An example of pretty clear cut review manipulation

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SirViolentDeath

11 Jul, 2019 @ 2:12pm

An example of pretty clear cut review manipulation

Originally posted by wind_candle:
https://steamhost.cn/curator/33885692

Turns out several of this publisher's games have suspicious review activity. These are some of the accounts with the usual hallmarks: similar number of reviews/games; nothing but games by the same publisher reviewed around launch; seemingly abandoned after writing a review.

https://steamhost.cn/app/820770/
https://steamhost.cn/app/895920/
https://steamhost.cn/app/962940/

https://steamhost.cn/steamcommunity_com/profiles/76561198839552690/recommended/
https://steamhost.cn/steamcommunity_com/profiles/76561198835121768/recommended/
https://steamhost.cn/steamcommunity_com/profiles/76561198835112733/recommended/
https://steamhost.cn/steamcommunity_com/profiles/76561198835177498/recommended/
https://steamhost.cn/steamcommunity_com/profiles/76561198835133506/recommended/
https://steamhost.cn/steamcommunity_com/profiles/76561198835332253/recommended/
https://steamhost.cn/steamcommunity_com/profiles/76561198835129172/recommended/
https://steamhost.cn/steamcommunity_com/profiles/76561198835189181/recommended/
https://steamhost.cn/steamcommunity_com/profiles/76561198836302727/recommended/
https://steamhost.cn/steamcommunity_com/profiles/76561198836282337/recommended/
https://steamhost.cn/steamcommunity_com/profiles/76561198835296449/recommended/
https://steamhost.cn/steamcommunity_com/profiles/76561198835156966/recommended/
https://steamhost.cn/steamcommunity_com/profiles/76561198835216589/recommended/
https://steamhost.cn/steamcommunity_com/profiles/76561198835085474/recommended/
https://steamhost.cn/steamcommunity_com/profiles/76561198835245196/recommended/
https://steamhost.cn/steamcommunity_com/profiles/76561198835131392/recommended/
https://steamhost.cn/steamcommunity_com/profiles/76561198835279307/recommended/
https://steamhost.cn/steamcommunity_com/profiles/76561198835098183/recommended/
https://steamhost.cn/steamcommunity_com/profiles/76561198839607976/recommended/
https://steamhost.cn/steamcommunity_com/profiles/76561198839655744/recommended/
https://steamhost.cn/steamcommunity_com/profiles/76561198839553281/recommended/
https://steamhost.cn/steamcommunity_com/profiles/76561198835332253/recommended/

Last edited by SirViolentDeath; 15 Jul, 2019 @ 3:55pm

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Showing 1-12 of 12 comments

Eviction Notice 11 Jul, 2019 @ 2:22pm

How can they review something that's not in their account? Are they refunding after giving a positive review? Surely Valve would catch on to that.

Mutant Overlord 11 Jul, 2019 @ 5:18pm

Originally posted by Eviction Notice:
How can they review something that's not in their account? Are they refunding after giving a positive review? Surely Valve would catch on to that.

Thats why I wish refunding a game was removing a review. At least from %.

SirViolentDeath

11 Jul, 2019 @ 6:38pm

Kimchi Tea 11 Jul, 2019 @ 9:38pm

Originally posted by MUTANT OVERLORD:
Originally posted by Eviction Notice:
How can they review something that's not in their account? Are they refunding after giving a positive review? Surely Valve would catch on to that.
Thats why I wish refunding a game was removing a review. At least from %.

Eh, I've refunded at least one game after I reviewed it because the specs on the store page were incorrect and the game didn't run properly. In cases like that, where it's a choice between leaving a negative review or getting your money back, I think most people would choose money back, and that biases the review score in the favor of bad developers.

In the case brought up in this thread, huge amounts of refunds + positive reviews + probable sock puppet accounts should bring up enough red flags on their own, without having to change how the system deals with review + refund situations in general.

wind_candle 12 Jul, 2019 @ 1:57am

Last edited by wind_candle; 15 Jul, 2019 @ 4:34am

Zeusberg 12 Jul, 2019 @ 7:14am

nice engrish as well in that top post game
oh well, in others it's even more awful

Last edited by Zeusberg; 12 Jul, 2019 @ 9:21am

Requiem 26 Aug, 2019 @ 1:00pm

Originally posted by Kimchi Tea:
Originally posted by MUTANT OVERLORD:
Thats why I wish refunding a game was removing a review. At least from %.
Eh, I've refunded at least one game after I reviewed it because the specs on the store page were incorrect and the game didn't run properly. In cases like that, where it's a choice between leaving a negative review or getting your money back, I think most people would choose money back, and that biases the review score in the favor of bad developers.

In the case brought up in this thread, huge amounts of refunds + positive reviews + probable sock puppet accounts should bring up enough red flags on their own, without having to change how the system deals with review + refund situations in general.

I think the obvious next step is to show the refund rate for the game.

This can obviously still get abused, but the only way to abuse it would be to buy your all your competitors' games and refund those instead. Which would be far more expensive.

Zeusberg 27 Aug, 2019 @ 5:36pm

I agree, refund rate should be a nice metric to look at.

BTW funny that all games mentioned in this thread are still up. So maybe those cases are not as "clear cut" or developers have concealed the leads well.

SirViolentDeath

27 Aug, 2019 @ 8:30pm

Valve also work slow when banning devs

Zeusberg 28 Aug, 2019 @ 5:21am

Originally posted by SirViolentDeath:
Valve also work slow when banning devs

Well, it's better to underban than overban :) Witchhunting would be stronger otherwise.
And i think some deserve second chances and like.

#10

SirViolentDeath

28 Aug, 2019 @ 1:46pm

Originally posted by Ryuu:
Originally posted by SirViolentDeath:
Valve also work slow when banning devs
Well, it's better to underban than overban :) Witchhunting would be stronger otherwise.
And i think some deserve second chances and like.

There are some devs that I think deserve a second chance and Valve does offer it, depending on the situation. Usually if the developers reach out to Valve and are polite about the whole thing, Valve may allow the developer to come back or the games at least (See Ball 2D dev and Acram Digital). So long as there is a polite exchange and the circumstances arent too bad, then yeah I'm okay with that and Valve seems to be okay with that too.

#11

SirViolentDeath

1 Feb, 2020 @ 4:24pm

http://games.sina.com.cn/g/g/2019-09-25/icezzrq8313382.shtml it would appear that the games are purchased disabled due to the developer/publisher going out of business

#12

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Date Posted: 11 Jul, 2019 @ 2:12pm

Posts: 12

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