Censorship in the promotion of games

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greenmoray1
Lance Corporal - Panzer IA
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Censorship in the promotion of games

Post by greenmoray1 »

If you share your views why you do not like a game that is very popular with the majority it seems from my experience in Google search (which I think censors) I cannot find a discussion where people discuss why they think the Civilization series (whatever vesrion 4, 5, 6 or before) is boring. The closest answer I get is "well that's because you have a bad mod or version....or they ask a question like, what series are you playing?"

I remember looking at the promotion of a game mainly for console called Encharted. So like a fool I bought the game and it was a bunch of cut scenes and 98% of a climbing game (great if you like climbing) .....but to me the game totally sucked. I returned it. But what I noticed was it seemed to me, no matter what, I had a very hard time finding a negative view posted on you tube about encharted, .....but in time and much searching I did find a neg. report which said the same thing I said.

I realize that everyone has their own opinion and ok its just not your cup of tea, but if that is so then why aren't all opinions expressed or why can't I find various ones on You tube or even on a google search. Just type something against an established game which is popular (Encharted ....you would think was the greatest thing , or the Witcher) and try to see a realistic critique arguing both sides of why someone does not like even a game or genre.

Now it is very possible that I just need to get to the access where I can see more of a balance on gaming and views of genre's + or -. If so take me to that discussion.

In case someone says well this guy is all over the place. The subject and focus is on game promotion and the strong lack of a balance to people's views on specific popular game promos. Just type in a general search" I think the whole civilization series are too boring" see what you get. Try to find also negative stuff of the game series civilization on you tube .....and I mean just the game , not this version or that. When I go on to you tube I want to see if the person finds the game interesting or if they dislike it why. Like if they said well Panzer corps is too simple and it sucks because it doesn't use the map well, or if I said well I really don't want to buy the panzer German campaign because I prefer to play the USA and kick the crap out of the nazis .....again......same with Russia....how about we kicked your butt all the way back to Berlin and took it over......and that's cool in the game and why you should buy it. (How many times have I seen so we are going to play as Germany here , or we will play as the axis here.....what if I said well we are going to play as the US here all the time, do you think that would be allowed to be promoted?

Must be about money , advertising power and corporate power. You tube/ Google....all connected to ....Google. There it is.

Will if I will be booted off this forum for sharing this, if so then I know why.
BiteNibbleChomp
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Re: Censorship in the promotion of games

Post by BiteNibbleChomp »

I think the reason that you can't find many negative reviews of popular games is because not many exist, it is because they are getting drowned out by the popular ones. A bit like trying to find a sad yellow face in the mix of 50 or 100 happy ones:

:D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D
:D :D :D :D :D :D :( :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D
:D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D
:D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D

On Steam it is certainly possible to view only negative reviews, and once the game has reached a certain number of players there will be quite a few of them (Civ 6 probably has a thousand or more). A lot of those won't tell you anything more than a "my game has a bug" or a three word sentence that likely includes at least one swear. But there will be a few serious negative reviews among them, and those are the ones you are looking for. Usually they are the long ones: trolls are lazy.

As for Google, my understanding of their search order is:
#1) if a Google subsidiary has a page related to it, that site will come up first. So searching for 'Map' will bring up google maps before a cartography shop's site.
#2) whatever is most popular. Wikipedia, Facebook, those sort of sites.
#3) everything else.

In the case of negative game reviews, #1 likely doesn't apply in any meaningful amount, so you skip to #2. Which is positive reviews. Because Civ5 got a 90 or something on IGN, and everyone looks at IGN. If you're looking for #3, skip a couple of pages in your search.
greenmoray1 wrote:In case someone says well this guy is all over the place. The subject and focus is on game promotion and the strong lack of a balance to people's views on specific popular game promos. Just type in a general search" I think the whole civilization series are too boring" see what you get. Try to find also negative stuff of the game series civilization on you tube .....and I mean just the game , not this version or that. When I go on to you tube I want to see if the person finds the game interesting or if they dislike it why. Like if they said well Panzer corps is too simple and it sucks because it doesn't use the map well, or if I said well I really don't want to buy the panzer German campaign because I prefer to play the USA and kick the crap out of the nazis .....again......same with Russia....how about we kicked your butt all the way back to Berlin and took it over......and that's cool in the game and why you should buy it. (How many times have I seen so we are going to play as Germany here , or we will play as the axis here.....what if I said well we are going to play as the US here all the time, do you think that would be allowed to be promoted?
Panzer Corps Soviet Corps got less favourable reviews because the maps appeared half done and the briefings contained too many references to "do this or Comrade Stalin will get rid of you", not because it was played by the USSR. Being a DLC might have had something to do with it too (a release 5 years after the base didn't help things). Had SovCorps been released first and the maps had been up to the same standard as Wehr was, it would have been received just as favourably.

Or close to it at least. The reason people like playing as the Axis is because the Axis attacked for a large portion of the war, and people don't tend to enjoy defending quite as much. But that's true of any wargame: if it was the Civil War, they would play as the Union, if it was the Napoleonic War, they would play as France. Sure, if you made a Napoleonic game and forced people to play the Coalition, it would be enjoyed less, but that isn't the Coalition's fault. It's history's fault.

Hope this helps,
- BNC
Ryan O'Shea - Developer - Strategic Command American Civil War
greenmoray1
Lance Corporal - Panzer IA
Lance Corporal - Panzer IA
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Joined: Sat Mar 03, 2018 5:55 pm

Re: Censorship in the promotion of games

Post by greenmoray1 »

BNC

Well thought out points to my concerns and answer are satisfactory to me.

I understand your point regarding why people choose axis or allies due to not wanting to play defense, but that leads me then to the question why can't it be switched around more? There are some games I see but don't buy because Russians/ Americans/British play more on defense . Sometimes I think this is like gambling on the Vegas strip...meaning it's set for the house (Germany(Axis)) to win. .....I mean they (axis) couldn't do it in real life nor defeat Russia so why not win in a computer world. Yep its a "game" and people do like the "what if" element which I can understand.

Ok ....just a game ....so what games can I play from Matrix selection that has Russia driving the Germans back to Berlin which would include battles to take over Berlin. Most of the games I see with USSR and Germany , they are earlier on, mid campaign or at the turning point in the war. And since it's imaginary ...then we can have the Germans say, holding out longer and end of keeping Berlin. Playing out history but still letting the players have fun I think is a tough jumble.

Yes what you said about google and the ties to what you type and their aligning with it. I have seen that so often and I remember reading a specific way to do searches involving words like not or and and that if you quote them or something then it should show clearer and more narrow results. I forgot the specific surf browser rules. So yes thank you and the fact that it's a numbers game like your smileys.

I'm clear on all you said ....I was expecting someone to say I was venting , but yes you gave answers with good examples and evidence.

Thanks
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