I think it’s rather interesting that Valve would step in with a scenario in which, say, an Epic exclusivity deal was signed by a company. Metro 2033/LL Redux would definitely benefit from a system like this, and quite possibly may be the games that prompted the change.
I don’t particularly agree with the fact that DRM decisions are counted as off-topic, since this definitely is a part of the game you are buying. I would definitely want to know if particularly sketchy software is going to be installed with a game. I may not have an issue with EAC personally, but awareness/disclosure is never a bad thing.
I’d say this is a nice compromise than the dreaded “dispatch the algorithms” response and solving it case-by-case. Still, if you don’t like the change, just turn off the off-topic reviewbomb filter.
I’m actually waiting to see how the upset gamers will retaliate (see edit). Upset people will always find a way. Unfortunately for them it’s all in vain because most gamers don’t care/are fickle.
I don’t agree with Valve’s recent change which let’s them hide the review bombing though. I’ve already changed my preferences to include all reviews. If people are upset, i surely want to know.
**Edit: I just thought of something that might happen. Someone might write a script that downvotes all the positive reviews and upvotes all the negative reviews. Then they share this script with everyone and instead of review bombing, they bomb the reviews. Disclaimer: I’m a third-party spectator, i don’t participate in the review system. This is just my speculation.
As predicted, now your negative reviews will be moderated entirely until you can’t make them.
This is what youtubers, twitch streamers, “game journalists” and whiny people got us about “review bombing”. Now we can’t make reviews as we should about things we ought to. They shut us all up.
Now let’s see what Epic Games does. If they open up reviews and allows people to review openly, its going to look SOOOO bad on Valve. And that will be hilarious. Of course its Epic so that’s not going to happen, but if it did oh boy.
Blink…it’s a choice…that Valve gives you, the customer…it’s literally the best possible option with the most possible choices and information available. I think Valve handled the situation amazingly, because it:
Addresses the problem
Alerts customers to the anomalous reviews
Gives customers the option to keep those views visible (or hide them)
Doesn’t squelch the angry ranters throwing a tantrum
Unlike Epic, where you can’t even WRITE a review, much less have it seen by other gamers. Say what you will about Valve, but this was 100% pro-consumer and the right step.
Well, it’s not 100% pro-consumer. Yes, you have a choice to show them but they hidden by default. This means that most people will never know because the average user doesn’t care to that extent. Also, this means that if you are looking up a game using a web browser instead of the client, and you’re not logged in, you will have the “off-topic” reviews hidden. I only use the Steam client so this still affects me even though i’ve changed my preferences. And don’t forget about 3rd-party stores and services that show you the user rating (e.g.: isthereanydeal.com). I would guess that it’s more around 10% pro-consumer and still 90% pro-publisher.
Your inability to see the problem doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist though, right?
Consumers make negative reviews about legitimate things—whether you agree to those reasons or not—and Valve’s first “solution” is to silence them by moving those negative reviews (not “off topic reviews”) to a category that people can’t see (which is set by default). This influences sales of the game that is being complained about because buyers can ONLY see positive things about it when the majority of people are actually complaining about it. Now do you see what is wrong with it? It is disgusting. It is corrupt. It is wrong.
If you cannot agree with what is wrong with that though, fine, but let’s not pretend people are freaking out over nothing. And using the argument that Epic is worse is not exactly a good argument that Steam/Valve doing what they are doing is actually good. The reason Epic is striving to topple Valve is because Valve is falling in many people’s eyes (of course, that’s their claim) in terms of integrity and quality.
giving Borderlands 2 a bad review because of Borderlands 3 is 100% “off topic”; anything besides Borderlands 2 is off topic
yr not influencing any sales at all, how r u going to influence sales on a 7-year-old game which everyone knows everything about, if anyone still hasn’t bought it by now they probably never will, and the decision whether they eventually will actually purchase it or not has in any case been taken years ago
who’s going to become aware of this situation through a Borderlands 2 review on Steam??? This Epic/Valve shit has been all over all gaming news outlets 24/7 for months already. it’s just useless shitposting
I definitely agree with you on this. Not just in gaming, but for any good or service.
I disagree and agree with you on this. There certainly are users who are just jumping on the bandwagon for their own entertainment, and they’re abusing the system. However, if someone doesn’t like the actions of a publisher, i don’t see it as abuse if they write a negative review of that publisher in the publisher’s games. In my opinion, the publisher is tied to the game and thus should be considered as well.
“Great game, but the publisher is anti-consumer” qualifies as a legitimate review basis in my opinion.
“I’m review bombing because i was asked to” does not.
