So why don't reviews work? (as a marketing tool)
- Thread starter trancejeremy
- Start date
Treebore
First Post
The trick for me was to find reviewers I could agree with. Once I found them then I found their reviews very useful.
Just with Joe I had to ignore his opinion about the art, because he gives art way more importance than I do.
So the problem is that if you don't agree with the reviews you used to make your buying decision, why would they use them again?
So I would guess most people don't make the effort, or don't know there are enough reviewers to make it worth while, to find reviewers who they consistently agree with.
Just with Joe I had to ignore his opinion about the art, because he gives art way more importance than I do.
So the problem is that if you don't agree with the reviews you used to make your buying decision, why would they use them again?
So I would guess most people don't make the effort, or don't know there are enough reviewers to make it worth while, to find reviewers who they consistently agree with.
Well, you hit on some major points - like the timing issue. But there are others:
One generally doesn't want the customer to have to go and seek out your marketing materials. Nor do you want said marketing materials to be of questionable quality - the company does not control the quality of writing or accuracy of the content.
Reviews also tend to point out weaknesses as well as strengths. Nobody doing marketing ever wants to mention weaknesses of their own product.
One generally doesn't want the customer to have to go and seek out your marketing materials. Nor do you want said marketing materials to be of questionable quality - the company does not control the quality of writing or accuracy of the content.
Reviews also tend to point out weaknesses as well as strengths. Nobody doing marketing ever wants to mention weaknesses of their own product.
Don't get me wrong- I read & use product reviews all the time: guitars, cars, books, etc.
But those reviews come to me from a variety of sources...I don't have to seek them out like RPG reviews.
But those reviews come to me from a variety of sources...I don't have to seek them out like RPG reviews.
Aus_Snow
First Post
I like pie previews. These are often far more useful to me as an immediate indicator of appropriateness for my gaming needs.
However, there are a few reviewers I usually take the time to read. They tend to have vaguely similar tastes, or at least they draw the line at vaguely similar points on various issues.
Problem I find is, most often it's not a playtest review, and so (might be) less use than even a mediocre computer game review, for example. That, and there are too few of them, generally. For a given product, I mean. Well, except the occasional massively popular release. But not always, even then.
However, there are a few reviewers I usually take the time to read. They tend to have vaguely similar tastes, or at least they draw the line at vaguely similar points on various issues.
Problem I find is, most often it's not a playtest review, and so (might be) less use than even a mediocre computer game review, for example. That, and there are too few of them, generally. For a given product, I mean. Well, except the occasional massively popular release. But not always, even then.
pawsplay
Hero
For the most part, the weakness of RPG reviews is that there are few reliable editorial sources. So unless you are following particular reviewers, what you get is mostly "some guy on the Internet." Given the lack of quality control, reviews are useful, but no moreso than well-read threads on messaage boards. Given the size of the market, imprints on gaming sites, astroturfing, and the like are probably the best way to get the word out. Reviews? I'd treat them as basically the same as advertising imprints.
Some reviews do make a difference some of the time... particularly, I've seen some well-written reviews on RPG.net clearly influence a segment of the market. But that's not a huge effect.
Some reviews do make a difference some of the time... particularly, I've seen some well-written reviews on RPG.net clearly influence a segment of the market. But that's not a huge effect.
trancejeremy
Adventurer
Hmmmm, thanks for all the answers. Very interesting.
ZombieButch
First Post
When I was reviewing for the GamingReport, we were swamped with material most of the time.
On the other hand, the only companies I can recall offhand that didn't regularly provide us with material were WotC, White Wolf, and Steve Jackson Games. So either they knew something that the smaller companies didn't (i.e., that reviews don't really help one way or another) or they felt that their own marketing engine was big enough to get them around without having to send out review copies and without the potential risk of a bad review putting people off.
I've heard it said a few times that bad reviews bring in as many additional sales as good ones. But if you get a bad review that's full of factual errors, you have to take the time to rebut it to ensure that folks get an accurate picture of your product. And then you run the risk of appearing to cry sour grapes over a bad review, which never looks good.
On the other hand, the only companies I can recall offhand that didn't regularly provide us with material were WotC, White Wolf, and Steve Jackson Games. So either they knew something that the smaller companies didn't (i.e., that reviews don't really help one way or another) or they felt that their own marketing engine was big enough to get them around without having to send out review copies and without the potential risk of a bad review putting people off.
I've heard it said a few times that bad reviews bring in as many additional sales as good ones. But if you get a bad review that's full of factual errors, you have to take the time to rebut it to ensure that folks get an accurate picture of your product. And then you run the risk of appearing to cry sour grapes over a bad review, which never looks good.
Graybeard
Explorer
I read reviews for a number of products before buying (cars, GPS, etc.) but always have to carefully read the review to determine how the reviewer is looking at the product. Many times, a product might get a lower review simply because it lacks features the reviewer would like to have but are not important to me. An example would be automobiles. Some reviewers take off points due to lack of engine power, no leather seats, etc. all things which might not be of u=interest to me. The same would be true of RPS reviews. I read the reviews on this site of products that sound interesting and then have to decide if the reviewer was looking for content in that product that I am not interested in. A new RPG product might have lots of interesting fluff and flavor which I might be interesting and get a poor review because the reviewer wanted more game mechanics instead.
That's the problem with reviews in general. They are not (usually) objective enough.
That's the problem with reviews in general. They are not (usually) objective enough.
Pramas
Explorer
First of all it's fairly ridiculous to complain about companies blowing out dead stock in relation to review copies. What you're seeing now is a once in a decade event because a whole lot of back stock is going to be unsellable a year from now. That is not business as usual and it really has nothing to do with whether a company is willing to provide review copies or not.
For many, many years Green Ronin sent out a lot of preview and review copies. There was a point when up to 100 copies were going out to reviewers, buyers, key retailers, and the like. And for a while that worked out fine. We saw over 10 reviews of books like the Shaman's Handbook and 1st edition Mutants & Masterminds. Over time though you began to see the d20 glut affecting reviewers as well as publishers. There were so many books coming out you might not see a review on a new title for six months, if ever. And because they were reading so many books, some of them got overly jaded and their reviews lessened in value. So after the Osseum debacle when we had to cut costs to the bone, it was not brain surgery to figure out that we could save a lot of money on shipping by reducing the number of review copies that we were sending out.
For many, many years Green Ronin sent out a lot of preview and review copies. There was a point when up to 100 copies were going out to reviewers, buyers, key retailers, and the like. And for a while that worked out fine. We saw over 10 reviews of books like the Shaman's Handbook and 1st edition Mutants & Masterminds. Over time though you began to see the d20 glut affecting reviewers as well as publishers. There were so many books coming out you might not see a review on a new title for six months, if ever. And because they were reading so many books, some of them got overly jaded and their reviews lessened in value. So after the Osseum debacle when we had to cut costs to the bone, it was not brain surgery to figure out that we could save a lot of money on shipping by reducing the number of review copies that we were sending out.
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