Online Reviews and the end of personal thought/opinion
History:
in 1999, three websites appeared on the internet and set in motion the new “social trend” of online reviews. RateItAll.com, Deja.com, and Epinions.com.
Dan, have you ever bought, played, or gone anywhere without consulting a review?
-According to Shopify.com 90% of customers’ buying decisions are influenced by online reviews.
-Anyone have examples of using online reviews?
-Do you usually go with those reviews or not?
How consumers use online reviews:
The most important thing to know, and businesses know this, is that the mental gab between reading a review and making a decision to purchase from a business is super small, and usually results in an immediate yes/no decision. (shopify)
People will typically read 6 or less reviews before forming an opinion. So at least people will read some things, hopefully opposing reviews, before making a decision. Of course, there are people out there that only read positive reviews and make a decision, or only read the negative to make their decision. Which seems a bit counterproductive to me.
Google/Search engines decide how to rank your business in their results based 10% on online reviews.
More so recently, Youtube reviews have become crazy popular, be it gaming reviews (and even game review channels such as ____ and ____) all the way to the ever so swamped beauty guru reviews. The Millennial generation, sorry to say, think that they are going against companies and big business by listening to these online “real” people talking about games or whatnot they are currently using, loving, liking etc. Flavor of the month, since there are even “this month’s favorites!” as if we need to change our fav things every month to keep up with the Jones’.
The Jones’! Another problem with social media, but we will talk about that some other time.
Now, as with all “good and original” things, there has been a backlash to all of this supposed genuine investigating of products. A scandal, shall we say.
Not too long ago, Gamergate happened. And this was big.
-It started in 2014 when an independent game developer’s ex-bf wrote an insanely long and detailed blog post about their relationship up to their breakup. He believed she was cheating on him with people in the gaming industry, including a game journalist at Kotaku. This specific detail made people wonder why her free game, Depression Quest had gotten so much attention over more popular video games and titles at the time.
-Now, the internet is a cruel and horrible Wild West. And it did what the internet likes to do. It went ahead and decided to severely harass Quinn and other female developers, as well as Anita Sarkeesian, who had a youtube series about how the gaming industry hates women. That harassment went way too far in my opinion, and I know gamers hate thta the whole social justice crap got dragged into it, but it did.
What did this bring to light? That there definitely are journalists/reviewers that are paid, and are in cahoots with developers to give good reviews. This is not anything new. Just like commercials on tv. Actors are paid to stand there, look pretty, and claim that this shampoo is the best you will ever find.
Thoughts on this?
Why are people so frustrated about honest reviews?
A good video about gaming reviews by Dunkey.
Why are game reviews, or online reviews so hard to understand?
Just like with any sort of media, people have to assume that they are being targeted to buy, think, repeat whatever their are being sold. You have to be convinced to buy a game. You have to be convinced to buy shampoo.
https://heatst.com/culture-wars/what-is-gamergate-no-its-not-about-harassing-women/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gamergate_controversy
http://www.xojane.com/beauty/advertising-youtube-beauty-girls-zoella-bethany-mota
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