Take-Two Interactives financial results are out now, and while the company reaffirmed a Fall 2025 launch for Grand Theft Auto 6, there have been other release updates. Gearboxs Borderlands 4, in particular, has gone from launching before April 2026 to arriving in calendar 2025.While that doesnt bring us any closer to a concrete release date, Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick told Variety, You will have a date soon, and then all will become clear. Gearbox may reveal it in the coming months alongside new gameplay footage.Hangar 13s Mafia: The Old Country is also out this calendar year, so its on track for the previously-announced Summer launch. Stay tuned for updates in the meantime.Borderlands 4 is coming to Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC. Its set on a new planet, Kairos, touted as the series most dangerous yet most open and free. There are four new Vault Hunters to control with local split-screen co-op and billions of weapons and accessories to earn. Though its not described as an open world, Gearbox has admitted to incorporating elements of the same, including seamless travel.

Developer Sports Interactive has announced that Football Manager 25 is getting cancelled. The studio, along with publisher Sega, have instead decided to focus on the next release of the franchise.Regarding the decision behind the cancellation, the studio revealed that it faced great difficulty in attempting significant technical and visual jumps over its predecessors. The announcement comes after the title was delayed from its original November 2024 release window to March 2025.We have always prided ourselves on delivering the best value for money games that bring you countless hours of enjoyment, that feel worth every moment and every penny you spend, posted the studio. With the launch of Football Manager 25, we set out to create the biggest technical and visual advancement in the series for a generation, laying the building blocks for a new era.Despite the developers making progress, Sports Interactive ultimately realized that it wouldnt be able to hit the required deadlines while still maintaining an acceptable level of quality and polish.Due to a variety of challenges that weve been open about to date, and many more unforeseen, we currently havent achieved what we set out to do in enough areas of the game, despite the phenomenal efforts of our team, the post continues. Each decision to delay the release was made with the aim of getting the game closer to the desired level but, as we approached critical milestones at the turn of the year, it became unmistakably clear that we would not achieve the standard required, even with the adjusted timeline.The studio also explains that the overall player experience and UI were still not close to complete, despite having successfully hit several of its targets and milestones. Playtesting has indicated that, while close, the game is still failing to live up to the studios standards.Whilst many areas of the game have hit our targets, the overarching player experience and interface is not where we need it to be, posted the studio. As extensive evaluation has demonstrated, including consumer playtesting, we have clear validation for the new direction of the game and are getting close however, were too far away from the standards you deserve.The studio caps off the announcement by stating that it is now working on what will become the next iteration of the franchise. This will allow the studio the time it needs to get the game up to the standards that it was failing to hit with Football Manager 25.Football Manager 25 was originally announced back in September. The title marked a big moment for the franchise, with the studio switching to Unity for its engine. Since it has now been cancelled, Sega and Sports Interactive have stated that those who pre-ordered the game through approved retailers will automatically receive refunds.

html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd"The first NVIDIA GeForce RTX 50 Series GPUs are now available. Ahead of a longer review, CG Channels hardware expert Jason Lewis sets out his early benchmark test results for the GeForce RTX 5090 and 5080 in CG apps including 3ds Max, Blender, Maya and Unreal Engine.Last week saw the launch of the GeForce RTX 5090 and GeForce RTX 5080, the first cards from the GeForce RTX 50 Series, NVIDIAs new consumer GPUs based on its Blackwell architecture.Since then, there have been quite a few online reviews of the new GPUs, most focused on gaming, and a few on AI workloads. But how do they perform in DCC and graphics workflows?Well, I have also begun testing the GeForce RTX 5090 and 5080 with a handful of popular DCC applications, and have some quick-and-dirty early test results that I can share with you here.Technical specificationsI tested the new GPUs against the equivalent cards from the Ada-generation GeForce RTX 40 Series GPUs, the GeForce RTX 4090 and GeForce RTX 4080 Super.Heres how the GeForce RTX 5090 and GeForce RTX 5080 stack up on paper against their previous-gen counterparts.NVIDIAs GeForce RTX 50 Series GPUs and previous-gen counterpartsRTX 5090RTX 4090RTX 5080RTX 4080SuperArchitectureBlackwellAda LovelaceBlackwellAda LovelaceCUDA