Is review bombing a real problem that has to be dealt with, or is it vital part of consumer rights?

>I'm gonna buy this game but give it a bad review, that'll show em!
Seems kinda self-defeating to me

i think valve's approach of allowing you to choose to filter out the "offtopic review activity" if you choose to is probably the best way to handle it

reviews should pertain to the thing being reviewed

There should be a system in place that will discard mass negative reviews that do not coincide with new content or patches.

I don't care how a bunch of faggots feel about something unrelated to the game. Stop shitting up what is otherwise a useful metric.

>>715241046 (OP)
It's a problem imo because it just makes it harder to get an objective viewpoint. In more heated cases, you get a completely wrong review because it gets flooded by 0s and 10s trying to balance each other out.

Has there been a case where review bombing is incorrect about a major issue besides some china bullshit or are the devs still allowed to gaslight people and lie?

>>715241227
>le average review score
>useful
kek fucking NPC
The only thing you need is to actually read negative reviews
>b-but the overall score is 70% so the game is bad!
So you're saying your taste is so normalfag that you can't enjoy a game that 70% of normalfags like

>>715241046 (OP)
you shouldn't be allowed to review a game you have less than 50% completion for

>>715241046 (OP)
>Scam game that will never be finished. Greed is the only thing this dev knows.
>Got scammed by this game 7 years ago thinking it would be a full game. Is what it is I guess
>This game is legitimately a scam by a streamer who wants to wear game development as a costume.

no shill you retarded subhuman

it's a shill you retards

>>715241227
So in a scenario where a game is actually fun and I would enjoy it but unbeknownst to me the funds from my purchase will go to boiling puppies alive somewhere shouldnt I be allowed to be aware of this before making the purchase even though it has nothing to do with the game itself?

>>715241046 (OP)
Review bombing is often used for the bad reasons but at the same time early access should have a timer of 2 years MAX and if it doesn't come out you automatically get your money back. Too many abusers and Steam clearly doesn't give a shit about curating their store.

The way steam deals with it now is fine
It's very obvious when it's a bunch of retards are upset because they don't know how a TOS works and has nothing to do with the actual game, those get removed eventually

>>715241403
Nigger, there's a thing called THE NEWS
Reviews aren't the place for that

>>715241403
yes, if you want that shit go to polygon you fucking queer

>>715241046 (OP)
every reply is nearly exactly 1 minute apart
samefagging much shill you retarded subhuman

>>715241482
this!!!

>>715241046 (OP)
If a product is truly great, no ammount of review bombing will take it down, period.

>>715241046 (OP)
when the dev is such a massive faggot he calls his rpgmaker demo about depression and bpd nontraditional

>>715241482
lmao so true

>>715241482
yeah it's really pathetic

>>715241046 (OP)
Latter ofc
You wouldn't propose banning people for negative reviews would you?

>>715241482
based nooticer

>Its creator -- PirateSoftware
that's why you are shilling it you retarded subhuman

i've yet to see one game that got reviewbombed for no reason but at the same time if you already bought the game then your negative review means nothing cause they already got your money

>>715241482
posts like this is why i come to this site

I think it's a right after getting fleeced for 80 bucks
but ultimately companies can and will ignore them entirely

This game is legitimately a scam by a streamer who wants to wear game development as a costume.

The game has been in development for almost 10 years. It has barely 2 hours of content. The only reason I have more than 2 hours of playtime is because of the false advertising its creator peddled on YouTube. In YouTube shorts, this game is talked about as if it is a finished product. He states in videos that it has thousands of alternate routes, and that no two people have experienced the same game. I replayed it, making different choices, only to find that the result is EXACTLY THE SAME NO MATTER WHAT YOU PICK. I feel terrible for people who purchased this after playing the demo, only to find that the real game is barely more than an hour longer. The advertising around this game has been more than misleading -- it has been completely false. Its creator has shown no intent to continue developing it, let alone finish it, and continues to wage war against the gaming community in general instead of keeping his promises.

