Reviews Not Influecing Buying?

[Belen]

Eh...I only made one purchase from an ENWorld review and that was Book of the Righteous by GR.

Honestly, the review section on ENWorld is next to useless these days. There are too many publishers and too many products. I cannot keep track of it all any longer, so I am purchasing only from companies I know with the occasional impulse buy.

I think my normal mode is to buy a book based on need and whether I have something that fits, so I will try to find a product on say "Egypt" and then buy it regardless of reviews because I need egypt material.

The reviews really need to be more searchable in order to be more useful.

I tell you though...the free adventures page disappeared and I used that WAY more often.

 

[MDSnowman]

Most of the time, yes. If I'm buying into a new campaign world I will spend a lot of time reading reviews before buying. However I tend to ignore a lot of the reviews, especially here on ENWorld... the staff reviewers usually produce the reviews that speak to me the most. There are a few other people I trust however too. (Of course for some reason I can not force myself to enjoy the new Iron kingdoms book. I want to, but it just doesn't grab me.)

Once I've bought into a setting and enjoyed what I've found I usually won't wait for a review to buy it. Some settings, like the Scarred Lands, have so many books that I like to wait for some kind of word of how good at is. However most other setting produce books a lot less often. Mutants and Masterminds, Warcraft d20, Ravenloft, and Now Eberron have my full support.

On the other side of the coin if I buy a book and see that it doesn't have a review I try to write one so other people can make some informed decisions. While my views may not always survive the test of time (For example my glowing Review of the Conan RPG might need to be tweaked... i forgot that like many other interesting low-magic alternatives to gaming I seldom have a chance to use it) I stand by the bulk of my reviews (so a big those who bashed my review of Complete Warrior, I stand by it 100%).

 

[nyrfherdr]

How many novels have you purchased or not purchased based on a review?
How many movies have you gone to the theater to see based on a review?

All publishers appreciate the reviews and most of them want the feedback, but you can't expect it to impact their business. I would be horrified if it effected their business adversely.

Would you want someone to lose thousands of dollars because they lost their shirt on a product they put their heart and soul into based on a negative review?

It may be the worst thing I've ever read and want my money back, but I wouldn't want the power to destroy a product like that. Letting people know what I think and why is enough.

If I don't want the power to destroy, how can I ask for the power to create?
I certainly voice my opinion, tell my fellow gamers, share information on websites, etc. I've even been known to act like quite the fanboy about products I'm passionate about.
That's enough power for one humble herdsman.

Philosophy off... I guess I watched Lord of the Rings one too many times.
Game ON!
Nyrfherdr

 

[MonsterMash]

Yes reviews do influence my decisions, which is oen of the reasons I also review as well as read them.

 

[Clint]

I only buy books after reading reviews. Ken Hite is fantastic. If he says that a book is good, I give it a hard look. The regulars at ENWorld and rpg.net are also very good; over time, you can get a sense of what their preferences are and then figure how yours match up.

But one 5/5 review from someone I've never seen before won't make me run out and make a purchase. Same for someone who reviews all books from one publisher/game-system favorably. Maybe that's what publishers are thinking about when they say it doesn't matter.

Reviews absolutely influence my purchasing. I've been burned too many times by books that sounded cool and then, well, weren't. I started seeking backup from the sources listed above, and I haven't been burned since.

-Clint

 

[Umbran]

I ask because when I was at Gen Con, several publishers told me that for the most part, online reviews while nice, did not translate into sales.

Well, I think that would depend upon which publishers you talked to.

Big print publishers, like WotC and WW, probably don't see much relation between online reviews and sales. If the number of folks who read online reviews is probably much smaller than their overall fanbase, the reviews won't mean much.

Very small publisher won't see much effect, because nobody is looking at reviews of their products. You generally don't go looking for a review of a product you've never heard of at all.

So, I'd imagine there to be a "sweet spot", in which reviews make a noticible difference to the publisher. They have to be big enough so that we are interested in looking up reviews of their products, but not so big that the smallish population that reads the reviews is negligible.

 

[Crothian]

Very small publisher won't see much effect, because nobody is looking at reviews of their products. You generally don't go looking for a review of a product you've never heard of at all.

Actually, with thes e guys it really depends on the review. While people don't go looking for a review of their books, people do check out the new reviews no matter what the book is. So, if the review is glowing enough I can see many people getting the product.

 

[Umbran]

... people do check out the new reviews no matter what the book is.

Do you have stats on this? How many people read all the new reviews, vs how many folks go out looking for reviews of specific products?

 

[Crothian]

Do you have stats on this? How many people read all the new reviews, vs how many folks go out looking for reviews of specific products?

No stats only the knowledge from people who tell me they at least check out the score of each review. I have heard from publishers, especially the pdf ones that see a sales spike soon after a very good review of a product is posted.

 

[Abraxas]

Have you ever bought a book based on an online review?

No

How many novels have you purchased or not purchased based on a review?

None of either.

How many movies have you gone to the theater to see based on a review?

None

I don't know any of the reviewers personally - so their opinion means nothing to me. RPGs, books and movies rely very much on subjective measures of good and bad. If a friend I've known for years recommended a book or movie or game supplement I may or may not give it a look based on my entertainment or gaming needs at the time. I don't give reviews by strangers a second thought.