Re. EN World staff reviewers and good/bad reviews

[JohnNephew]

The only time I question reviews is when they're just blatantly misinformed, such as ...

I'm with Nicole...though I often don't even question them then, even when they're wildly off on the facts. (I think reviewers that start off by getting basic facts wrong are, well, giving their readers a good idea of what to expect beyond that.)

It's painful to receive negative comments -- but it's part of the business. In the end, even the most poorly written and hostile review is still talking about your product...which makes it more likely that those who read the review will at least take a look at the product if they see it in a store -- and that first look may convince them that the reviewer was high on crack, has a completely different set of values, or completely missed the point.

On the bright side, it's very gratifying to read positive reviews, and learn that someone out their understands and values what you were trying to do with a project.

Ah well. Sorry to hear that some folks are having trouble dealing with it, and are picking on you as a result, Morrus.

-John Nephew
President, Atlas Games

 

[Paradigm]

We have a simple way to dispute poor reviews on the basis or inaccurate facts, we simply respond in the comments section. At most we may request an "editor's note" to point something out. Opinions are just that, opinions and there are no right or wrong ones. As long as the facts bear out, then everything is A-OK.

 

[Corinth]

("There are no giant robots in this D&D book! Everything's better with giant robots! This sucks!")

But....but...but they are better with giant robots!
(Hey, if I can't joke about my own love of mecha...)

 

[Talaysen]

But....but...but they are better with giant robots!
(Hey, if I can't joke about my own love of mecha...)

Yeah! I want my d20 Mecha! Who CARES if this is "Bronze Age: d20 Adventures in a Simpler Time"? Don't try to tell me those Bronze Age dudes didn't have giant robots! Why did they even bother with metal then, huh? HUH?! Everyone KNOWS that metalworking was developed so the ancient Greeks could fight with powered armor and immense robots that could turn into airplanes, serpents and Coliseums!

It's true! I saw it on television! And television don't lie! Right?!

Uh...right??

Hello?

 

[Blacksad]

Yeah! I want my d20 Mecha! Who CARES if this is "Bronze Age: d20 Adventures in a Simpler Time"? Don't try to tell me those Bronze Age dudes didn't have giant robots! Why did they even bother with metal then, huh? HUH?! Everyone KNOWS that metalworking was developed so the ancient Greeks could fight with powered armor and immense robots that could turn into airplanes, serpents and Coliseums!

It's true! I saw it on television! And television don't lie! Right?!

Uh...right??

Hello?

While you're right that metalworking was developed for powered armor, it wasn't the greek that used them, but the greek-like civilization of Atlantis. When Poseidon/Neptune get angry at them they flew toward the moon of illusions with all the engineers, and that's why their is no mecha in today civilization .

Morrus, you apparently didn't want to tell which company did this (but given that almost every other company is going to post in this thread we might found which it was), though you could e-mail them to take a look at this thread, and perhaps they will do public apologize. Then they might send free product of their line and of their rival line so that enworld member could participate in a small competition that they'll judge and then the enworld member who won the competition could review their product and their rival product. (dreams doesn't hurt anybody )

give me free product! I want free product!

 

[jaerdaph]

I just want to add that I think Morrus showed real class by not naming the publisher in question.

This publisher might want to take a few lessons from him.

That's all. You can have the soap box back now

 

[Psion]

Wow.... I've been stewing over this one privately, and I didn't even notice there was a thread about it.

That publisher compared themselves directly to a specific, "obviously inferior" product line produced by a rival publisher (whom they claimed that the reviewer favoured) and made thinly veiled threats regarding "revisions" to their review policy.

What's worse is that I compared the numbers of the complaining person's company to those of the "obviously inferior" company that I was supposedly kissing up to, and the average of his company as I had rated them was higher!

Further, I have not been ripping into the company in my reviews, though he seems to think that I have. I just am willing to point out what I perceive as flaws.

Worse still (this may tip my hand, but ah well),
[edit: yeah, it would. Don't want to point fingers. Comment deleted.]

To me, that displayed a certain arrogance and contempt for one's peers. But AFAIAC, the proof is in the pudding.

Personally, I choose not to review or overly promote any products from that company again except as far as my "news reporting" role requires me to; I leave it up to the reviewer in question as to whether he wishes to.

Well, like when my daughter throws a temper tantrum when she doesn't get her way, I simply intend not to be influenced by it. The company in question still makes good products, but I still intend to call them as I see them.

For the majority of print publishers, a review here doesn't exactly make or break the company in question. A publisher is not going to go under because Alan or Simon gave a product a '3' instead of a '4'.

As has often been uttered, there is no such thing as bad publicity. A while back, Eden gave copies of their modules away to anyone who would write a review, good or bad, because they knew that getting more recognition was important. Getting good reviews is even better, but you have got to earn them. I don't think I would be as influential as a reviewer if I didn't call them as I saw them. I don't think the reviewers who pick one or two publishers and rave about them get taken as seriously.

 

[Greatwyrm]

Maybe I'm alone here, but I think sometimes people may put too much stock in the reviews. I read them and to a degree, I find them useful. However, for the most part, I usually know what books I do and don't want based on the subject matter and producer.

Most of the reason I read the reviews is just for a head's up. If a review for a book I'm looking for comes up around 3 or better, I'll usually go ahead and pick up the book without much more thought. The only time I go into much depth is when someone really tanks a product (IMO 1 or 2 rating). Then, I read those bad reviews to see what exactly the person didn't like. If it's one of those "still-no-mecha-in-3E" or "all-GM-screens-stink" people, I ignore it. Otherwise, I review their comments to see if they found things in the product that I don't like either.

I guess what I'm really trying to say is, a 3 is as good as a 5 if it's something I was already looking at. 1 or 2 is by no means a death sentence. Those just get me to do a little more research.

 

[tensen]

Someone complaining about a review they got?
The whole point of a review is to get an impatial comments on what was created.

If a product has flaws.. point them out. I for one want to see them.. If there are erros, or missing information that bring the review score down. Then explain what it is.

The publisher that doesn't appreciate a detailed review of their product, is a publisher that doesn't care and will likely be making the same mistakes, or details that got them the low score to begin with.


Although I also wouldn't mind seeing a review by a reviewer that points out if a particular issue was corrected in a later product, because I think the buying public would also like to see that a publisher is listening to their reviews.

 

[drnuncheon]

It really bugs me that a publisher would do something like this. I know it's probably the right thing for Morrus and Psion to take the moral high ground and not say who it is, but there's some part of me that wishes they would so I would know not to buy from them.

On the other hand, there's also a part of me that worries it's a publisher whose stuff I really like, and that ignorance is bliss.



Employee of this mystery publisher, you know who you are. You know you acted unprofessionally. You may have been feeling hurt, or offended, and maybe - I hope - it was a knee-jerk reaction and you're feeling sorry that you said it.

Whatever the case, you owe Alan an apology. In private or public, it doesn't matter - just show that you know it's the right thing to do.

J