Just to illustrate how bare bones this game is, after the intro (roughly 10 minutes) you are presented with three areas to visit. The first area is about a 30 minute experience. The next area ends prematurely after about 15 minutes, stating it is still under development. The third area is not even a place you can access -- trying to go there merely triggers a CUTSCENE panning over a static landscape, ending with another message stating that it's still in development. The game has been in this exact state for at least 5 years.

When I posted my concerns about this on the game's steam forum, I was instantly permabanned. This scam has been perpetuated by blatant lies and censorship.

Its creator -- PirateSoftware -- is an individual devoid of morals who just wants more subscribers on his twitch stream.

DO NOT BUY UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES. THERE IS NO GAME TO PLAY

>>715241046 (OP)
The latter, but that doesn't mean butthurt based review bombs aren't a thing because people are sheep.

>>715241046 (OP)
>release game
>its plain bad or didnt deliver what was promised
>people who paid money for it leave a review accordingly
>OH NO ITS HECKING REVIEW BOMBING

Where the fuck did this come from? Most people seem to use the term "review bombing" to deflect valid criticism, making it sound like its some form of botting and it isnt actually VALID criticism but just some troll attempt or harassing campaign or something. Look at fucking MH Wilds, with is a terrible game all around and even IF you liked it if it comes to gameplay, its so insanely bad optimized that it still fully deserves the pathetic reviews it got. Yet a lot of people consider it "review bombed"

>>715241046 (OP)
As a concept it's a perfectly fine way of people making their voices heard, specially in gaming when one single update can utterly fuck a game. But people often seem to use it just because the dev said something retarded on twitter even if there's nothing related to it in the game. Valve's solution of simply letting you filter it out is probably for the best without requiring Valve to make some sort of personal decision on the topic.

>>715241384
How do you define completion? It's common for people playing paradox games to have thousands of hours yet less than 10% of achievements.

>>715241384
How do you complete a game that is incomplete? Finish coding it yourself? Fucking retard.

>>715241834
Obviously you also ban all early access slop from Steam at the same time

>>715241046 (OP)
Isnt it only chinese that reviewbomb for retarded reasons like calling Taiwan a soverign nation in a game? Most rebiewbombings of recent time had been justified because devs fuck over their playerbase like with MH Wilds

>>715241775
That's not what review bombing means you dim fuck.

Both? Its the only effective, meaningful way of hitting back against retarded devs and publishers. But its also able to be used to whine about outside nonsense. Good thing you can read those reviews and figure out the reason for yourself.

>>715241046 (OP)
I think the current review system is fine and anyone that wants to limit reviews because they're scared of review bombing is a bootlicking retard.

>>715241046 (OP)
steam should add something like community notes from xitter but instead it's someone they hire on inside to research the situation and point out context behind why there's so much negative reviews recently
i don't see why anyone should not be allowed to say what they have to say about game or developer in reviews but if it's in bad faith or straight up lies then it would help immensely to have that option to see what's actually hapenning behind the scenes

>>715241091
They refund it afterwards retardo-chama.

>>715241046 (OP)
>Please leave a review for our game
>wait no not like that!!!!
>AIEEEEEE SAVE ME GABEN-SAMA THE NASTY GAMERS WROTE MEAN WORDS

>>715242134
To be fair, you can finish what’s there in less than 2 hours.

>>715241947
I'm review bombing you right now by giving you a thumbs down and calling you an illiterate retard.

>>715241046 (OP)
They only time I ever see an actual good game being review bombed is when Chinks get triggered over some random ass slight. Otherwise all games that are """review bombed""" deserve it.

>>715241680
>if you already bought the game then your negative review means nothing cause they already got your money
first thread I opened today and I can already tell its the dumbest take of the day

>>715241893
Correct. Chingchongs are really the only ones that reviewbomb for stupid reasons. 99% of the time a game suddenly gets bombarded with negatives is because the devs did something that fucked up the game, usually involving the monetization.

https://arch.b4k.dev/v/search/text/%20review%20bombing/type/op/
you are a retarded subhuman shill

>>715242134
Refunded reviews don't count into the score

>>715241403
That's clearly irrelevant to the game you are reviewing. Review the content of the product you bought, not the company behind it.

>>715242124
Steam should put those community note type of things before you click on the purchase button.

