Disabled comments in Steam Reviews

[Cracktus Jack]

A new feature has been silently implemented in Steam reviews: the option to disable comments.

Actually, it's the other way around, and that's the problem. Comments are now disabled by default whenever someone posts a review, and that person has to manually click the checkbox to enable comments.

Unless a vast majority of Steam users writing reviews don't want comment, which I'm pretty sure isn't the case, comments in reviews should be enabled by default, with the option of disabling them.

Many people who enjoy writing reviews, and enjoy being commented on their reviews, are likely to not even have noticed this new feature.

[KalGimpa]

holy crap, all of that was just a steam rant!?!! ok, makes sense now

[Radene]

Publicado originalmente por kalcuey-freehk:

holy crap, all of that was just a steam rant!?!! ok, makes sense now

An overengineered AF one, it seems.

[Nx Machina]

Publicado originalmente por Strai:

Publicado originalmente por Nx Machina:

whereas lootboxes exist because gamers bought them and encouraged the use of them.

No kidding? Gambling addiction and porn are big sellers? Well then, GJ Steam, you've capitalized on the digital version of things that have been illegal IRL for decades if not 100s of years. We should definitely keep throwing money at that platform.

Gambling? No - user choice to buy Fifa FUT packs etc. Just one of those buzzwords to throw around when there is nothing left to say.

Porn? No - just prudes or sjw's who have an agenda to tell others what is wrong in their opinion whilst wanting others to not interfere in their lives. The oddest thing is that prudes and sjw's are usually the biggest hypocrites.

What next violent video games breed violence or simply it is just you having a Steam rant whilst actually hardly using Steam.

[Strai]

Publicado originalmente por Tito Shivan:

https://store.steampowered.com/search/?filter=globaltopsellers&os=win,linux

That list changes constantly, based on new releases and current sales.

https://store.steampowered.com/stats - Primarily what I look at to remind me why I hate Steam.

https://store.steampowered.com/sale/top_february_2021?tab=3 - Sometimes Steam goes out of its way to remind me just how bad it is, with a fancy newsletter.

[Start_Running]

Publicado originalmente por Tito Shivan:

I'll reiterate in the suggestion I made long ago in this thread. We all have the same tools, why so different results? Maybe the difference is in how one makes use of them?
And I'm not even making any 'advenced' or 'power user' use of the tools (Best sellers tab -> Browse all time best sellers)

There's a difference between looking for good games, and looking for *cheap* games. That difference I think explains the divergence. Well.. differing tastes as well.

Publicado originalmente por Strai:

Publicado originalmente por Tito Shivan:

https://store.steampowered.com/search/?filter=globaltopsellers&os=win,linux

That list fluctuates constantly, based on new releases and current sales.

https://store.steampowered.com/stats - Primarily what I look at to remind me why I hate Steam.

https://store.steampowered.com/sale/top_february_2021?tab=3 - Sometimes Steam goes out of its way to remind me with a fancy newsletter about how bad it is.

SO you hate steam because of what other Steam Users like to buy on Steam?....
Because thats all those lisrts indicate. WHat otther steam users like yourself are playing and buying. I for one can personally Vouch for FIghts in Tight spaces...game is fun, challenging, stylish, and addictive as all hell, and given the review scores for the other games.. yeah... seems they all earned their positions.

[shbouwhuis]

Publicado originalmente por Nx Machina:

Publicado originalmente por Strai:

No kidding? Gambling addiction and porn are big sellers? Well then, GJ Steam, you've capitalized on the digital version of things that have been illegal IRL for decades if not 100s of years. We should definitely keep throwing money at that platform.

Gambling? No - user choice to buy Fifa FUT packs etc. Just one of those buzzwords to throw around when there is nothing left to say.

Porn? No - just prudes or sjw's who have an agenda to tell others what is wrong in their opinion whilst not wanting others to not interfere in their lives. The oddest thing is that prudes and sjw's are usually the biggest hypocrites.

What next violent video games breed violence or simply it is just you having a Steam rant whilst actually hardly using Steam. We all know the answer to that question, is yes.

According to some guy (head of marketing maybe?) they are not lootboxes... they are 'surprise mechanics'. I'm not making this up. That is actually what that slimy creep said.

[nullable]

Well it's not like loot boxes are an official term. Abusing the language to call something the same thing differently is as old as time. If loot boxes have negative connotations then call them something else. It's marketing/business 101. It works on people who don't already have strong opinions, and that means it works on a lot of people.

There's no reason slimy creeps have to operate according to your values though. Rebranding things isn't a crime. And if it is, it'll be settled in court some day.

[Start_Running]

Publicado originalmente por Snakub Plissken:

Well it's not like loot boxes are an official term. Abusing the language to call something the same thing differently is as old as time. If loot boxes have negative connotations then call them something else. It's marketing/business 101. It works on people who don't already have strong opinions, and that means it works on a lot of people.

