RPGNow paid reviewers

[Starglim]

I note that RPGNow has an open call for staff reviewers to rate products and give comments. I presume these will go in the same place as the customer comments.

Not to tell Mr. Mathe how to run his business, but is this really a good idea?

I value the customer comments at RPGNow, however articulate or balanced or otherwise, because they are the responses of people who have paid hard cash for the product because they found it relevant to their games.

If I wanted the opinion of someone who was assigned to review the product, there are other places to find it, many of which RPGNow quotes and links to already.

What do others think?

 

[Crothian]

It seems like a good idea. Why should I want to go else where to get opinions when I can get opinions right there on the site? I imagine that most people just read the comments there and do not really follow the links to reviews on other sites unless they go to those sites normally.

While the new reviewers use the same comment section as everyone else their comments I believe will be marked as being a reviewer so it should be easy to tell the two apart.

 

[Sundragon2012]

I think it is a fine idea as being paid by a RPGnow should in no way compromise the the honesty of the review. In fact, being paid may inspire folks to write more that a few sentence blurb which is what, on average, passes for a product assessment on the site.

All in all, I support the decision.


Chris

 

[Crothian]

Oh, and they aren't being paid at this time. It might lead to a paid position but right now they just get product.

 

[Starglim]

It seems like a good idea. Why should I want to go else where to get opinions when I can get opinions right there on the site? I imagine that most people just read the comments there and do not really follow the links to reviews on other sites unless they go to those sites normally.

While the new reviewers use the same comment section as everyone else their comments I believe will be marked as being a reviewer so it should be easy to tell the two apart.

I would certainly hope so.

I think it is a fine idea as being paid by a RPGnow should in no way compromise the the honesty of the review. In fact, being paid may inspire folks to write more that a few sentence blurb which is what, on average, passes for a product assessment on the site.

That may well be the case, nor would I accuse anyone of dishonesty or shilling in their reviews. I draw a distinction, though, between disinterested reviews and actual customer ratings.

 

[Crothian]

That may well be the case, nor would I accuse anyone of dishonesty or shilling in their reviews. I draw a distinction, though, between disinterested reviews and actual customer ratings.

Why would reviews done by Reviewers be disinterested?

 

[Vigilance]

The call for reviewers comes from the same place a lot of other changes in the works at RPGNow come from: its customers.

While the site generates plenty of comments, there has been a consistent call in RPGNow customer service polls for more reviews and more in-depth reviews.

Hence the call for what is *potentially* a paid position. People answering the current call will be getting free product and nothing more.

Chuck

 

[Starglim]

Why would reviews done by Reviewers be disinterested?

Surely publishers have already made that complaint about some of the reviews under the review project, or have I misread that?

I suppose the distinction I'm trying to draw is between "Does this fit my ideas of a good product?" and "Am I happy I bought this? Is my game better? Did I get value for money?" The reviewer can guess, based on her own experience (or otherwise, if it's a sub-genre unfamiliar to the reviewer), at customers' likely answers to the latter set of questions, but the buyer knows whether she's happy or not.

 

[tmaaas]

I think it's a great idea.

Personally, a few consistent reviewers who do a good job are worth more to me than "customer reviews." In particular, once I learn to recognize a reviewer and learn how their tastes/ratings relate to my own, their reviews become much more valueable. I usually don't quite trust an random customer's review (unless it is very well-written and gives concrete reasons to back up opinions) because I don't know the bias of the writer.

 

[Crothian]

Surely publishers have already made that complaint about some of the reviews under the review project, or have I misread that?

I have gotten complaints but never this one.

I suppose the distinction I'm trying to draw is between "Does this fit my ideas of a good product?" and "Am I happy I bought this? Is my game better? Did I get value for money?" The reviewer can guess, based on her own experience (or otherwise, if it's a sub-genre unfamiliar to the reviewer), at customers' likely answers to the latter set of questions, but the buyer knows whether she's happy or not.

As a reviewer I know if I am happy with the poduct, it doesn't matter if I bought it or not. I am pretty sure I can imagine what it would be like to spend 5 dollars on a PDF I didn't like for instance. I'm also fairly certain that unless ther reviewer says they got the product for free, you have no way of knowing if they did or not.