Like "This product suffers from extremely bad performance even with high end cards." to warn customers. That would be bring devs and publishers to heel really fast and start fixing those problems.

>>715241046 (OP)
Lying about a movement that wants you to actually own the games you buy (with your money) is the real problem.

>>715241046 (OP)
Well, makes you look and search for why it's having a review bombing, and that's a good thing

>>715241147
I agree. I don't like the idea of policing user reviews for any reason, since they compromise the integrity of any feedback; but being able to use analytics to determine if a group of reviews are coming in at an unusual time, citing an unusual reason or otherwise just simply not the same as other reviews makes even review bombing informative to consumers; since you can point to the spike and say 'this is strange, why?' and be able to make an informed decision on whether or not the unusual review activity is meaningful to you as a consumer.

Review bombing is absolutely fucking deserved when jews ruin games.

>>715242631
why are you replying to a shill thread you retard?

>>715241046 (OP)
Off-topic review bombs can sometimes be the only avenue to express displeasure over a company's poor decision-making on other games, but those being excised from the actual score ultimately makes sense. On-topic bombs that are directly relevant to the game (like with Skullgirls) should never be covered up or censored.

>>715242631
Oh no, I can't believe they ruined this f2p capeshit cardslop!

>>715241046 (OP)
It's the only immediately visible feedback channel consumers have. You'll know the company either put out a shit game or a good game but with shit practices attached.

Not too relevant for niche games but for the mainstream ones, it's a fucking blessing.

>>715242684
>>715242731
why are you replying to a shill thread you retard?

>>715242414
but by buying the game you're contributing to puppies being boiled alive. shouldnt the customer be informed about this?

>>715242631
>>715242684
>>715242731
exactly 1 minute apart
not very good at hiding it shill you retarded subhuman

>>715241046 (OP)
*stretches*
Totally unhinged behavior.

>>715242897
>>715242731
exactly 1 minute apart
not very good at hiding it shill you retarded subhuman

>>715242670
>>715242759
>>715242897
>SHILL SHILL SHILL SHILL
How the fuck is a thread about review bombing shilling anything? Do you even know what the word "shill" means?

>>715242472
Except your (bowel) movement doesn't give a flying fuck about whether or not people own their games. The name "Stop Killing Games" is a lie, since it doesn't aim do anything to preserve the ability of people to play games that aren't GAASshit.

>>715243039
>>715243037
the replies are clearly botted and the thread is about piratesoftware not review bombing you retarded subhuman

>>715241046 (OP)
'reviewbombing' doesn't exist, it's a made up bullshit corpo-nigger term to redefine criticism as a sort of thoughtcrime.
>We are adding super expensive pay2win monetization to our game, fuck you goyim!
Okay lol, negative review sent, I've said my piece
>OY VEY, DIS IS LIKE ANUDDA SHOAH, REVIEWBOMBING US!

>>715243039
>>715243134
>exactly one minute apart
you're the only one talking about that shill

>>715243158
why are you replying to a shill thread you retard?

pirate software is so petty that he is now running bots to derail any thread about him.

>>715243176
get mad you retarded subhuman

>>715243195
>>715243253
>1 minute apart, talking about piratesoftware
can you stop shilling?

>>715241091
>>I'm gonna buy this game but give it a good review, that'll show em!
Review bombing goes both ways.

>>715243240
>>715243296
but it's about review bombing right you retarded subhuman?

>>715243301
>two positives are the same as a positive and a negative
Dangerously low IQ post. Apply yourself

>>715243301
>>715243383
why are you talking to yourself retard?

>>715243195
Why are you talking shit to people replying to your OP you samefagging faggot?

>>715243158
What are your thoughts on subhumans (i. e. the chinese) reviewbombing good games for superficial reasons (like not having chinese language or not fellating the ccp)?

>>715243446
Criticism is cricitism, you don't have to like it but you have to listen to it because that's how freedom of speech works.
If the reviews are so fraudulent that they are in fact slander/libel, sue them.

>retarded shill gets mad for being called out
>suddenly the bot replies to OP stop
>>715243446
>>715243481
why are you talking to yourself retard?

>>715241227
Yeah, Subnautica 1 and Below Zero got a bunch of negative reviews due to what's happening with Subnautica 2's development, and those reviews are completely unrelated. Wish retards would stop virtue signaling.

