Reviews Not Influecing Buying?

[Psion]

I wonder how much info publishers really have on this. I mean, how do they know which of their sales were review motivated? I mean if something gets a great review but doesn't sell, is that because of the review, or other factors? Factors like how far down the "product chain" a product is has more to do with how well accepted a product is than reviews.

But I can't think they have no impact. I'm sure when I write a review, that sells a few copies just from informing people the product is out and giving it a presence on the reviews page.

Beyond that, the impact can be positive or negative. I can confirm that the book is something that they want, or confirm that it is not.

 

[francisca]

Reviews matter to me, especially in regards to pdf. Of course I take them all with a grains of salt. Also, I try to educate myself about the author's style and expectations of what the game is. There are a couple of competent to very good authors out there who produce products which work well mechanically, are well edited, layed out well, and recieve glowing reviews, but I just can't use their product, as our "visions" of D&D don't line up. *shrugs*

Word of mouth, both real and virtual are just as important, if not more so.

Of course if I see a product in play, that's even better. After Leopold mashed us to bits at GenCon 03, I went out and bought Fantasy Flights's Giant Lore as soon as I could get my hands on it.

 

[Mark]

Reviews Not Influencing Buying?

I'll find out soon, I hope...

http://www.enworld.org/forums/showthread.php?t=98846

 

[JohnnFour]

I often decide I don't want a product for various reasons, but then I'll read a review that'll change my mind. So, I can say reviews have indeed directly affected my purchase decisions. I prefer reviews that are longer and more in depth, with lots of headers for easy skimming. Short reviews have rarely caused me to change my mind about a product.

Maybe reviews on sites should have publisher contact links at the bottom with a call to action to contact the publisher if the review was useful.

 

[francisca]

I wonder how much info publishers really have on this. I mean, how do they know which of their sales were review motivated? I mean if something gets a great review but doesn't sell, is that because of the review, or other factors? Factors like how far down the "product chain" a product is has more to do with how well accepted a product is than reviews.

Hey publishers/authors:

If asked, I'd be happy to provide you with info concerning what led me to buy your product, and how happy I am with it 6 months after purchase.

Just don't spam me....

 

[BryonD]

First, I think Crothian is correct. Moreso than even you are allowing.

Second, I doubt I have bought very many products because of reviews. A bad review is more likely to make me not buy a product than a good review is to make me buy one. There are exceptions, but certainly not enough to impact my overall buying trend.

In general I buy based on a combination of interest in the topic, past experience with the publisher, and price. Reviews are generally only used as a tie-breaker. Thus, not very often. I'd bet that this is so common that I am pretty much just stating the obvious.

The best thing reviews do is serve as a commercial. Sometimes they let me know that a product on Topic A by Vendor B is out there. On that front a 3 star review that adds to my understanding of what the book does with the title topic may influence me more than a 5 star book that doesn't. (Meaning I may decide to buy a book based on the fairly decent 3 star review that states that it handles elves in such and such way that interests Bryon, while
I would be less influenced by a 5 star review that simply said "this elf book rocks")

I would absolutely say that reviews (good or bad) by Joe Blow have no particular influence on me. An X star rating is meaningless without context.

 

[Starman]

I don’t pay any attention to them anymore, really. At least not the one’s here on ENWORLD. My tastes in gaming products seem to differ quite a bit from the average ENWorlder or Staff reviewer, and I’ve learned that I cannot “trust” most of the reviews.

For example, I‘ve seen some books that were very inspirational to me or very useful to me get slammed for editing, balance, or mechanics errors which didn’t bother me in the slightest. And just the same, I’ve seen multiple 4 & 5 star reviews of products I considered extremely bland and/or poor (AFAIC)

In that case, I would encourage you to write your own reviews of these products. When I am reading reviews I like to read multiple viewpoints before I come to a decision.

I'm sure, too, that there are other people here at ENWorld like you who have similar tastes that are different from the average poster. They would like to see reviews from someone they could "trust."

Starman

 

[jaerdaph]

I'd have to say I've avoided more products based on reviews than I have purchased based on reviews.

There is also a very small pool of reviewers I read regularly and trust. (And for me, EN World staff reviewers are in that pool).

 

[GlassJaw]

A bad review is more likely to make me not buy a product than a good review is to make me buy one

You said it. A bad review is like the kiss of death IMO.

That said, it makes you wonder about the EN World cross-section (as Crothian alluded to). If the reviews and comments by the people in here were any reflection of products that actually got sold, WotC would sell a LOT less books. A lot of their stuff gets bashed in here but they keep churning them out, and you know it's not for their health.

I find most of the reviews in here by the "regulars" are right on the money and have definitely influenced my decisions. I bought M&M because of them and will probably buy Grim Tales as well. Most of the time, however, I'll use the reviews to make the final decision on something I was already interetsed in.

I also use to reviews to actually find out about new products because sometimes that's pretty difficult too.

 

[Wraith Form]

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

Yes, absolutely. In fact, I often base my purchases entirely off of EN World's d20 Reviews page. I look forward to the reviews, even the less professionally written ones, just to hear what people think of the products. It's one of the first places I go when I get on this site!

I often read reviews for Mongoose's products, for example, and skip them if I read about the poor editing that Mongoose is so "infamous" for. (I wish I'd waited to buy the 2nd printing of Conan d20, for example. ARRGGH.) I also enjoy reading playtest reviews of adventure modules--hearing the pros & cons of running the adventure from a DM's perspective.

I also enjoy buying prodcuts and then comparing their reviews with my own opinions of the material.

Reviews are what brought me to these boards, and reviews keep me coming back.