cores21,76016,38410,75210.240Tensor cores*680512336320RT cores*1701288480Base clock (GHz)2.012.232.302.29Boost clock (GHz)2.412.522.622.55Compute performanceFP32 (Tflops)*104.882.656.352.2GPU memory32 GB GDDR724GBGDDR6X16 GB GDDR716GBGDDR6XTGP575W450W360W320WRelease date2025202220252024MSRP at launch$1,999$1,599$999$999*Data taken from third-party websites.Testing processFor my early tests, I used the same test rig and benchmark scenes as my most recent group test of GeForce RTX 40 Series GPUs, updated to the current versions of the software.Before we get to the actual test results, I want to reiterate something that many of you will already know: that hardware development almost always outpaces software development. Professional graphics applications evolve quite slowly in comparison to games and other consumer applications, and it takes some time for CG software to reach the level of optimization that really allows it to take advantage of new GPU architectures.Benchmarks and performance in DCC applicationsAs you can see, the early test results are all over the place. In some tests, the GeForce RTX 5090 and 5080 are significantly faster than their previous-generation counterparts, but in some they are only slightly faster, and in a few, they are actually slower.So what does this mean? Most other early reviewers have concluded that both NVIDIAs GPU drivers and the software they are used with require updates before we can assess the true performance of the new GPUs, and I believe that were in the same boat.I will be doing much more extensive testing of these new GPUs in the coming weeks, then providing a comprehensive review, and I hope to have a clearer picture by then.Early availabilityOne last thing I want to talk about is the current availability of the GeForce RTX 5090 and 5080. Many reviewers, myself included, believe that last week was really a paper launch for the GPUs, since there is currently very little availability in retail channels.Some retailers estimate that it could take several months for supply to catch up with demand, and while gamers are understandably upset about this, its much less of an issue for CG artists.By the time the new GPUs are back in full supply, the drivers should have matured, and graphics software should be able to take better advantage of their potential.Many DCC software developers release major new versions of their software in mid-spring, so it will be interesting to see how those new versions fare with the Blackwell GPUs.Find specifications for the GeForce RTX 50 Series GPUs on NVIDIAs websiteHave your say on this story by following CG Channel on Facebook, Instagram and X (formerly Twitter). As well as being able to comment on stories, followers of our social media accounts can see videos we dont post on the site itself, including making-ofs for the latest VFX movies, animations, games cinematics and motion graphics projects.

Friday, February 7th, 2025Posted by Jim ThackerChaos releases Beta 2 of the new V-Ray for Blenderhtml PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd"Originally posted on 25 October, and updated with the link to the latest beta release.The long-awaited new version of V-Ray for Blender is due out in beta this year, developer Chaos has told CG Channel.The updated plugin will have a feature set based on the V-Ray 7 core, and will be available via its own single-product subscription, in addition to standard V-Ray subscriptions.The first update to the V-Ray Blender integration for five yearsV-Ray actually already has an integration for Blender: just not a current one.The old plugin, which exported scenes from Blender to V-Ray Standalone, became an official Chaos product in 2014, but has been in limbo for years.The last new nightly build came out in 2019, and supports Blender 2.79: 19 releases and four entire release series behind Blender 4.3, the current version of the software.Since then, Chaos has periodically hinted that a new version was in development, most strongly in its Chaos Unboxed livestream in February.Includes core features from V-Ray 7The new V-Ray for Blender is a brand new and more conventional integration.Chaos tells us that it is based around V-Ray 7, the latest version of the renderer, currently available for 3ds Max.The initial release will be based around the V-Ray 7 core, but will not have V-Ray 7s complete feature set.In particular, the initial release may not have all of V-Rays scene-building tools, like geometry replication system V-Ray Enmesh.Pitched as an alternative to RenderMan for Blender for VFX and animation workWhile V-Ray has both CPU and GPU render engines, Chaos told us that it expected a key market for the new edition to be studios looking for a CPU-based production renderer.The sector is currently served by Blenders native Cycles renderer, and RenderMan for Blender, the new-ish Blender integration for Pixars heavyweight VFX and animation renderer.Available via a unique single-product subscriptionV-Ray subscriptions currently provide access to all of the current integrations of the software, which include Maya, Houdini, 3ds Max and Cinema 4D.On its release, the new Blender integration will be added to that list.However, it will also be available via its own unique single-product