>>715243521
>>715243481
why are you talking to yourself retard?

>>715243536
nobody cares retard, why are you replying to a bot?

>>715241384
I got Tropico 5 for a few cents.
When I started it up, it wanted me to make an account.
Why would I need to make an account and play the game for who knows how many hours before I can write my scalding review about why the FUCK I would need to make a fucking additional account?

>>715242765
When I look at reviews I want to read about the game, not about how the company boils puppies. I don't give a shit if an artist, author, or game creator power bombs children during their off-time. Report them to the police or go to the news.

>>715243584
>nobody cares
>cared enough to reply
this is a self-own lmao

easy to tell it's a retarded shill thread because nobody actually checked op's game

>>715243753
why didn't you check op's game you retarded subhuman?

>>715243718
nobody cares you retard

>>715241046 (OP)
Thread's theme
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K8uj22m9hSI

if humans were posting in the thread first thing they would do is check the reviews on op's game

>>715243909
Why? This is a thread to discuss reviewbombing generally, nobody cares about some literally who game in the OP

>>715243808
>>715243851
>>715243894
why are you talking to yourself retard?

>>715243968
>>715243976
you are a retarded subhuman

>>715241147
the problem is how do you define "offtopic review activity" - in my view valve shouldnt be doing this
i know of a game where the devs bait and switched with an awful monetization update 1-2 months after release then the negative reviews got marked as "offtopic review activity"

>>715242427
I don't think they'll do that because it will piss off large publishers something fierce.

>>715241046 (OP)
>game gets tons of good reviews because influencer x supports it
No one says anything
>game gets tons of bad reviews because influencer x supports it
Wah wah this score doesn't represent the games quality, delete the reviews

All streamer/youtuber games should automatically get an overwhelming negative score. They're trying to milk their viewers and the games have no merit

>>715241046 (OP)
>review bombing
The most fake fucking "issue" ever. If you even pretend to give a shit about "review bombing" you NEED to transition asap

>>715241046 (OP)
It's the only way gamers can make themselves hears since everything else gets censored to hell and back.

>>715244029
>>715244031
nobody cares you retard

>ctrl-f 'retard'
>33 matches
what was his problem?

>>715244103
i care

>>715244085
>>715244095
why are you replying to a shill thread you retard?

>bot replies stop because shill got triggered for being called out
>suddenly 10 bot replies in a row

first thing a human would do is check if reviews on op's game are legit
this is how i know it's all bots posting

>>715241046 (OP)
Review-bombing isn't the problem, it's the solution.
Buying reviews is the problem.

>>715244470
why didn't you check reviews on op's game you retard?
why are you replying to a shill thread you retard?

>>715241482
>>715241529
>>715241568
>>715241613
>>715241654
>>715241718

>thread was getting a bot reply every minute
>bot replies just stopped after shill got called out

Some people really shouldn't have internet access.

>>715244749
yes indians

>>715241046 (OP)
review bombs are still valid reviews. only low iq people get filtered by review averages, high iq people look at negative reviews and evaluate whether the complaints affect them

>>715245515
Based, but reviewbombing still affects you because you have to scroll through dozens of reviews shouting about some retarded shit before you get to the ones actually reviewing the game

>>715245515
>>715245625
why didn't you check reviews on op's game you retard?
why are you replying to a shill thread you retard?

>>715241046 (OP)
Ironically enough, it probably only has good reviews because of the MatPat drama

>>715241775
Wilds is 100% review bombed, “I can’t run the game 0/10” is just being a dumb faggot

>>715241046 (OP)
Why separate "recent reviews" from "overall reviews", if not for this specific reason?

>>715242404
how does that even make sense? It's like a restaurant removing reviews because the customer stopped eating the steak he ordered because it was raw after 1 bite.

>>715246152
Steam has detection for reviewbombing and automatically filters those reviews out unless you specifically say you want to see them
But you are correct, the "recent reviews" is there specifically to see whether the game got ruined or saved in an update

>>715246056
>>715246152
why didn't you check reviews on op's game you retard?
why are you replying to a shill thread you retard?

