Steam Store "Sort By User Review" Is A Joke!!!

[DennyPet]

I remember you used to be able to sort games (I think) by critic reviews [EDIT: turns out they were ACTUALLY user reviews, but it was just a way better system], and it showed a clear percentage rating with all the games at the top having ninety-some percent review scores; and all the games near the top of the list WERE ACTUALLY GOOD!! The only way to sort by review now is by user reviews, and the list is a random glut of crappy games, even at the very top of the list. I do not buy nearly as many games from Steam now, simply because Steam has made it almost impossible to effectively browse the best games they offer. I don't want the crappy little indie game that some loud, annoying youtuber made popular by screaming at the top of his lungs and laughing about some stupid 'jumpscare'. Hello! Steam! Show me the good games! I actually have taste, and I'm not interested in the crap you're showing me. And that's my rant...

[Start_Running]

YOu are asking games to be rated by users.

Believe it or not. Good' is entirely subjective. Your bad game is someone's good game. You're dealing witha more diverse userbase sadly You can either switch back to consoles or face the change with maturity.

[DennyPet]

Actually, I want the critic reviews back... I would find user reviews helpful as well, but there seems to be something flawed about the Steam system. For instance: why can't they give me a percentage review, instead of just 'thumbs up' or 'thumbs down'. I am not convinced that they actually list the games with the best user reviews up top; they might have some convoluted system (maybe preferring sponsors). An example of this nonsense can be seen when you look for games on an android smart phone; there is no clear way to list the games so that the highest rated ones are at the top of the list. Anyway, the moral of my story was really this: I used to be able to get the good games to the top of the list, and now this is not possible. Why you assume I come from "the console team" is beyond me... I started playing with Quake II for PC. I certainly have no problem with a good console system, but wtf are you talking about? And 'Good' is not entirely subjective. A person's opinion of what is good is subjective. But 'Good' is good, and 'Not Good', well, that's not good. I prefer good games, and when you count up enough critic reviews AND enough user reviews, and you do it Properly, you can usually come up with an answer as to what is objectively good. All I'm saying is Steam has dropped the ball when it comes to giving me this info. I can usually figure out if a game is good by reading individual user reviews one at a time until I figure out who knows what they're talking about, and who is full of it, but that takes FOREVER. I would prefer to browse the good games all in one place, and not have to wade through a sea of turds. P.S. No real offense meant to indie games or youtubers, it's just tiring that there are so many annoying ones; that doesn't discount or discredit the gems among them, though.

[wuddih]

sorting games on store by metacrtic reviews was never there, since metacritic display is chosen by the dev, the majority of the game never have this anyway.

also "official" metacritic reviews are dumb paid reviews that rarely go under 50% and are milkbutterblossomfaced to abysmal levels. if you ever would have made any sense out of metacritic, then you would have used the user reviews there and they are almost the same as steam user reviews, highly polarizing and that is the best thing to do because it actually enforces you to do more research before purchasing a game.

sorted by user reviews:
http://store.steampowered.com/search/?sort_by=Reviews_DESC&category1=998&page=1
i don't see a single unrecommendable game there in the first 5 pages, dunno what metacritic why metacritic reviews should change that.

[Dylan]

Most Steam user reviews are one sentence gags that get thousands of positive ratings.

[Start_Running]

Originally posted by Spackeck:

Most Steam user reviews are one sentence gags that get thousands of positive ratings.

And the lesson is. The steam user base are idiots.

[DennyPet]

Like I said, I wasn't exactly sure that you were able to sort by 'critic' review. What I am sure of is that you were able to see a definite percentage rating for each game, and not just a 'thumbs up' or 'thumbs down', and the list seemed to make way more sense than it does now. Sue me, but I don't see how "Bit Blaster XL" can be the best game on Steam, or can even be subjectively considered to be the best game on Steam by the Steam user base. It may be a great little time-waster, but THE BEST GAME??? I don't think they actually sort user reviews the same way that they used to: so that the most popular games are ACTUALLY at the top of the list. It sure would go a long way toward convincing me that I am wrong if they actually used some sort of numeric scale (percentage or otherwise) instead of a 'thumbs up'. I didn't write my comment to start some little 'us vs. them' flame war. I looked for a suggestion section on Steam, and this was the only option. I actually want the people who program for Steam to fix the problem with their rating system. I am a Steam user, and I have a ton of Steam games, and I love using Steam. So calm down, everyone, and take it for what it is... Maybe Steam should have an actual 'Contact Us' link where we can send them suggestions, instead of Steam users all talking at each other for no reason. Anyway, I hope someone who is actually involved in real decision making reads this at some point.

