Trying to add a review

[HellHound]

Yup, they can do it. I don't see why not.

Again, what is the difference with Portable Hole and Son of Portable Hole?

(BTW, Hound, sorry to pick Portable Hole as example. Take it as a praise, it is a product so good that nobody would think of putting it outside the reviews list...)

To end up saying exactly what was said by Alan, there is a difference between a periodical and a series of products. We do not include reviews except in jest, we don't include interviews, and all the items in a product are thematically linked. Since both Stygian and The Emerald Sage accept material that is NOT thematically linked to the core of the issue (at least according to your submission guidelines that were posted publically, you accept that up to a certain percentage of an issue will be theme-neutral).

If it is an issue, I think that Portable Hole should be removed from the database instead of making an exception for one periodical while others such as the Stygian and Dragon and Dungeon are not allowed.

Heck, JUST to prove the point, I will make Son of a Portable Hole into exactly what I said it isn't, I will include product reviews in this one.

Feh, who cares if it is the top-rated PDF product, IMO opinion that value is also flawed since people almost NEVER review free products accurately, granting much higher numbers to them than they would to an actual pay product.

Anyways, Portable Hole Full of Beer (this product contains no alcohol) will no longer be available as of this Monday.

As an aside, I have nothing against the Emerald Sage, I just feel it is too late to suddenly allow periodicals into the database when it has been stated that they will not be allowed when this request has come up before and when it perhaps may have helped other products' visibility by having reviews posted of it.

 

[Skade]

I have to agree that this is a periodical. I wasn't aware that there were no reviews of periodicals, and in fact I had never written a review before. I have thought about doing reviews at avrious times, but had not. In this case my decision to post a review was simply that I was excited about the product, and was going to discuss it on the Hive. This eventually became a running review of tje magazine, on Horade's and Emerald Nights boards, and then I posted it here for anyone who wanted to see it. Since I had already pretty much written a review I decided to just post it officially.

So, end result being, this periodical has been added to the review database. I don't see why they were not in the first place, personally. IGN.com has reviewed magazines, and monthly comics before, so there is some precedent for periodical reviews. That is obviously a very different site, and they have moved away from almost all non-game review now. In any case, if more periodicals are to be added to the reviews database, I will gladly review them.

As to whether a product gains high marks because it is free, I can't really argue that as I am not other reviewers, and I have only done one review so far. Personally, I think it does play some small part, but that is to be expected since the first part of every review seems to be its pagecount and layout vs. cost.

edit: fixed an omission of a word.

 

[Ghostwind]

Feh, who cares if it is the top-rated PDF product, IMO opinion that value is also flawed since people almost NEVER review free products accurately, granting much higher numbers to them than they would to an actual pay product.

People review free products?? Wow, there's a conceptual stretch...

 

[Psion]

Pending a thumbs up from Morrus, I am removing the products from the database. IGN is not ENWorld, and I agree that opening the doors for reviews for periodicals is not a place we need to go. Free products, which we allow reviews for here, are even questionable; what is the point of providing reviews of products that don't cost you anything?

If anyone has a problem with this, please feel free to email me.

 

[Morrus]

I'm going to come down on the side of disallowing all free products and periodicals.

My reasoning is this:

1) I'm not really interested in maintaining a database of 300+ now-unavailable magazine issues. The messageboards serve those "it matters right now but won't in a few weeks' time" type reviews much better.

2) I can see no real reason to review free products; the only people who benefit are the creators of the product. When there's no outlay or risk on the part of the "customer", they may as well just download the thing for free and decide for themselves.

3) I guess I just don't want to....

For what it's worth, I see e-zines as being more relevant to reason #2 than reason #1. Asgard was never in the database, and neither are other e-zines. Dragon and Dungeon are not in the database. And, very soon, Portable Hole and its successor will not be in the database.

If anyone spots any free items in the database, please feel free to point them out and I'll remove them.

Thanks, folks.

 

[Ghostwind]

Morrus-
For Bastion Press, there is Norse Gods, Ink and Quill, and Waters of Akaya; all free products.

 

[Horacio]

I feel guilty now. I hope it hasn't be my complains that have make it happen. I don't like the decision, even if I can see its logic.

Another thing, after re-reading my posts in the thread, I think it can seem that I was attacking Hellhound or his products. It wasn't the case. Hound has been the person who has helped us the most in every moment of Horade's creation, he has always been friendly and helpful, always finding time to give good advise and always willing to help at any moment. He is really a great guy. And Portable Hole Full of Beer is a wonderful product, and Son of a Portable Hole will be at least as good (and in fact, I will have some items on it, so I wouldn't attack it, would I? ).

I'm sorry if it seemed that I was attacking him, what I really DON'T like is the "no free products" rule... but that's me. And don't bother explaining me once more the logic, I see it, simply I don't like it, my problem, I guess...

 

[Psion]

The jury is still out, Horacio. We are discussing some alternatives that will still give people access to a free products database. The consensus does seem to be, though, that they aren't worth reviewing.

 

[Ghostwind]

Free products and reviews are a catch-22. Reviewers tend to not want to do them since they often have other "more important" products on their plate. On the other hand, there are some really good free products out there. Portable Hole won an Ennie for best free product and Norse Gods received an honorable mention in the nominations. Inner Circle Games has a free adventure called "Where Madness Dwells" that's also pretty good.

Perhaps a separate database could be set up that would allow free products and zines to be added and rated/reviewed. That would still allow gamers access to not only knowing what products are available but also whether they are worth the time it may take to download.

 

[JacktheRabbit]

Does this mean all Creative Mountain stuff is out too? Those are free products but I believe they are base products that will be built upon by further products you can purchase.