Valve Will Address Steam Review Bombing With New Tool

Valve has announced it’s revisiting user reviews on Steam in order to combat review bombing. In a blog post, Valve wrote it will now “identify off-topic review bombs, and remove them from the Review Score.”

“We define an off-topic review bomb as one where the focus of those reviews is on a topic that we consider unrelated to the likelihood that future purchasers will be happy if they buy the game, and hence not something that should be added to the Review Score,” Valve continued. The company admits there’s still a bit of a grey area with this definition, so it’s developed a tool that “identifies any anomalous review activity on all games on Steam in as close to real-time as possible.”

After the tool has identified possibly troublesome reviews, it will inform Valve and the company will then begin an investigation. If Valve decides the user reviews are an off-topic bomb, the company will inform the developer that every review within the time period of the review bomb will be removed from the game’s overall Steam score. At this point, however, the user reviews will still be live. It will be up to the developer’s discretion over which are deleted.

The downside to this process is that every user review during an off-topic review bomb will be removed from a game’s overall Steam score, even the good ones. “But as we mentioned back in our first User Review post, our data shows us that review bombs tend to be temporary distortions, so we believe the Review Score will still be accurate, and other players will still be able to find and read your review within the period,” Valve wrote. Plenty of negative comments that focus on DRM or EULA changes will also be considered off-topic review bombings as well.

Developers who don’t want this new tool combing through their games’ comments and Valve declaring when an off-topic review bomb is happening can opt out of the process by going into their Steam Store options. Valve is working on a few more changes to user reviews as well, but they’ll be shipped out at a later date.

from GameSpot – Game News https://ift.tt/2Ff4M8C

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Apex Legends: Mysterious Launch Pads Are Appearing, Hinting At Octane’s Release

There are jump pads near Apex Legends‘ Market right now. Not just any jump pads either; they’re the ones the rumored new Legend Octane places as his Ultimate ability.

We’ve stumbled upon it ourselves, and we aren’t the only ones, as evidenced by posts on Reddit. Other players are reporting they’ve found Octane’s jump pads as well. Respawn is just leaving coy-looking emoji comments in response, which implies this is a purposeful tease of what’s to come, and not a mistaken leak on the developer’s part.

Prior to this, Octane has leaked a few times, which is why so many people believe he’s the next scheduled character for Apex Legends. The first mention of the Legend was a leak that showcased the character’s ability page. The leaked image stated Octane’s Passive allowed him to heal over time while not in combat, his Tactical caused him to move 30 percent faster for six seconds at the cost of 10 percent of his health, and his Ultimate deployed a jump pad to launch Legends into the air.

After that leak, another one–this time detailing the upcoming battle pass for Apex Legends–also showcased Octane, seemingly confirming he’s the next playable character in the battle royale game. In this second leak, the Origin landing page had accidentally changed early, promoting the battle pass with a picture of the Borderlands-looking Legends. “Survive the the [sic] arena, meet the Apex Games’ latest Legend, Octane, wield new weapons, and score unique loot. The Season 01 Battle Pass is here, purchase it at the in-game store for 950 Apex Coins,” the launch page said.

After these leaks–and a few other less credible ones–Respawn responded, clarifying the battle pass would not launch on March 12 like some data miners had suggested and that not everything on the internet should be taken at face value. “There’s lots of stuff that has been datamined from Apex since launch and is swirling around the Internet,” Respawn community manager Jay Frechett wrote. “We know this stuff is fun to dig up and speculate about, but you should not treat any of that info as a source of truth. There’s stuff in there that is very old, or things we’ve tried in the past and cut–remember our design process is to prototype and play lots of ideas–and some of it may be things we’re still building for Apex Legends.”

There seems to be some semblance of truth to Octane at least. Respawn hasn’t clarified whether his launch pads will stick around near Market or eventually be removed from the game when the Legend does officially release–which is due this month. Apex Legends is available for Xbox One, PS4, and PC.

from GameSpot – Game News https://ift.tt/2T9PsOv

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PSN Just Launched A Major Sale On Hundreds Of Games

Hold onto your hats, because the PlayStation Store’s latest sale is here, and it’s a big one. Hundreds of games for PS4, PS3, PSP, PS Vita, and PS VR are marked down, and it’s all part of The Great Indoors Sale–a.k.a. more reasons to not leave the house in these final, dreary days of winter. Besides all of the game deals, one-year PS Plus subscriptions are also discounted at just $45 (and membership pricing is rarely that cheap). While the PS Plus deal is available only until March 26, the following game deals are all valid until March 29 at 8 AM PT / 11 AM ET. And these discounts will be even greater if you’re a PS Plus member.

There are almost too many great games included here to name–but here are the highlights. You can get the complete edition of Horizon Zero Dawn for only $17, along with its amazing DLC, The Frozen Wilds, for $8. Bloodborne‘s DLC, The Old Hunters, is another worthwhile puchase at just $15. Red Dead Redemption is marked down to just $12.89, while Red Dead Redemption 2‘s special edition is $60. Borderlands 2 is down to just $5, The Last Guardian is selling for $14, Persona 5: Dancing in Starlight is $42, and The Witcher 3‘s complete edition is only $20. The list goes on and on. And if you’re on a budget, there’s even a handy section for all the cheapest deals–most of them are under $10.

