Why so many mediocre-review games suddenly have very high reviews?

[Turbo Nozomix]

Many games on Steam which were somewhat commercial flops and have had mixed reviews since they released suddenly have a huge influx of 90%+ or thereabouts reviews in the previous 30 days. In some cases, the influx of 90%+ positive reviews has suddenly lifted the game out of its Mixed review status.

I've been noticing this all over the place on Steam.


Here are some examples:

https://store.steampowered.com/app/637090/BATTLETECH/

https://store.steampowered.com/app/690790/DiRT_Rally_20/

https://store.steampowered.com/app/421020/DiRT_4/

https://store.steampowered.com/app/272270/Torment_Tides_of_Numenera/

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1017900/Age_of_Empires_Definitive_Edition/

https://store.steampowered.com/app/640820/Pathfinder_Kingmaker__Enhanced_Edition/



What's going on? These games haven't all received new patches and nothing has changed about their basic experience.

They could all be legitimate, but at face value, and right before the Steam Autumn sale, it's suspicious, IMO. It sort of looks like titles are being massaged ahead of the sale.



Edit:

The cause is expected to be from Steam prompting people who have been actively playing a game to leave a review.

A problem I see with that approach is that, just as people who keep going to a restaurant obviously like the experience of that restaurant, people who actively play a game are also likely to be playing it because they like it.

Discussion of the issues of that type of system start around here:

https://steamcommunity.com/discussions/forum/0/1744512174759305803/?ctp=7#c1744512496198191837

[Erebus]

Battletech was in a humble monthly.

[Marius]

Yeah. I am wondering myself. Specially the Dirt Rally 2.0 review-rating. I think it's cause of humble sale, autumn sale, Black friday, people who are naieve and such. Perhaps paid-reviews, but I do not want a lawyer knocking on my door, lol.

[Ogami]

Battletech got a new expansion and was in a Humble Monthly bundle at the same time.
Lots of new and returning customers who often write positive reviews.

[Erebus]

Wasn't a DIRT game given away recently as well?

[Turbo Nozomix]

Originally posted by Erebus:

Wasn't a DIRT game given away recently as well?

DiRT Rally was given away for free some time ago. I think that might have been slightly before D2 released, but I'm not sure.

[Kiwicami]

Dirt Rally 2.0 isn't really bad though, i heard it's a step up from Dirt Rally from trustworthy sim racers but idk i haven't purchased it

[TheOddsBodkins]

Steam awards nominations has a task (for the profile badge) to review a game you have nominated. So people are now writing much more positive reviews than they are writing negative reviews for games.
https://store.steampowered.com/steamawards/nominations

[The•Siscus]

Originally posted by TheOdds:

Steam awards nominations has a task (for the profile badge) to review a game you have nominated. So people are now writing much more positive reviews than they are writing negative reviews for games.
https://store.steampowered.com/steamawards/nomination

This, plus new feature that ask you to recommend or not a game after few in game hours

[Kelthorian]

Originally posted by TheOdds:

Steam awards nominations has a task (for the profile badge) to review a game you have nominated. So people are now writing much more positive reviews than they are writing negative reviews for games.
https://store.steampowered.com/steamawards/nominations

That's such BS when you remember that not only did valve ban some devs for what was or they thought was review manipulation, they also banned review "bombing" aka negative reviews that come in waves, cuz I guess people aren't allowed to hate on patches that break the game I suppose.

Yet now people are compelled to review stuff for rewards and ofc people will more likely post a positive review for something they don't particularly care about than a negative one.

I'm beginning to see a pattern of valve not liking negative reviews or allowing other business entities to control the review process.

[Lystent]

Originally posted by TheOdds:

Steam awards nominations has a task (for the profile badge) to review a game you have nominated. So people are now writing much more positive reviews than they are writing negative reviews for games.
https://store.steampowered.com/steamawards/nominations

This is just another reason for me to not take steam ratings seriously. What I have been doing is weighing what the game is advertised/expected to be with a bunch of the more detailed negative reviews.

[CORBINLORD]

Game sales bring in the low income crowd [or sales crowd] and with them their reviews. That's one legitimate explanation behind drastic rating changes..

[Obituary Gore]

Maybe lower prices, new patches, free content, improved performance.

Rage 2 was getting good reviews also. Despite being a commercial flop and a mediocre game. Maybe the discounted price and new patches have calm their consumers and potential purchase

[Turbo Nozomix]

The influx of 90%+ positive reviews for a large number of poorly-received Steam games started before the Autumn sale began, and for all the games started at the same time: around October 27th, 28th.

It looks like there has been systematic manipulation of Steam reviews.

[Crashed]

Originally posted by Turbo Nozomix:

The influx of 90%+ positive reviews for a large number of poorly-received Steam games started before the Autumn sale began, and for all the games started at the same time: around October 27th, 28th.

It looks like there has been systematic manipulation of Steam reviews.

What's to say the negative reviews were not review bombs that were since detected and mitigated?

[Erebus]

Originally posted by Turbo Nozomix:

The influx of 90%+ positive reviews for a large number of poorly-received Steam games started before the Autumn sale began, and for all the games started at the same time: around October 27th, 28th.

It looks like there has been systematic manipulation of Steam reviews.

Stuffs also seen a lot of updates, dlc releases, and sales across various sites... and bundles of late.

People are a lot more favorable to something later in its life typically after the kinks have been worked out and doubly so if they paid a hell of a lot less for it.