P.S. wuddih I kind of actually agree with you about the user reviews being more helpful on Metacritic than the critic reviews. But very few of the games that Steam serves up at the top of their list will stand the test of time. There are very few real classics on the first pages, besides some big Valve games, and a handful of others. Most of the rest just seem like "flavor of the month" type games. Maybe I'm just out of touch... I prefer to think more of the Steam user base, and less of Steam's system of sorting reviews. I sure hope I'm right.

P.P.S. I just took another look at the first few pages of 'User Rating' sorted games, and I just have to say one more time: What a turd sandwich! I can't believe I need to argue this point with anyone... A couple of great Valve games, and a whole lot of nothin'! Are you kidding me? I know I'm inviting the trolls to dinner, but come on! They might not be the worst games out there, but that ain't the same as being the best games. I'm now officially done. Have at me...

[Dylan]

Originally posted by Start_Running:

Originally posted by Spackeck:

Most Steam user reviews are one sentence gags that get thousands of positive ratings.

And the lesson is. The steam user base are idiots.

They're not all idiots, they're just non-reviewers presented with the option to 'review' games.

[Start_Running]

Originally posted by Spackeck:

Originally posted by Start_Running:

And the lesson is. The steam user base are idiots.

They're not all idiots, they're just non-reviewers presented with the option to 'review' games.

Well actually reviewers ... aren't quite as pro as you think. Depending on your ability to parse data you can easily find quite a few good reviews and in essence the key point of their review is always pretty clear. Thumbs Up or Down

[wuddih]

Originally posted by DennyPet:

Sue me, but I don't see how "Bit Blaster XL" can be the best game on Steam, or can even be subjectively considered to be the best game on Steam by the Steam user base.

"best" is relative to begin with. if a game like Bit Blaster XL is not your type of game then there is no reason to make it muddy for everyone else or for a store to hide it from you.

so BitBlaster XL, lets investigate, i don't own it, so this is research why it is probably rated so good.

http://steamcommunity.com/app/433950/discussions/0/451851477878455762/#p2
active dev, reacts properly in time repectable times to user problems and tries to solve them.

http://steamcommunity.com/app/433950/allnews/
constant updates with new features and bugfixes. also proper patchnotes

game has several steamworks features, which give the game more value and integrates it more into steam. seems like he was committed to using Steam and actually want to develop his game for it.

the genre is something like classic asteroid-ish scoreattack shmup with procedurely increased difficulty made in retro pixel style. not really aimed for the mainstream-market but...

he wants $1 for it and looking at the reviews, many people feel that their money for entertainment value is satisfied enough to recommend the game.

there is one, for me, visible negative completely pointless and unreasonable review and the dev actually responded to it and asked what he can do better.

i see nothing wrong with this game being on top of user reviews, since it seems you have to dig really deep to find something that is so wrong with the game that is makes it not recommendable and it was good enough for people to invest time to post a recommendation and usually the haters are more likely to speak up.

that you simply dislike such type of games does not make them less recommendable and less good. if something fulfill a niche fetish and their consumers are so happy about it, it deserves a spot at the top. and shmups are by far not really niche, everybody has played something like it at some point.

story short: it is probably a boon that the user review sort function is working the way it is, otherwise such titles would never get any form of exposure under the AAA marketing hype machinery.

[Quint the Alligator Snapper]

Originally posted by DennyPet:

I remember you used to be able to sort games (I think) by critic reviews [EDIT: turns out they were ACTUALLY user reviews, but it was just a way better system], and it showed a clear percentage rating with all the games at the top having ninety-some percent review scores; and all the games near the top of the list WERE ACTUALLY GOOD!! The only way to sort by review now is by user reviews, and the list is a random glut of crappy games, even at the very top of the list. I do not buy nearly as many games from Steam now, simply because Steam has made it almost impossible to effectively browse the best games they offer. I don't want the crappy little indie game that some loud, annoying youtuber made popular by screaming at the top of his lungs and laughing about some stupid 'jumpscare'. Hello! Steam! Show me the good games! I actually have taste, and I'm not interested in the crap you're showing me. And that's my rant...

So I just did a sort by user reviews on the Steam store search, no other filters.