>>715246127
>Wilds is 100% review bombed, “I can’t run the game 0/10” is just being a dumb faggot
you are a retarded subhuman shill

>>715241350
>Has there been a case where review bombing is incorrect
Factorio. Woke mob trying to turn the game into a victim because its lead developer was unwilling to bend the knee.
(But even without Valve flagging it as 'off-topic activity', everyone recognized what was happening and started supplying counter-reviews.)

i mean, the game is like 30% done and abandoned, is it really a reviewbomb

>>715241371
>Oh no the dev didn't say "Trans Rights"
>Leaves a negative review
Now how did that help you determine if the game is good?

>>715246834
>actually reading negative reviews = reading one review
Fucking retard. Look at the pros and cons lists
No more (you)s, I don't have time to educate you subhumans who only buy games streamers recommend

>>715246757
FF also only touches it avoid Steam flagging it as abandoned.

Pirate software is an enormous faggot, but it'd be better to just ignore his shit game and let him fade into obscurity. Don't give him the publicity he's clearly so desperate for.

>>715246834
steam thought of that already, you're welcome

>>715246757
it's a shill you retard

>>715246970
That's quite fucking based, didn't even knew this was on by default lmao

>>715241046 (OP)
>Is review bombing
No such thing. These are reviews of actual people who bought the game and they have the right to voice their complains. If there are enough people to change overall rating to mixed, then you fucked up and you are the problem, not the people.

>>715247074
You'll see a little asterisk next to the review percentage if they excluded reviewbombs from the score

>>715247098
it's a shill you retard

LMAO retarded shill is now pretending he checked the reviews after being called out that's why the bot replies completely changed

>>715241046 (OP)
this case makes me laugh because it's basically because people hate the dev so much

>>715241198
difference is, the game is actually shit.

>blatant undertale clone
>8 year dev time
>dev says hes working on it but streams games for upward of 12 hours a day
>patch notes are miniscule at best and jokes at worst

deserved.

>>715241482

EPIC WIN

>>715247507
>it's basically because people hate the dev so much
it's not shill you retarded subhuman
why didn't you check reviews on op's game you retard?
why are you replying to a shill thread you retard?

Problem? How could it be a problem? Customers are allowed to express negative opinions on something they paid for.

>>715247657
didnt ask, dumb ESL

No such thing as review bombing. Everyone is entitled to leave their review at any time on their game. When your dev decides to remove content you paid for, you go on and you explain that shit to warn future purchasers. If the dev decided to announce they hate their white fan base, that's something I want to be informed about. You don't have to like a review. You can easily look at only the positive ones, or the older ones. But I'm putting my opinion on whether you like it or not faggot.

>>715241046 (OP)
>ctrl + f
>32 instances of "shill"
What causes this mental illness

>>715247742
>noooooooo the dev said trans rights he hates me this is white genocide!!!!

conservatives vote against their own economic interests

>>715247781
try killing yourself and you will never have to see it again

>>715247810

>>715241046 (OP)
I don't want Chinese people's hurt feelings to be part of a game's score, but I do want to know if there's some actual controversy regarding a publisher's business practices. So it has to be considered on a case-by-case basis as described in >>715241147 unless Valve becomes based enough to filter out Chinese reviews specifically.

>>715247784
>>715247781
>>715247742
you are a retarded subhuman shill
>>715247742
nobody on 4chan writes like this you retard

>>715247784

Not an argument

>>715247969

Not an argument.


It doesn't exist. Stop crying about people's opinions. Stop making stupid choices as a developer.

>>715247928
why didn't you check reviews on op's game you retard?
why are you replying to a shill thread you retard?

>>715247928
chinks are like 70% of their userbase by now so that is unfortunately unlikely

>>715247969
>you are a [insane headcanon]
Turn off this website and take a breather, right now.

>>715247928
couldnt they just put a disclamer if there's a certain percentage from a specific nation? like "89% of negative reviews from Nigeria" etc

>>715248015
>>715248040
you are a retarded subhuman shill
>>715248056
>>715248032
why are you replying to a shill thread you retard?

