Steam Implements Changes to Combat “Joke Reviews” and Enhance User Experience
Steam has recently announced a crackdown on what they refer to as “joke reviews” on their platform. These reviews, often consisting of one-word posts, ASCII art, and meme content, will now be categorized as unhelpful and will be displayed lower on a game’s store page by default.
In an effort to improve the overall review system, Valve has introduced a new ‘helpfulness system’ that prioritizes more detailed and informative reviews, ensuring that users can easily access valuable feedback.
While humorous and ASCII posts will still be visible, they will be sorted based on their posting date. It is important to note that positive and negative reviews will remain unaffected by these changes.
Additionally, Steam will be implementing new rules for their store, including a ban on vendors including links in their game descriptions. This decision was made to prevent misleading practices where links redirected users to other games.
Valve is also encouraging game developers to utilize “prologues” for playable demos rather than misleading users with deceptive buttons mimicking Steam’s store interfaces.
These changes aim to streamline the user experience on Steam, ensuring that players can make informed decisions when browsing and purchasing games on the platform.
