Steam introduces region-specific game review ratings to account for the varying experiences among global customers for the same title
Steam Introduces Language-Specific Review Scores
Steam, the popular gaming platform, has introduced a new update to its user review scoring system. Now, review scores are calculated separately for different languages, allowing for a more nuanced and relevant representation of user sentiment [1][2][3][4].
This change means that when a user visits a game's page, the review score displayed will primarily be based on reviews written in the user's selected language. However, users can also view review scores in other languages or choose to revert to the old system showing all-language reviews combined [3][4].
The update applies only to games that have at least 2,000 total reviews and at least 200 reviews in a single language, ensuring statistical confidence before showing language-specific scores [1][3][4]. The rationale behind this change is that language differences can reflect deeper regional or cultural experiences with the game [2][3][4].
For instance, translation quality, localization issues, regional server performance, or cultural references that affect player satisfaction differently across groups can be better captured through language-specific scores. By showing language-specific scores, Steam aims to provide more relevant and informative review data for users worldwide [2][3][4].
Users whose primary language differs will see a different rating for the same game compared to others, reflecting the sentiment of their language community. There is transparency about this approach, and Valve has enabled toggles so users can explore reviews and scores across all languages or switch back to the traditional holistic score if preferred [3][4].
Andy Chalk, a writer who has been gaming on PCs since the 1980s and covers various aspects of the gaming industry for PC Gamer, notes that Steam has become a global platform, and customers in different regions of the world may have vastly different experiences for the same game. The value of Steam user reviews is dependent upon them being used in good faith [5].
Hovering the "Language" dropdown in the user reviews menu bar will provide a quick-and-dirty breakdown of a game's rating in every applicable language [6]. The Review Score displayed to users will be based on their primary language.
In summary, Steam’s update explicitly accounts for language differences by segmenting review scores by language to better capture local user sentiment and improve the relevance and usefulness of game ratings on its global platform [1][2][3][4].
[1] https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1035520/view/3123467383610179965 [2] https://www.pcgamer.com/steam-is-now-calculating-game-reviews-based-on-language/ [3] https://www.gamespot.com/articles/steam-is-now-calculating-game-reviews-based-on-lan/1100-6497293/ [4] https://www.ign.com/articles/steam-now-calculating-game-reviews-based-on-language [5] https://www.pcgamer.com/author/andy-chalk/ [6] https://www.pcgamer.com/steam-is-now-calculating-game-reviews-based-on-language/
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