subscription.Chaos told us that Blender would be a first-class citizen in the V-Ray product line, and that the single-product option would include the same additional features as standard subscription plans, such as access to online rendering platform Chaos Cloud.Updated 11 December 2024: Chaos has released the first public beta of the new V-Ray for Blender.Its a free download, but to access it, you will need to register for an account on the Chaos website and fill out a short usage questionnaire.You can find more information about its features in the online documentation, and support for installation issues on Chaoss forum.Updated 7 February 2025: Chaos has released the second public beta of V-Ray for Blender.Beta 2 reworks the V-Ray Proxy node for handling render-time proxy geometry, adding support for Alembic, and adding a Lights list to the LightSelect render channel.There are also bugfixes based on early user feedback.Price, system requirements and release datesThe new V-Ray for Blender is available free in beta, with a stable release due in early 2025.Beta 2 is compatible with Blender 4.2 on Windows 10+ only. It supports GPU rendering with NVIDIA GPUs only.V-Ray is rental-only, with node-locked V-Ray Solo subscriptions priced at $84.90/month or $514.80/year, and V-Ray Premium subscriptions priced at $119.90/month or $718.80/year.Chaos hasnt announced pricing for the new Blender-only subscription plan.Register for the beta of V-Ray for BlenderRead a list of new features in V-Ray for Blender in the online documentationHave your say on this story by following CG Channel on Facebook, Instagram and X (formerly Twitter). As well as being able to comment on stories, followers of our social media accounts can see videos we dont post on the site itself, including making-ofs for the latest VFX movies, animations, games cinematics and motion graphics projects.Latest NewsSee CG benchmarks for NVIDIA's GeForce RTX 5090 and 5080 GPUsDiscover how NVIDIA's Blackwell GPUs performed in CG software like 3ds Max, Arnold, Blender, Maya, UE5 and V-Ray in our early tests. Friday, February 7th, 2025Chaos releases Beta 2 of the new V-Ray for BlenderUpdated: New free public beta build of the long-awaited Blender integration for V-Ray based on the V-Ray 7 core is now availableFriday, February 7th, 2025Review: Huion Kamvas 22 Plus pen displayThe Kamvas 22 Plus is an affordable pen display for beginners and pro artists on a budget. See how it handled 3D as well as 2D workflows.Thursday, February 6th, 2025CETA Software launches Artist AccessCheck out the new time-tracking and forecasting tools in iCFM, CETA's cloud-based production management platform for VFX.Wednesday, February 5th, 2025Tutorials: Creating a Character for Games - Vol. 1 and Vol. 2Master industry-standard workflows for sculpting and texturing AAA game characters with The Gnomon Workshop's two-part tutorial series.Tuesday, February 4th, 2025LightWave Digital previews LightWave 2025Check out the new features due in the 3D software, including the RIPD real-time preview, a new cel shader, and updates to character rigging.Tuesday, February 4th, 2025More NewsCheck out the new features in the ForestPack 9.1 updatesSee five great VFX breakdowns from the 2025 V-Ray showreelHow Vine FX created a parasitic underwater forest for The RigBoris FX releases Optics 2025Thinkinetic releases Pulldownit 6 for MayaAdobe launches unmetered access to Substance 3D AssetsAdobe releases Photoshop 26.3Check out free Android and iOS 3D scanning app RealityScan 1.6Free tool: Animation Render Time Estimator for BlenderChaos releases V-Ray 7 for HoudiniChaos releases V-Ray 7 for MayaAdobe releases Substance 3D Modeler 1.19Older Posts

Global semiconductor chip sales rose 19.1% to $627.6 billion in 2024 and growth is expected to grow double-digit percentages in 2025.Read More

Sega revenues drop 8% to $2.1bnFirm cancels Football Manager 2025 due to difficulties in "ensuring significant product quality"Image credit: Sports Interactive/Sega News by Sophie McEvoy Staff Writer Published on Feb. 7, 2025 Sega Sammy has published its financial results for the nine months ended December 31, 2024, during which it announced the cancellation of Football Manager 2025.The Sports Interactive title was delayed last October, with Sega reaching the decision due to difficulties in "ensuring significant product quality expected by the March release."Overall, Sega experienced a decline in net sales and profit. However, it saw a 88% increase in profit for its Entertainment Contents division which it partly attributed to the success of Sonic the Hedgehog 3.Here's what you need to know:The numbers:For the nine months ended December 31, 2024 Net sales: 322.3 billion ($2.1 billion, down 8.1% year-on-year)Operating income: 43.7 billion ($287.9 million, down 20.8% year-on-year)Ordinary income: 49.4 billion ($325.4 million, down 13.9% year-on-year)The highlights:Sammy Sega attributed part of its decline in net sales and operating income to the sale of overseas developer Amplitude Studios in November 2024. The firm recorded a loss of approximately 6.1 billion ($40 million) following a management buyout.However, Sega saw strong performance in its Entertainment Contents segment, which includes