verified_Confection_Being]

I think 3100-3500 is within statistical error. Those estimations are wild enough. Or it could be even simpler - Maneater went on sale 3 days ago, so some sales there could be full price.

But that 3100 figure assumed all Civ VII units sold were DLC at $30 too. I'm not overly familiar with Maneater or it's fan following, its a game from 2021, so it feels unlikely it has a high base sale rate outside sales, but certainly some will have come before the latest price drop, but not enough to explain the magnitude of difference if those 3000 odd Civ sales were full price base game units.

 

[stealth_nsk]

But that 3100 figure assumed all Civ VII units sold were DLC at $30 too. I'm not overly familiar with Maneater or it's fan following, its a game from 2021, so it feels unlikely it has a high base sale rate outside sales, but certainly some will have come before the latest price drop, but not enough to explain the magnitude of difference if those 3000 odd Civ sales were full price base game units.

Gamalytics used comparison between all games of top-100 and got some averages for them. When you compare random pair, they don't necessary match, that's called statistical error. In reality the estimated numbers on the games will be something like 3-4K for Civ7, 9-13K for Maneater, but Gamalytics posted some averages.

 

[Core Imposter]

Gamalytics used comparison between all games of top-100 and got some averages for them. When you compare random pair, they don't necessary match, that's called statistical error. In reality the estimated numbers on the games will be something like 3-4K for Civ7, 9-13K for Maneater, but Gamalytics posted some averages.

Wait, Civ 7 is selling 3 times less than a five year old game in which the player is a female shark?

Oh, the inhumanity!

 

[Core Imposter]

They had some major mechanics changes, but you were still building a civ to stand the test of time

Through the first four iterations one could appreciate the series as a pseudo-simulation of human history on a global and strategic scale for serious gamers. Beginning with five the series shifted to a sad small tactical level city builder board game built around the limited capabilities of the various platforms and the lower IQ of the common audience. It was for all practical effect a regression from chess to checkers.

 

[Leucarum]

Wait, Civ 7 is selling 3 times less than a five year old game in which the player is a female shark?

Oh, the inhumanity!

I have to ask, would this somehow be different if it was a male shark?

 

[Core Imposter]

That's a lame joke, have mercy I meant no harm. Old men are products of their environment.

 

[Verified_Confection_Being]

Gamalytics used comparison between all games of top-100 and got some averages for them. When you compare random pair, they don't necessary match, that's called statistical error. In reality the estimated numbers on the games will be something like 3-4K for Civ7, 9-13K for Maneater, but Gamalytics posted some averages.

So I disagree - I think the maths doesn't bear out that it's a statistical error.

Looking at the steam stats for maneater, before the sale it was getting 100 or so concurrent player peaks. It seems to go on sale every other month. I doubt even 5% of it's sales are at full price at this point. But for the sake of argument, let's say 5% were full price, and let's take your upper estimate of 13k sales. That's 650 at $40 ($26,000) + 12350 at $8 ($98,800), or a total of $124,000.

If we assume all of Civs sales are based game units, then to be less than man-eaters revenue at the upper estimate of their revenue I just calculated, we're looking at 1780 units of Civ VII sold.

I cannot make the numbers reconcile unless the Civ VII unit sold numbers includes indidividual DLCs sold. That's not the territory of a statistical error, that's the numbers don't add up

 

[AD1730]

So I disagree - I think the maths doesn't bear out that it's a statistical error.

Looking at the steam stats for maneater, before the sale it was getting 100 or so concurrent player peaks. It seems to go on sale every other month. I doubt even 5% of it's sales are at full price at this point. But for the sake of argument, let's say 5% were full price, and let's take your upper estimate of 13k sales. That's 650 at $40 ($26,000) + 12350 at $8 ($98,800), or a total of $124,000.

If we assume all of Civs sales are based game units, then to be less than man-eaters revenue at the upper estimate of their revenue I just calculated, we're looking at 1780 units of Civ VII sold.