>>715247969
oh well, i didnt know the arbitrator of 4chan was online. hello sir, could you please tell everyone else how they should talk here? after all, you've been hand-picked to ensure the content of this website stays high quality and consistent.

>>715248040
Don't bother replying to him fren. I know you're a frognigger but you can just make a new thread for your offtopic shitposting. Not replying to him at all is making him way angrier

>>715248104
>completely different way of writing
nice try you retard

Consumers are winning and devs can't do shit about it. Kek.

>>715241046 (OP)
Most devs sit in a bubble, surrounded by yes-men in their discord/reddit circlejerk
Reviewbombing is the only way for the actual players to make the devs listen

>fake clickbait op
>thread is clearly botted
>stop calling out shills

>>715241046 (OP)
Neither really.
>Spokesperson for a company turns out to be a pedo
>People actively shit on company's products in response and vow not to consume
This is the same thing really. Although from what I've seen the game is shit so regardless of the reason why it gets shat on in reviews it is objectively a bland and boring (((game))). It isn't really a consumer right being expressed so much as individuals trying to directly harm someone or some company based off of how they feel about something in particular. This is just the method by which it is done in this case since its a (((dev))) nepo baby.

>>715242341
Pretty much. Don't be a shitter and your game won't get review bombed simple as. How often does this even happen? Three times a year? Oh vey its annota shoa! Quick gaming urinalists assemble!

>>715248145
Fuck you talking about? I haven't been talking any differently between posts; you need to take your meds, you schizophrenic.

>>715248202
>>715248226
why didn't you check reviews on op's game you retard?
why are you replying to a shill thread you retard?

>>715241384
Anyone who gets half way through a game they don't like is retarded though.

>>715248226
>>Spokesperson for a company turns out to be a pedo
Based, gonna give it a positive review

Consumers are winning and devs can't do shit about it

Consumers are winning and devs can't do shit about it

Consumers are winning and devs can't do shit about it

Nan nanna boo boo, stick your head in doo-doo

>>715248274
There are about 100 threads on /v/ right now and only about 2 are worth genuinely engaging in anon. I've already done that and need to kill some time instead of spamming samefag posts in those threads. This is how I do it. Also you can put a specific word in the options field to prevent your post from actually bumping the thread dumbo.

https://x.com/LyricWulf/status/1933215922719997971
This is all you need to see to understand what's going on

Pic related is Timy Sweeny in this thread crying about shills.


Consumers keep winning. Cry bitch nigger

>>715248056
They could, and that would be a useful information. Chinese gamers would have an absolute shitfit though.

>>715241046 (OP)
devs and publishers aren't free from consequences

>>715248378
>Also you can put a specific word in the options field to prevent your post from actually bumping the thread dumbo.
I always sage you retard
>>715248415
you are a retarded subhuman these threads are made by EGS shills

>>715248459
you are a retarded subhuman shill

>>715248473

Doesn't matter, anon. I like to see them afraid. Never stay quiet.

now shut the fuck up

>>715241147
Should just only allow reviews when you've played 1 hour and remove reviews if the person refunds the game.
-1 hour minimum playtime
-You need to still own the game to have a review up

If you can't launch the game then either refund and move on or go into the discussions and cry about it.
If the game is getting massive amounts of refunds because it is broken then valve should be able to see that and step in if needed.

>>715242187
Review bombers don't actually play the games thoroughly. This should be common knowledge.

>>715241046 (OP)
Goyim are so fucking stupid to support that trojan horse keep games alive bullshit

>>715248639

Having a review that stated they couldn't get the game to run because of crashes or what not is vital. Sure, people can lie and refund, most people aren't going through this trouble, and you can generally tell which ones of those are bogus.

If I give a long written review of technical issues I was encountering and solutions I tried to no avail, it's probably legit. If it just says

"Kept crashing" or "didn't work", then I'd call it into question.

>>715248639
>and remove reviews if the person refunds the game
i see your point, but that would mean that you could only review a scam game if you decide to pay the scammers

>>715241947
It's what they're trying to make it be.

>>715241680
>i've yet to see one game that got reviewbombed for no reason
Book of Hours got review bombed because chinks got butthurt about a social media manager making an official group for the game without first prostrating himself before the existing fan groups.