Bit Blaster XL
This War of Mine - War Child Charity DLC
Portal Bundle
Portal 2
BattleBlock Theater®
Portal
Stardew Valley
Kung Fury
One Finger Death Punch
Factorio
Iron Snout
NEKOPARA Vol. 2
Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - Hearts of Stone
Crawl
Epic Battle Fantasy 4
Don't Starve: Reign of Giants
Primordia
planetarian ~the reverie of a little planet~
Left 4 Dead 2
Counter-Strike
Euro Truck Simulator 2
Undertale
Don't Starve
The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth
Half-Life 2
FTL: Faster Than Light
Kerbal Space Program
Hotline Miami
The Walking Dead
South Park™: The Stick of Truth™
Dishonored - Game of the Year Edition
Dishonored
Geometry Dash
To The Moon Game and Soundtrack Bundle
To the Moon
Bastion
The Wolf Among Us
Broforce
The Expendabros
Mark of the Ninja
Gunpoint
Nuclear Throne
Crypt of the NecroDancer
Eternal Senia
Orcs Must Die! Game of the Year
Orcs Must Die!
The Swapper
Recettear: An Item Shop's Tale
Defense Grid: The Awakening

Is this what you're seeing?

[Quint the Alligator Snapper]

Originally posted by DennyPet:

Like I said, I wasn't exactly sure that you were able to sort by 'critic' review. What I am sure of is that you were able to see a definite percentage rating for each game, and not just a 'thumbs up' or 'thumbs down', and the list seemed to make way more sense than it does now. Sue me, but I don't see how "Bit Blaster XL" can be the best game on Steam, or can even be subjectively considered to be the best game on Steam by the Steam user base. It may be a great little time-waster, but THE BEST GAME??? I don't think they actually sort user reviews the same way that they used to: so that the most popular games are ACTUALLY at the top of the list. It sure would go a long way toward convincing me that I am wrong if they actually used some sort of numeric scale (percentage or otherwise) instead of a 'thumbs up'. I didn't write my comment to start some little 'us vs. them' flame war. I looked for a suggestion section on Steam, and this was the only option. I actually want the people who program for Steam to fix the problem with their rating system. I am a Steam user, and I have a ton of Steam games, and I love using Steam. So calm down, everyone, and take it for what it is... Maybe Steam should have an actual 'Contact Us' link where we can send them suggestions, instead of Steam users all talking at each other for no reason. Anyway, I hope someone who is actually involved in real decision making reads this at some point.

P.S. wuddih I kind of actually agree with you about the user reviews being more helpful on Metacritic than the critic reviews. But very few of the games that Steam serves up at the top of their list will stand the test of time. There are very few real classics on the first pages, besides some big Valve games, and a handful of others. Most of the rest just seem like "flavor of the month" type games. Maybe I'm just out of touch... I prefer to think more of the Steam user base, and less of Steam's system of sorting reviews. I sure hope I'm right.

I think your problem is twofold here:

1. You're confusing "gets the highest rate of positive reviews" for "the best game".

Just because lots of other people like a game doesn't mean that you or any specific person will like it.

For example, tons of people love CS:GO and L4D2, but I don't.

2. You have some presumptions about what sorts of games are the sort of game you'd expect to show up at the top of these lists, but the actual results aren't bearing out your presumptions, so you're taken aback by the results.

Keep in mind that the only people who are able to upvote or downvote a product are the people who have bought the product.

(In the case of free games, I guess anyone can, technically, though most people have better things to do with their time.)

So what's actually being measured isn't even your overall crowd satisfaction with the game, it's the satisfaction amongst specifically those people who bought the product in the first place.

So arguably, it's a measure of whether a given game suits its audience well. Does it "deliver" and provide satisfaction, basically.

[Aahzmandias]

The only real reviews are customer reviews. The "professional" reviewers are dependant on the gaming industry, and are bought off by the dozen.

The so called professional reviewers worked long and hard for their bad reputation, hyping bad AAA games. The review system on steam is the direct result of that behaviour, because nobody took them serious any longer, making sorting by these reviews useless.

If you don't like it, buy your game magazins, or look on reviews on the internet. I personaly look into the game forums, after a new game is released. Ths gives a better overview, what is right or more important, wrong with a new game.

I can guarantee you, that this will spare you time, anger and money in the future.

[Darren]

Basically in case you don't want to read the much longer posts other people have already made. If you want to get highest rated games that are relevant to you put on a Genre/Tag filter to narrow it to styles of games you actually like otherwise you will just see those games whose purchasers in general like them. Which may or may not be something you are interested in.