Integrity of Steam Reviews

[Gavin786]

Dear Steam,

I have deep concerns about what some Steam users are claiming in regards to reviews of Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League game.

There are claims that negative reviews are being deleted. There are claims that the review numbers have plummeted from > 7k to around 2k over the last days. And there is a marked discrepancy between the 85% positive Steam review score and what is seen on Metacritic and other review platforms and what Steam player numbers currently would imply. In other words there is good evidence that this review deletion is actually happening as some users have claimed.

Now I have no horse in this race and do not care about this game one way or another.

However I deeply care about the integrity of the Steam review process. I use this and have relied on it for many years to make purchase decisions. I am a long time player on Steam and use this as my primary games platform. The integrity of the review process matters to me.

I would kindly request that this is looked into and Valve/Steam make some kind of statement on what is going on here. Have reviews actually been deleted or is something else afoot? Why is there such discrepancy between Steam review scores vs MetaCritic and player numbers? Is there some innocent explanation for what seems to be going on here?

More importantly, does this incident signal a shift in Steam's review policy and what does this mean for the future of the Steam review system?

I know there has been deliberate manipulation on other review sites in the past, notably for expensive yet generally loathed TV shows like "Rings of Power" and other such shows accused of being "Woke". However Steam has always seemed thus far immune to this kind of thing, with reviews accurately reflecting player sentiment.

I would greatly appreciate any kind of comment on this matter.

Regards,

Gavin786

[William Shakesman]

Цитата допису Vertigo:

Цитата допису brian9824:

I'm just amazed at how many people believe the sensational claims of them deleting 5k+ reviews without a shred of proof and how they just blindly jump on any reason to try to paint steam as the bad guy.

Then demand others prove it never happened. All while ignoring the multiple other sites which have near identical reviews as Steam because it doesn't fit the narrative they want

Don't you understand? They aren't sheep who blindly follow evidence!
Their feelings don't care about facts!

They make up their conclusion first and then search for a narrative that is supporting it!

Don't let your opinions be restricted by "reality"!

That's what THEY want!!!!

Gotta admit it is pretty funny. Same as the sorts of people who spend all day freaking out about imaginary "nazis". Twitter ruins people.

[Low Standards]

Цитата допису brian9824:

Цитата допису Low Standards:

I would personally get rid of reviews on Steam. I would also get rid of the forums too. People have plenty of places they can use to decide if a game is good or bad. Just doesn't seem worth it for Steam.

Well thats your opinion, i'd rather they keep them as shown by Suicide Squad they are far more accurate on Steam then other places like Metacritic. I mean don't see any reason to get rid of them as your free to use less accurate places like metacritic if you don't care about accurate reviews. Nothing forces you to use steam's reviews.

Always better to have options and choices afterall.

LOL! Metacritic is less accurate than Steam? I guess you really do work for Steam. Metacritic is a consolidation of non-related media reviewing games. It is not a single company trying to sell games. Maybe you should go live in Russia.

[Low Standards]

Very funny. At the end of the main page reviews is a link to "Browse all 4,777 reviews". When I clicked on it and scrolled down the whole way it was a sea of red. Hummmm.

[Boblin the Goblin]

Цитата допису Low Standards:

Цитата допису brian9824:

Well thats your opinion, i'd rather they keep them as shown by Suicide Squad they are far more accurate on Steam then other places like Metacritic. I mean don't see any reason to get rid of them as your free to use less accurate places like metacritic if you don't care about accurate reviews. Nothing forces you to use steam's reviews.

Always better to have options and choices afterall.

LOL! Metacritic is less accurate than Steam? I guess you really do work for Steam. Metacritic is a consolidation of non-related media reviewing games. It is not a single company trying to sell games. Maybe you should go live in Russia.

Metacritic has user reviews that don't even vet if someone owns the product.

That's why it's actually worse.

[Low Standards]

Цитата допису SlowMango:

Цитата допису Low Standards:

LOL! Metacritic is less accurate than Steam? I guess you really do work for Steam. Metacritic is a consolidation of non-related media reviewing games. It is not a single company trying to sell games. Maybe you should go live in Russia.

Metacritic has user reviews that don't even vet if someone owns the product.

That's why it's actually worse.

So they let you post a review but don't count it because they didn't own the game?

[Brian9824]

Цитата допису Low Standards:

Цитата допису brian9824:

Well thats your opinion, i'd rather they keep them as shown by Suicide Squad they are far more accurate on Steam then other places like Metacritic. I mean don't see any reason to get rid of them as your free to use less accurate places like metacritic if you don't care about accurate reviews. Nothing forces you to use steam's reviews.

Always better to have options and choices afterall.

LOL! Metacritic is less accurate than Steam? Metacritic is a consolidation of non-related media reviewing games. It is not a single company trying to sell games.

I apologize, I thought you could understand we were talking about USER reviews as that is what the thread is about. I won't assume that going forward.

In case you aren't aware Metacritic has a massive problem with review bombing and they have been called out by pretty much every media group out there as well as developers themselves over their lack of effort. Their policy of letting anyone leave reviews without any verification they even own the game let alone have even played it makes them woefully innacurate when it comes to any game with the slightest controversy as its childs play for people to bomb the game and lower the reviews.

[Zarineth]

I don't understand how 3 different stores, owned by different people, having similar ranking and requiring game ownership are less trustworthy from site, where anyone can rate anything, doesn't matter if you own the game or not. I much prefer Steam's approach over Metacritic's.