Fanatical likes the term 'Mysstery Bundles'.

There's no reason slimy creeps have to operate according to your values though. Rebranding things isn't a crime. And if it is, it'll be settled in court some day. [/quote]

Publicado originalmente por shbouwhuis:

According to some guy (head of marketing maybe?) they are not lootboxes... they are 'surprise mechanics'. I'm not making this up. That is actually what that slimy creep said.

And yet it was indeed the truth. It'saan actual gaming mechanic that has been exploited for almost 30 decades now.

The feeling of geting a rare card when you open a pack of baseball cards. Same thing. The feeling of coming across a shiny pokemon. That thrill of slayinga mob in WoW and finding a Purple or Gold Item that for your class and spec even. All these things operate on the same level as Loot Boxes.

Heck as I mentioned games journos who most loudly complain about loot boxes strangely don't say anything about things like Fanatical's infamous Mystery Bundles.

[shbouwhuis]

Mystery bundles are almost as bad as loteries... they are taxes for dumb people.

[Start_Running]

Publicado originalmente por shbouwhuis:

Mystery bundles are almost as bad as loteries... they are taxes for dumb people.

Dumb/Desperate/Dishonest /bad at probability.
Hard to say.
But Fanatical pushes them so hard that even EA would consider it excessive.
And Fanatical isn't the only site that does that.
And its not new. As said. If you've ever bought a pack of sports cards, trading cards, CCG cards...it is exactly the same thing. But some how those aren't gambling?

The reason why some governments are getting in volved is rather simple if you consider the actual regulations. TYHey aren't banning so muchj as demanding that the publisher/developer pay for a gambling license and appropriate taxes. In short. The governments are asking for their cut of the pie.

[shbouwhuis]

Publicado originalmente por Start_Running:

Publicado originalmente por shbouwhuis:

Mystery bundles are almost as bad as loteries... they are taxes for dumb people.

Dumb/Desperate/Dishonest /bad at probability.
Hard to say.
But Fanatical pushes them so hard that even EA would consider it excessive.
And Fanatical isn't the only site that does that.
And its not new. As said. If you've ever bought a pack of sports cards, trading cards, CCG cards...it is exactly the same thing. But some how those aren't gambling?

The reason why some governments are getting in volved is rather simple if you consider the actual regulations. TYHey aren't banning so muchj as demanding that the publisher/developer pay for a gambling license and appropriate taxes. In short. The governments are asking for their cut of the pie.

Yes, indeed! As long as governments can tax it, they are generally fine with it.
This goes for all sorts of vices like gambling, smoking, alcohol, prostitution, soft-drugs, opioids, etc.

[DoktorFar]

Publicado originalmente por Tito Shivan:

I should be able to make a review without having to hear other's opinions on it if I don't want to.

Then why cant the comments just be enabled by default? anyone who dont want to hear others opinion could then just turn it off. The vast majority of reviewers probably dont care about comments either way, but since it is defaulted to off it just stays that way. Not because they dont want comments, they just dont care about it. This is really why comments should be ON by default, not the way it is now.

[TKOdarkshadow]

Publicado originalmente por DoktorFar:

Publicado originalmente por Tito Shivan:

I should be able to make a review without having to hear other's opinions on it if I don't want to.

Then why cant the comments just be enabled by default? anyone who dont want to hear others opinion could then just turn it off. The vast majority of reviewers probably dont care about comments either way, but since it is defaulted to off it just stays that way. Not because they dont want comments, they just dont care about it. This is really why comments should be ON by default, not the way it is now.

Valve has to follow a weird EU law that’s super inconsistent, otherwise screenshots by default would be forced private.

[Tito Shivan]

Publicado originalmente por DoktorFar:

Then why cant the comments just be enabled by default.

Because doors are closed by default. Privacy options are private by default.

Publicado originalmente por DoktorFar:

anyone who dont want to hear others opinion could then just turn it off.

And anyone who wants to hear others opinion can turn it on likewise.

[Yasahi]

Publicado originalmente por DoktorFar:

Publicado originalmente por Tito Shivan:

I should be able to make a review without having to hear other's opinions on it if I don't want to.

Then why cant the comments just be enabled by default? anyone who dont want to hear others opinion could then just turn it off. The vast majority of reviewers probably dont care about comments either way, but since it is defaulted to off it just stays that way. Not because they dont want comments, they just dont care about it. This is really why comments should be ON by default, not the way it is now.

If most people don't really care about comments then the only logical default setting is OFF, not ON. Valve has done just that, turned it off by default so that people aren't being harassed or otherwise disturbed by people leaving comments that the author doesn't care about.