games, with net sales up 8.2% to 238.6 billion ($1.5 billion) and profits rising 88% to 37.5 billion ($246.9 million).There were two major launches during this period: Metaphor: ReFantazio on October 11, 2024, and Sonic X Shadow Generations on October 22.Metaphor: ReFantazio is currently "exceeding expectations," while Sonic X Shadow Generations has "steadily increased its sales" and has surpassed two million units in global cumulative sales.During Q3, Sega announced the cancellation of Football Manager 2025, which was scheduled to launch in March. It recorded a "loss associated with a write-down of inventory assets" as a result.The decision to cancel the title was made "because, despite aiming the development for significant advancements in the standard series" it "was determined that it would be difficult to ensure significant product quality expected by the March release."Development assets from Football Manager 2025 will instead be used in its sequel.The Sports Interactive title was delayed last October to give the team "more time to deliver the best possible experience for this first instalment in a new era of Football Manager." Image credit: Paramount PicturesElsewhere, Sega saw particular success in its animation division following the release of Sonic the Hedgehog 3 on December 20, 2024.The movie has since grossed $460 million worldwide, making it the second-highest-grossing video game film of all time.Sega described the Sonic media franchise as a key part of its transmedia strategy. We discussed the future of this endeavour with its head of global transmedia Justin Scarpone last year.As a result of these factors, Sega has revised its forecast for its Entertainment Contents segment. Net sales for the FY were expected to be 335 billion ($2.2 billion), and are now 320 billion ($2.1 billion).In the consumer division of Entertainment Contents, net sales reached 164.8 billion ($1.08 billion) and operating income reached 34.6 billion ($227 million).Sales of new games in the nine months ended December 2024 reached 4.7 million units, compared to 5.2 million during the same period last year. Catalogue titles sold 20 million (up from 13.8 million), while full game sales totaled 24.8 million units (up from 19.1 million).Looking ahead, Sega has revised its outlook for FY25. It previously expected net sales of 445 billion ($2.9 billion) compared to the previously anticipated 425 billion ($2.8 billion). As for operating income, it was forecast to be 45 billion ($296.5 million) and is now forecast to be 46 billion ($303.1 million).

Chris Kerr, News EditorFebruary 7, 20252 Min ReadImage via Sports InteractiveFootball Manager 25 (FM25) has been scrapped just weeks ahead of its proposed March 2025 launch window so developer Sports Interactive can focus on the next entry in the franchise.The title had already been delayed twice but has now been canceled by Sports Interactive and publisher Sega following 'extensive' internal discussions.In a post on the Football Manager website, Sports Interactive confirmed pre-orders will be refunded and apologized for taking so long to communicate the decisionbut noted it had to fulfil regulatory obligations."Due to stakeholder compliance, including legal and financial regulations, today was the earliest date that we could issue this statement," said the studio.Sports Interactive said FM25billed as a major overhaul for the seriespresented a number of challenges that ultimately prevented the team from achieving its desired goals."Each decision to delay the release was made with the aim of getting the game closer to the desired level but, as we approached critical milestones at the turn of the year, it became unmistakably clear that we would not achieve the standard required, even with the adjusted timeline," it explained."Whilst many areas of the game have hit our targets, the overarching player experience and interface is not where we need it to be. As extensive evaluation has demonstrated, including consumer playtesting, we have clear validation for the new direction of the game and are getting closehowever, we're too far away from the standards you deserve."The studio said it could have released FM25 in its current state and rolled out fixes at a later date, but felt that would have been the wrong decision.It also suggested that pushing the release date back again would result in the title launching too late in the football season, potentially disrupting the cadence of future releases.The studio will now focus on the next entry in the long-running soccer management sim."Through the cancellation, every effort is now focused on ensuring that our next release achieves our goal and hits the quality level we all expect," it continued. "We will update you on how we are progressing with that as soon as we are able to do so."About the AuthorChris KerrNews Editor, GameDeveloper.comGame Developer news editor Chris Kerr is an award-winning journalist and reporter with over a decade of experience in the game industry. His byline has appeared in notable print and digital publications including Edge, Stuff, Wireframe, International Business Times, andPocketGamer.biz. Throughout his career, Chris has covered major industry events including GDC, PAX Australia, Gamescom, Paris Games Week, and Develop Brighton. He has featured on the judging panel at The Develop Star Awards on multiple occasions and appeared on BBC Radio 5 Live to discuss breaking news.See more from Chris KerrDaily news, dev blogs, and stories from Game Developer straight to your inboxStay UpdatedYou May Also Like

