Steam Removing "Off Topic" Review Scores

Alien

Alien
Steam have decided that while not removing negative reviews themselves, if they deem a negative review to be "off topic", that review will no longer count towards the review score.
Why are some people getting angry at this change? Who decides what is "off topic"? And where is the line in a review between "on topic" and "off topic"?

https://steamcommunity.com/games/593110/announcements/detail/1808664240333155775

I'd suggest watching this video to the end, he explains it better than I do or could.

[video=youtube;Nvz7Tce0CwU]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nvz7Tce0CwU[/video]
 
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Captain Thea Kreutzer

Captain Thea Kreutzer
Alien said:
Steam have decided that while not removing negative reviews themselves, if they deem a negative review to be "off topic", that review will no longer count towards the review score.
Why are some people getting angry at this change? Who decides what is "off topic"? And where is the line in a review between "on topic" and "off topic"?
And this is being done to appease the developers and deceive customers.

https://steamcommunity.com/games/593110/announcements/detail/1808664240333155775

I'd suggest watching this video to the end, he explains it better than I do or could.
Click to expand...

Because certain people enjoy leaving bad reviews just to be A**es
 

AJW

AJW
Firstly, their website, their rules. Same as everywhere. Secondly, most Steam 'reviews' aren't worth reading anyway. If I want opinions on games, I will look for them from people I consider competent to comment. Not some spotty thirteen-year-old who buys something without bothering to find out what it is, and then complains because it isn't something else.

If Steam abolished 'reviews' altogether it would be no great loss.
 

Backer42

B
The review system is a great feature differentiating Steam from other storefronts like PSN (which have only useless star ratings). I never bought anything from sites without reviews or refunds.
 

Leper Messiah

Leper Messiah
I always read the negative reviews of products I buy (not just games) and steam isn't going to remove them per se, just remove them from the "calculation" of the final score. The bad reviews are still there to read and make a personal judgement on if the concerns of the reviewer effect me or not. I don't really see what the problem is other than stopping groups of people having too much power with negative reviews.
 

Burke

B
There is a quote on this forum of me saying all reviews are fake and the mags, the PC worlds and the influencers and the rest are a matrix of advertising designed to extract your money. There is a subnautica below zero review, it was well written and honest and it has well over 1000 upvotes last i looked. When you set reviews to "most helpful" its not even on the first thee pages when its got more upvotes than those three pages combined. This was before the recent announcement. Eyes open people you cant trust devs or publishers or online shops. You cant trust amazon reviews either. Then entire review system has been made worthless by exactly the kind of dishonesty steam is up to. BTW GOG is DRM free and says it always will be :)
 
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Leper Messiah

Leper Messiah
Burke said:
There is a quote on this forum of me saying all reviews are fake and the mags, the PC worlds and the influencers and the rest are a matrix of advertising designed to extract your money. There is a subnautica below zero review, it was well written and honest and it has well over 1000 upvotes last i looked. When you set reviews to "most helpful" its not even on the first thee pages when its got more upvotes than those three pages combined. This was before the recent announcement. Eyes open people you cant trust devs or publishers or online shops. You cant trust amazon reviews either. Then entire review system has been made worthless by exactly the kind of dishonesty steam is up to. BTW GOG is DRM free and says it always will be :)
Click to expand...

I agree you can't trust reviews...but that goes for negative reviews too. I just go to the reviews and select the negative reviews to see what people are complaining about and see if what their complaining about is something I give a damn about!

found that review (I think) 1243 up votes! Most helpful negative review

What steam should do is actually discount the stupid vacuous one liner reviews like "I luvz tis gaem" or "I hatz tis gaem". Those are utterly daft, but well written long reviews should count more regardless if they are negative or positive.
 

Jezzah

Jezzah
Must agree with some comment here.

I don't think I could count on one hand the number of times I've read a steam review...even less again any I've taken notice of which has influenced my decision.

It's a good thing that there might be a modicum of moderation in these reviews I suppose. Will I read them with any great increase?

I'd say no.

I prefer to read what you guys say generally and other trusted forums.
 

CMDR Dizzy

C
Only approved people can give reviews and have an opinion :). Before you know it only paid for reviews will be allowed and have there rating count /s
 

MickyG1982

M
Stigbob said:
Steam reviews are great. I especially like the not recommended shallow with no gameplay 6000 hours played ones which ED specializes in.
Click to expand...

Those are always funny - as are the ones where players have bought "Game X" believing it would play on their cr*ppy low end netbook / pc / laptop only to discover that magically it doesn't. Then call the game every name under the sun because they couldn't be bothered to read the obvious system requirements, happens a lot here too...
 

krylite

krylite
I have fun occasionally reading the ED steam review posts. The new reviews expressing wondernment by new players discovering the game for the first time reaffirms faith in the game, especially if they revealed that they put off trying the game for years due to the pretentious trollish FD-bashing naysaying. And particularly fun for amusement are the obvious shillizen posts dissing ED while trying to still compare SC as the bar-setter, lol.
 
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Agony_Aunt

Agony_Aunt
Another storm about Steam reviews.

I find them pretty worthless overall. Too often people use them as a soapbox or just don't put the effort in to writing an actual review.

Typical negative review: This game sucks.

When some effort is put in, all too often its basically: I don't like this game, nobody else should.

Review bombing when people get upset over a decision by the devs (sometimes not even connected with the gameplay) is also unfortunately too common. Saw it happen with Ark and GTA (and of course with ED). People have tantrums over something and regardless of whether they enjoy the game or not or whether the issue is even conncted with the game itself, they rally people to write negative reviews.

On the flip side, positive reviews are also often worthless. Same deal, people often don't put in the effort to write an actual review and sometimes its a case of "I enjoy it, everyone else should".

In short, too much subjective opinion presented as objective fact.

Just like many forums :D
 
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