Steam, the leading PC gaming platform, is not just a store but also a hub for gamers to share their thoughts and experiences. One key feature is the user review system, where players can express their opinions about games.
While many reviews are insightful, others are filled with jokes, memes, and ASCII art that, while entertaining, may not help potential buyers make informed decisions. Valve has recognized this and is implementing changes to how user reviews are sorted, focusing on prioritizing helpfulness.
The Problem with “Unhelpful” Steam Reviews
In a recent update shared via Steam’s official news post, Valve explains that the primary purpose of user reviews should be to assist other gamers in deciding whether to purchase a game. Traditionally, Steam evaluated the helpfulness of reviews based on the number of upvotes and downvotes.
However, this system often elevated humorous posts and creative content, which, while popular, didn’t necessarily offer useful insights about the game.
Valve’s Solution: A New Review Sorting System
To address this, Valve has introduced a new review sorting system that uses machine learning to evaluate the helpfulness of reviews. This system is now active by default, ensuring that reviews deemed unhelpful are given lower priority in the display order.
How to Find Funny User Reviews on Steam
Despite these changes, Valve assures users that creative posts like memes and ASCII art won’t be deleted. They will, however, be less prominent. If you’re interested in browsing these entertaining reviews, you can still find them by changing the sorting settings:
- Navigate to the Steam reviews section on a game’s page.
- Scroll to the bottom and click the “Browse all reviews” link.
- In the drop-down menu, select “Most Helpful (all time)” and choose “Funny” to view memes and hilarious posts.
Steam NEEDS a report feature for useless reviews like this.
byu/PointAtLiar inSteam
Who Determines the Helpfulness of Reviews?
Valve’s new system combines human moderation with machine learning algorithms. Given the sheer volume of over 140 million reviews on Steam, it’s impractical to manually review each one. However, the algorithm is designed to recognize patterns in review helpfulness and prioritize those that offer genuine insights.
Conclusion
This new system is still in development, and Valve is committed to refining it over time to better serve the Steam community. By improving the sorting of reviews, Valve aims to enhance the decision-making process for gamers, while still allowing room for creativity and humor.
Deadlock: Valve’s Secret Game Reports 200,000 Players and Nearly 17,000 Concurrent Users