I cannot make the numbers reconcile unless the Civ VII unit sold numbers includes indidividual DLCs sold. That's not the territory of a statistical error, that's the numbers don't add up

I believe they do count some DLCs as a unit sold. My understanding is that expansions count as a unit, while individual civ packs do not. Please correct me if I’m wrong though.

 

[Naokaukodem]

For what it's worth, here is the ranking of games in USA during 2025, in value. Civ7 is 12th.

POSITION	NOM DU JEU	PLATEFORME	ÉDITEUR
1	Monster Hunter Wilds	PS5, Xbox Series, PC	Capcom
2	The Elder Scrolls 4 : Oblivion Remastered	PS5, Xbox Series, PC	Bethesda
3	Assassin's Creed Shadows	PS5, Xbox Series, PC	Ubisoft
4	Call of Duty : Black Ops 6	PS5, PS4, Xbox Series, Xbox One, PC	Activision Blizzard
5	MLB The Show 25	PS5, Xbox Series, Switch	Sony Interactive Entertainment
6	Kingdom Come Deliverance 2	PS5, Xbox Series, PC	Deep Silver
7	WWE 2K25	PS5, Xbox Series, PC	Take-Two Interactive
8	Elden Ring Nightreign	PS5, Xbox Series, PC	Bandai Namco
9	Split Fiction	PS5, Xbox Series, PC	Electronic Arts
10	NBA 2K25	PS5, Xbox Series, PS4, Xbox One, Switch, PC	Take-Two Interactive
11	Forza Horizon 5	PS5, Xbox Series, Xbox One, PC	Xbox Game Studios
12	Civilization 7	PS5, Xbox Series, PS4, Xbox One, Switch, PC	Take-Two Interactive
13	Minecraft	PS4, PS5, Xbox Series, Xbox One, Switch, PC	Xbox Game Studios
14	PGA Tour 2K25	PS5, Xbox Series, PC	Take-Two Interactive
15	Grand Theft Auto 5	PS5, Xbox Series, PS4, Xbox One, PC	Take-Two Interactive
16	DOOM : The Dark Ages	PS5, Xbox Series PC	Bethesda
17	EA Sports FC 25	PS5, Xbox Series, PS4, Xbox One, Switch, PC	Electronic Arts
18	Red Dead Redemption 2	PS4, Xbox One, PC	Take-Two Interactive
19	Madden NFL 25	PS5, Xbox Series	Electronic Arts
20	Marvel's Spider-Man 2	PS5, PC	Sony Interactive Entertainment

Source : Matt Piscatella and Circana or something.

https://bsky.app/profile/matpiscatella.bsky.social%2Fpost%2F3lun37i6gok2k

 

[Trav'ling Canuck]

I believe they do count some DLCs as a unit sold. My understanding is that expansions count as a unit, while individual civ packs do not. Please correct me if I’m wrong though.

This is how Take Two counts "units" when they talk about the number of units the Civ franchise has sold. Not sure how Steam counts units.

 

[Xur]

Those top whatever lists are wildly inaccurate and skewed towards big publishers with shareholders. It's also typically heavily skewed towards consoles and revenue - not units sold. It's not an indicator of good or popular games, it's an indicator of how good those publishers are at milking their customers.

If you take steam alone, which has more games and larger active user base than any of the consoles, then the picture is somewhat different and civ7 does not show up. The civ franchise should rule steam charts.

The list for 2025 is more like:
1. R.E.P.O.
2. Schedule 1
3. Monster hunter: Wilds
4. PEAK
5. Elden Ring: Nightreign
6. Oblivion (remaster)
7. Kingdom Come: Deliverance II
8. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
9. Revenge on Gold Diggers (情感反诈模拟器)
10. Rematch
11. Stellar Blade
12. Dune: Awakening
13. Deltarune
14. Star Wars Battlefront II
15. Stardew Valley
16. The Long Dark
17. Helldivers II
18. V Rising
19. Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time
20. Black Mesa

Alinea Analytics / steamdb

There's a lot of indie titles wiping the floor with triple-A slop.