Valve Introduces New Helpfulness System for Steam Reviews

Valve Introduces New Helpfulness System for Steam Reviews

Valve, the renowned video game development and digital distribution company, has recently embarked on public testing of a new system aimed at sorting reviews in the Steam store. This innovative approach targets the enhancement of how players can gauge the quality of games through reviews, addressing long-standing concerns about the nature of the content found in these reviews.

Understanding the Shift from Traditional Review Sorting

Historically, Steam reviews have been organized based on the number of ‘helpful’ votes each review received from players. However, this method has opened the door to an influx of non-informative content—such as jokes, memes, and ASCII art—which, while entertaining, often detracts from the usefulness of the reviews for potential purchasers. Valve's response to these issues is the introduction of a new "helpfulness system," designed to filter out these less relevant submissions.

The New Helpfulness System Explained

The new system features a default setting that allows users to sort reviews by what Valve considers the most helpful content. This system employs a sophisticated combination of machine learning algorithms, user reports, and the expertise of the Steam moderation team to evaluate and categorize reviews more effectively. Both positive and negative remarks are taken into account to provide a balanced perspective.

Evaluation of Existing Reviews

As part of the implementation, Valve faces the monumental task of reviewing their vast collection, which exceeds 140 million existing reviews. The company has noted that this process will take considerable time, highlighting the complexity of accurately assessing such a large dataset and continuing to evaluate new reviews as they are published.

User Control and Preferences

Users aren’t locked into this new system; Valve has ensured that anyone who prefers the old method can revert back. To switch to the previous review sorting approach, users simply need to navigate to the "Display" drop-down located above the user reviews and uncheck the "Use new helpfulness system" option. This flexibility aims to cater to diverse user preferences and maintains a user-focused approach.

Additional Changes to Steam Store Pages

In a related update, Valve has announced another significant alteration: starting early September, links will no longer be permitted in Steam store descriptions. This decision aims to prevent confusion regarding "prologue" games and to curb the tendency for store pages to function as conduits for advertising other pages, which could mislead customers.

Conclusion

The introduction of the new helpfulness system marks a step toward refining user experience on Steam, ensuring that players can make better-informed purchasing decisions based on informative reviews rather than distractions. As Valve continues to evolve its platforms and address user feedback, the gaming community can look forward to enhanced transparency and improved overall service.