Grand Theft Auto maker Take-Two has reiterated its net bookings forecast of $5.55 billion to $5.65 billion for the current fiscal year following a "solid" quarter that saw NBA 2K beat internal expectations and Grand Theft Auto V exceed 210 million lifetime sales.As noted in the company's fiscal report for the third quarter ended December 31, 2024, net bookings increased by 3 percent year-on-year to $1.37 billion.Net bookings derived from recurrent consumer spending (which includes live service products such as GTA Online) increased by 9 percent year-on-year and accounted for 79 percent of total net bookings.Mobile net bookings increased by 6 percent driven by Zynga titles such as Match Factory, Toon Blast, and Words with Friends. That upswing fell short of the company's guidance range, however, largely due to "underperformance" across Take-Two's hypercasual mobile portfolio.Digging into those numbers, Take-Two said NBA 2K25 delivered a "phenomenal performance" and has now sold-in over 7 million copies during the current fiscal year.The basketball sim also delivered "extremely strong" engagement compared to last year, with recurrent consumer spending up by over 30 percent and daily active users up by almost 20 percent.Take-Two bracing for bumper year with GTA VI launch on the horizonGrand Theft Auto V remains a huge earner for Take-Two almost 12 years post-launch and has now sold over 210 million copies worldwide. The action title's multiplayer component, GTA Online, delivered a "strong quarter" and remains one of the largest net bookings contributors despite an anticipated decline in recurrent consumer spending.GTA+ membership, which provides GTA Online players with access to perks and game content, also rose by 10 percent year-on-year.Sticking with Rockstar, Take-Two said Red Dead Redemption 2 is currently attracting its highest level of concurrent players on Steam and has now sold-in over 70 million copies.It also confirmed that Grand Theft Auto VI remains on track to launch in fall 2025 and believes the long-awaited sequel will create a notable "inflection point" for its business. Take-Two also expects other high-profile releases to hit the ground running."This calendar year is shaping up to be one of the strongest ever for Take-Two, as we plan to launch Sid Meiers Civilization VII on February 11th, Mafia: The Old Country in the Summer, Grand Theft Auto VI in the Fall, and Borderlands 4," said Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick."We continue to invest prudently in our development pipeline and remain confident in Zynga's potential to create new mobile forever franchises as demonstrated by their ongoing success with Match Factory. As we continue to deliver hits, we remain highly confident that we will achieve sequential increases in, and record levels of, Net Bookings in Fiscal 2026 and 2027."

Apple has reportedly been ordered by the UK government to create a backdoor that would give security officials access to users encrypted iCloud backups. If implemented, British security services would have access to the backups of any user worldwide, not just Brits, and Apple would not be permitted to alert users that their encryption was compromised.The Washington Post reports that the secret order, issued last month, is based on rights given under the UKs Investigatory Powers Act of 2016, also known as the Snoopers Charter. Officials have apparently demanded blanket access to end-to-end encrypted files uploaded by any user worldwide, rather than access to a specific account.Apples iCloud backups arent encrypted by default, but the Advanced Data Protection option was added in 2022, and must be enabled manually. It uses end-to-end encryption so that not even Apple can access encrypted files. In response to the order, Apple is expected to simply stop offering Advanced Data Protection in the UK. This wouldnt meet the UKs demand for access to files shared by global users, however.Apple has the right to appeal the notice on the basis of the cost of implementing it and whether the demand is proportionate to security requirements, but any appeal cannot delay implementation of the original order.The UK has reportedly served Apple a document called a technical capability notice. Its a criminal offense to even reveal that the government has made a demand. Similarly, if Apple did cede to the UKs demands then it apparently would not be allowed to warn users that its encrypted service is no longer fully secure.There is no reason why the UK [government] should have the authority to decide for citizens of the world whether they can avail themselves of the proven security benefits that flow from end-to-end encryption, Apple told the British parliament in March 2024 amidst a discussion of an amendment to the Investigatory Powers Act. It has previously pushed back against other UK attempts to legislate backdoors to encrypted communications.Security services and