Shop PSN’s Great Indoors Sale »

Because there are literally hundreds of options, check out more of our picks below!

from GameSpot – Game News https://ift.tt/2CiUbaU

from Blogger https://ift.tt/2Ff89MO

Epic Games Store: Cloud Saves, Achievements, More Features On The Way

Epic has released a roadmap for 2019, which includes the new features scheduled to appear on the Epic Games Store. The full roadmap can be viewed on Trello, but Epic has issued the disclaimer that the new features listed and the times they’re scheduled for are “subject to change.”

Exact timetables are not provided for each feature, with each one falling into a category of one-three months, four-six months, or long-term (more than six months). In the short-term, Epic isn’t implementing too many major features. The company plans to redesign the Epic Games Store’s website, and add search tools that utilize both genre and tags. The Epic Game Store will also start hosting video, provide an “optimized delta solution” to help developers reduce the size of game patches, support DLC add-ons, and streamline the sign-in process to allow players to “get into their offline games faster.” The one major feature during this window of time is cloud saves support–a long-requested addition from the Epic Games Store community.

You’ll see a lot more community-requested features added in the mid- to long-term. In four-six months, Epic plans on adding user reviews, wish lists, additional payment methods/currencies, player time tracking, and mod support. The Epic Game Store is also scheduled to see improvements to its newsfeed and follow features, as well additional sorting and filtering methods for its game library. In the long-term, the Epic Game Store will support game achievements, direct carrier billing, and a shopping cart. Epic also plans on overhauling the store’s social features as well.

Epic has a few more improvements scheduled for its game store that don’t have any planned date. These include more generalized PC game store features, such as automated refunds and gifting, and specific ones, like an Arabic translation for the store and support for games that released in Korea. Epic also plans to have the Epic Games Store be accessible on Android devices.

Getting these features out the door is important for the survival of the Epic Games Store, as many of them already exist on its number one competitor, Steam. The Epic Games Store has managed to attract an audience by securing several major triple-A 2019 releases, such as Metro Exodus and The Division 2. However, PC gamers have come to expect many of the features listed above, and will probably gravitate back to Steam if all the Epic Games Store can deliver is a few good exclusives.

The Epic Games Store also offers a free game every two weeks. Right now, you can download the indie game Slime Rancher, which is normally $20 USD on PC. Slime Rancher will be available until March 21, when it will be replaced by Oxenfree.

from GameSpot – Game News https://ift.tt/2HoKwE1

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PlayStation Plus Membership Is On Sale For Just $45 Right Now

If you own a PlayStation console and enjoy online multiplayer games, you’re probably well-familiar with PS Plus, PlayStation’s annual membership subscription that grants access to online multiplayer in games like Overwatch, Monster Hunter World, or Diablo III. While PS Plus membership is usually priced at $60 per year, it’s cheaper than ever for a limited amount of time. From now until March 26, you can sign up for (or re-purchase) PS Plus for only $45 (25% off).

The PlayStation Store is offering this deal as part of its Great Indoors Sale this month, which also features games up to 75% off with PS Plus. So once you snag a membership, you can pick up a bunch of games for even cheaper.

If you’re already a PS Plus member, you’re also allowed to stack subscriptions, so you can still take advantage of the discount and save money in the long-term. Even if PlayStation launches a new console in the next few years (as it’s rumored to), your PS Plus subscriptions will likely be valid on that platform.

Notably, PS Plus is also discounted at third-party retailers like Amazon, Best Buy, and GameStop, likely to price-match the PlayStation Store’s current deal. So if you prefer to shop at those stores, you can get the same exact deal, and still swing back over to the PlayStation Store for its latest PS Plus game deals.

Besides access to online multiplayer, PS Plus membership comes with free monthly game downloads (March’s free games are available now), better discounts on everyday deals, and online game saves (with 1 GB of online storage for PS4, 1 GB for PS3, and 1 GB for PS Vita).

Buy PlayStation Plus 1-Year membership for $45

from GameSpot – Game News https://ift.tt/2W3QLA7

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The SXSW Texas Steam Sale Has Games Up To 75% Off This Weekend

As the SXSW Gaming Festival kicks off today in Austin, there’s another way the rest of us who aren’t there can get in on the fun (well, sort of): by heading to Steam. The Texas Sale from SXSW Gaming has kicked off, so now until Sunday, March 17, you can get discounts as high as 75% off on an amazing batch of games. Here’s a quick look at the best deals:

  • Both Borderlands and Borderlands 2 are 75% off right now, and with Gearbox Software teasing an announcement for Borderlands 3 at this year’s PAX East, there’s no better time to dive in and get acquainted with this stellar series. While Borderlands’ standard edition isn’t on sale, its Game of the Year edition is for just $7.49; meanwhile, Borderlands 2 is only $5.
  • On sale for just $3.29, Dishonored is an absolute steal right now. The stealth action game is set in a city struck by plague and full of infected citizens, and your character is an assassin named Corvo, who is pursuing revenge.
  • Prey is marked down 50%, so you can get it for just $15 this weekend. The survival horror first-person shooter is set in a space station that’s been overrun by hostile aliens, and you play as a character named Morgan, who must explore the station and attempt to escape.
  • Packed with adrenaline-pumping action, the 2016 reboot of Doom is marked down to just $15 (25% off) this weekend. Playing as a space marine, you’ll battle your way through Hell while fighting literal demons using a variety of different guns and other weapons.
  • The entire Banner Saga series is on sale too, both individually and with a few different bundle options. The strategy RPG, which is deeply impacted by players’ choices, is set in a world inspired by Viking legends and centers around a war between humans and an ancient race known as the Dredge.

Shop the Texas Steam Sale »

The full list of discounted games:

from GameSpot – Game News https://ift.tt/2F2Szmg

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