Let’s not confuse 1 game’s reviewing to dozens of others in which this change effects. I do not know about this Borderland reviewing stuff, but the Epic-Steam Metro reviews are a perfect example of legitimate complaints now being hidden due to the change.
Again, try not to hyper focus the discussion on one game. We’re talking about what the change does in all, not to one game. I think you know this because I doubt you thought I was specifically talking about Borderlands and Borderlands only. If you were, then…
As for how it does, I cannot believe I have to explain it, but I suppose I must (It doesn’t matter how old the game is though). If a game originally had mostly negative reviews and Steam up and removed all of the negative reviews, leaving only positive reviews, how do you think that would NOT influence the sales? A person almost always decides on a game through their reviews—through the decision making and guidance of another gamer—and so if the reviews have been altered to represent a false majority, can you explain to me how it wouldn’t influence sales?
You can’t. Because the whole reason why review bombing is triggering devs and people is because it is influencing sales negatively.
Old games are no different. There’s a reason games like Mount and Blade: Warband, Borderlands, Counterstrike, and many other older titles still sell very, very well.
Well Borderlands is a very popular series, so a lot of people, but your argument is weak regardless. People read Steam reviews. I think that’s pretty evident by how upset it has made people—whether you are pro-bombing or anti-bombing.
Those are just the words of someone who just doesn’t care about it though. Clearly most people care about this issue (whatever side they are on) enough to discuss it and defend their right to review and be heard about their purchases.
imo it doesn’t influence sales, it just lowers a game’s quality review score, hence it’s normal developers are pissed about that
also, no one is talking about removing negative reviews about the game btw, in fact, the very subject of this discussion is reviews which are NOT about the game
and artificially lowering a game’s review score is also MISLEADING towards other consumers, since lots of consumers see a mixed score and just deduce the game is shit without even scrolling down to read anything in the first place
so review bombers are the ones MISLEADING other gamers in this instance
Why do you think they get so upset about the score falling?
You may not advocate such a thing, but we’re discussing Valve’s decision to hide these reviews under “off topic” and why it is, or isn’t, a bad decision, aren’t we?
No one should be faulted for lazy, ignorant people who can’t be arsed to scroll down and read things. However, no, that still isn’t misleading, because the truth is still contained in the reviews. Whether or not people are reading them…
I disagree, as does many others. They leave legitimate reasons behind, which many agree is a problem with the devs and the game. It isn’t misleading to discuss the game, the devs decisions, their integrity etc. It is revealing. A lot of gamers may not care about that at all—a sad truth—but many more do, as evident to the review bombing spree and the countless people who upvote and defend them.
Misleading is hiding negative reviews to control a public image of something…
because good games get a bad overall score, which is unjust
basically, what u guys are saying is that it would be ok for IGN to give a great game a 0/10 because the developer is gay, or black, or straight, or white, or handicapped, or a liberal, or a communist, or whatever else u can imagine
or in this case, an asshole
u see, it’s good to be outraged about ill practices
but remaining just towards the unjust takes a whole other level
Not really. I have plenty of games I think are good that I would leave a bad score for for legitimate reasons. Your problem is that you think because you enjoy a game it doesn’t have a problem with it. It is biased.
Do not give me that nonsense to inflate your argument, please. That is nothing like this and you know it.
You aren’t making any sense, I’m sorry. You’re making outrageous comparisons, hyper focusing, and ignoring larger issues by presenting the people on the “review bombing” side as a singular sort of mental state they never even aligned themselves to.
Are things outside of your control and that’s why we consider treating them differently for it discrimination. Being anti-consumer is a choice a developer has made and now they want to hide from the consequences.
Really very low of you to try to make that comparison.
ok, negate that part; im working and shouldnt be doing this now (for deadline purposes, not that im not allowed to), i did say or in this case an asshole, which is the point here
u guys are still saying it’s ok for IGN to give a game 0/10 because the reviewer thinks the developer is an asshole
also funny @Fraggles that u think being a communist is not a choice, rofl; i also believe sexual orientation is a choice, but oh boy, i dont want to get into that discussion
I say they just need to add the ability to review devs/publishers and have those reviews also available on all of their games. That way even if the game is decent or good, you can more easily decide whether you want to support bad devs or not. cough Ark Survival cough
Edit: Also whether you agree with it or not review bombing is looking like a thing of the past, Google already wipes them, Rotten tomatoes as well, Steam now hides them, and I am sure there are others as well… Looks like soon every company will probably have measures in place to combat review bombing. I personally do not know how I feel about it as there are definitely good and bad consequences of this.