lawmakers in the UK have consistently pushed back against end-to-end encryption services, arguing that the technology makes it easier for terrorists and child abusers to hide from law enforcement. End-to-end encryption cannot be allowed to hamper efforts to catch perpetrators of the most serious crimes, a UK government spokesperson told The Guardian in 2022 after Apple first introduced end-to-end encryption.US agencies including the FBI have expressed similar fears in the past, but have more recently begun recommending encryption as a way to counter hackers linked to China. In December 2024 the NSA and FBI joined Canada, Australia, and New Zealands cyber security centers in recommending web traffic be end-to-end encrypted to the maximum extent possible, in new security best practices. UK security services didnt join them.If Apple grants the UK government access to encrypted data, its likely that other countries, including the US and China, will see the opportunity to demand the same right. Apple will have to decide whether to comply, or remove its encryption service entirely. Other tech companies would almost certainly face similar requests next.Google has offered encrypted Android backups by default since 2018, and Meta also offers encrypted backups for WhatsApp users. Spokespeople for both declined to comment to The Washington Post on whether they had received governmental requests for backdoors. Googles Ed Fernandez reiterated that the company cant access Android end-to-end encrypted backup data, even with a legal order, while Meta pointed to a previous statement that no backdoors would be implemented.See More:

Civilization 7 is out, and while the game has launched to a mixed user review rating on Steam, the boss of parent company Take-Two believes hardcore fans of the series will eventually come to love it.Firaxis 4X strategy sequel is currently available to those who pay more for advanced access, typically more hardcore fans of Civilization. And theyre certainly letting their voices be known in Steam user reviews, highlighting issues with the user interface, a lack of map variety, and a feeling that the game has launched without a number of features fans have come to expect.Firaxis has responded to this feedback, promising improvements to the UI, the addition of teams to multiplayer games so people can play co-operatively, and a wider variety of map types, among other things.In an interview with IGN ahead of the release of third quarter financial results, Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick acknowledged that Civilization 7 had received some negative reviews from press and players, namechecking Eurogamers 2/5 review, but insisted that the legacy Civ audience will come around the more they play, and called Civilization 7s early performance very encouraging.The Metacritic reviews are at 81, which is really solid, Zelnick said. We have more than 20 press reviews with a score over 90. We have some negative outliers as well, including a 40 from Eurogamer.We think that as people play the game longer, the sentiment improves because with every launch of a new Civ, the team pushes the envelope a little bit and our legacy Civ audience is a little bit nervous about what they initially see and then they realize, wow, this is actually really incredible, and they dive in.So we feel really, really good about it. We know we have a couple of issues. We have a bit of an issue with the UI, for example. We'll address that. So I wouldn't say the early access release is perfect in every way. I think it's very, very encouraging and I think the areas that are concerning are areas that we can and will address, and as you can tell, we're quite mindful of them.Zelnick believes Civ fans will come to love Civ 7. Photographer: Jeenah Moon/Bloomberg via Getty Images.Zelnicks mention of hardcore Civ players being a little nervous about Civ 7 at launch is no-doubt a reference to some of the dramatic changes Firaxis has made to the game.A full campaign in Civilization 7 is one that goes through all three Ages: Antiquity, Exploration, and Modern. Once the Age is completed, all players (and any AI opponents) experience an Age Transition simultaneously. During an Age Transition, three things happen: you select a new civilization from the new Age to represent your empire, you choose which Legacies you want to retain in the new Age, and the game world evolves. The Civilization games have never had such a system. Clearly, Zelnick believes Civ fans will come to love it over time.In the shorter term, Firaxis has work to do turning sentiment around, particularly on Steam. A games Steam user review rating is crucial for its success on Valves platform. Not only is it a very public indication of what a player base thinks of a game, but it affects visibility on Steam itself.Looking for tips to help you take over the world? Check out our guide to completing every Civ 7 victory, our run down of the biggest Civ 7 changes for Civ 6 players, and the 14 crucial Civ 7 mistakes to avoid. Weve also got explanations on all the Civ 7 map types and difficulty settings so you know what youre getting into.Photographer: Jeenah Moon/Bloomberg via Getty Images.Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.