[Brian9824]

Цитата допису Low Standards:

Very funny. At the end of the main page reviews is a link to "Browse all 4,777 reviews". When I clicked on it and scrolled down the whole way it was a sea of red. Hummmm.

Actually its about 4k positive and 700 negative, but if you stop once you see a run of negative then I guess you could think its the majority.

Цитата допису Low Standards:

Цитата допису SlowMango:

Metacritic has user reviews that don't even vet if someone owns the product.

That's why it's actually worse.

So they let you post a review but don't count it because they didn't own the game?

No they count it. I could make 10,000 accounts right now if i wanted to spend the time and boost the games review rating on metacritic. All I need is a throwaway email to make the account.

They have been called out so many times
https://www.gamesradar.com/its-time-for-metacritic-to-stand-up-to-review-bombings/

Developers have had to call them out and get them to manually remove them such as here
https://www.pcgamer.com/publisher-calls-out-metacritic-after-hit-indie-jrpg-gets-inexplicably-review-bombed/

Ironically multiple sites have called for Metacritic to adopt policies of Steam in showing massive swings of reviews and making users aware of strange patterns that are likely review bombs.

There was a big review bomb campaign for Horizon Forbidden West where they issued a statement finally acknowledging it and pledging "stricter moderation" that so far they haven't really acted on and only covers hate speech, not the actual review bombing.

[Low Standards]

Цитата допису brian9824:

Цитата допису Low Standards:

LOL! Metacritic is less accurate than Steam? Metacritic is a consolidation of non-related media reviewing games. It is not a single company trying to sell games.

I apologize, I thought you could understand we were talking about USER reviews as that is what the thread is about. I won't assume that going forward.

In case you aren't aware Metacritic has a massive problem with review bombing and they have been called out by pretty much every media group out there as well as developers themselves over their lack of effort. Their policy of letting anyone leave reviews without any verification they even own the game let alone have even played it makes them woefully innacurate when it comes to any game with the slightest controversy as its childs play for people to bomb the game and lower the reviews.

You are correct. I was talking about Critic reviews, not users. I don't really rely on user reviews unless the combined scores are much higher than the critics.

[Boblin the Goblin]

Цитата допису Low Standards:

Цитата допису SlowMango:

Metacritic has user reviews that don't even vet if someone owns the product.

That's why it's actually worse.

So they let you post a review but don't count it because they didn't own the game?

No, it still counts it.

[Brian9824]

Цитата допису Zarineth:

I don't understand how 3 different stores, owned by different people, having similar ranking and requiring game ownership are less trustworthy from site, where anyone can rate anything, doesn't matter if you own the game or not. I much prefer Steam's approach over Metacritic's.

Logic right? What place does it have on a good ole fashioned conspiracy theory. Who needs proof when you have youtubers who can make claims with no proof and whom profit off the controversy and clicks...

[Low Standards]

Цитата допису brian9824:

Цитата допису Zarineth:

I don't understand how 3 different stores, owned by different people, having similar ranking and requiring game ownership are less trustworthy from site, where anyone can rate anything, doesn't matter if you own the game or not. I much prefer Steam's approach over Metacritic's.

Logic right? What place does it have on a good ole fashioned conspiracy theory. Who needs proof when you have youtubers who can make claims with no proof and whom profit off the controversy and clicks...

I notice a lot of Steam fans like you have a "conspiracy theory" against YouTube channels. That would make sense because most YouTube reviews of "The Squad" and other games like "Starfield" were so different than the reviews on Steam.

[Brian9824]

Цитата допису Low Standards:

Цитата допису brian9824:

I apologize, I thought you could understand we were talking about USER reviews as that is what the thread is about. I won't assume that going forward.

In case you aren't aware Metacritic has a massive problem with review bombing and they have been called out by pretty much every media group out there as well as developers themselves over their lack of effort. Their policy of letting anyone leave reviews without any verification they even own the game let alone have even played it makes them woefully innacurate when it comes to any game with the slightest controversy as its childs play for people to bomb the game and lower the reviews.

You are correct. I was talking about Critic reviews, not users. I don't really rely on user reviews unless the combined scores are much higher than the critics.

Well since this thread is about USER reviews, and steam only has USER reviews as already stated metacritic is not accurate with user reviews.

Sometimes people like things that critics don't like. There are plenty of panned movies that are still very popular with their audience.

A prime example is a movie called Playing With Fire I saw with my kids and wife. It got a critic score of 24% and an audience score of 77%.

Just because critics don't like it doesn't mean people also won't like it.

[Zarineth]

Цитата допису Low Standards:

Цитата допису brian9824:

I apologize, I thought you could understand we were talking about USER reviews as that is what the thread is about. I won't assume that going forward.

In case you aren't aware Metacritic has a massive problem with review bombing and they have been called out by pretty much every media group out there as well as developers themselves over their lack of effort. Their policy of letting anyone leave reviews without any verification they even own the game let alone have even played it makes them woefully innacurate when it comes to any game with the slightest controversy as its childs play for people to bomb the game and lower the reviews.

You are correct. I was talking about Critic reviews, not users. I don't really rely on user reviews unless the combined scores are much higher than the critics.

I myself don't give a damn what critics have to say. I'm interested what simple people liked/disliked about a game I'm interested in.

[Low Standards]

Цитата допису Zarineth:

Цитата допису Low Standards:

You are correct. I was talking about Critic reviews, not users. I don't really rely on user reviews unless the combined scores are much higher than the critics.

I myself don't give a damn what critics have to say. I'm interested what simple people liked/disliked about a game I'm interested in.

Even if they review bomb?